Creativity helps humanity thrive.

The AIR Institute provides rural and under-resourced communities with programming that inspires new connections and ignites the creative economy. Creative people expand business skills, businesspeople get more creative; they learn to collaborate, adapt, and thrive together.

Art Builds Business Builds Art.

We believe diversity of people, opinions, and experiences, at decision-making tables, make communities and economies stronger. We believe that historical and current inequities must be addressed and remedied. We work to ensure that our communities have full access to essential education, tools, and resources that build self-determination, resilience, cultural equity, and creativity. We practice and teach consensus-based collaboration. We believe every community is unique and should define its own measure of success: quality of life, economic stability, individual accessibility, and opportunity.

What if more of us developed our creativity? And then we applied that creativity to everything we do. What new ventures would be started? What revolutionary ideas would emerge?

The world would be different. And not just for artists and people in the art world, but for all of us.

It sounds so simple. And yet, so much of our society is broken into silos, dividing those who are “creative” and those who aren’t.

You don’t need a silver bullet, big check, or a savior.

We help you listen better and ask hard questions.

You’ll find new allies and succeed together.

What makes our programs unique is cross-sector collaboration – we serve artists, business people, educators, and the community together.

We teach design thinking, business planning, and entrepreneurial spirit using the latest business development strategies and tactics.

ABBBA Workshop

Assess your creative economy & partnerships

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Shift Workshop

Your community planning & learning together

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Evolve Program

Help launch your local creative ventures for success

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Case Study:
Patrick County, VA

The Reynolds Homestead at Virginia Tech is the State Affiliate serving the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since 2018 Shift Workshops and Evolve programs have transformed Patrick County. Dozens of community members have participated and projects have been implemented that show how community led planning can leverage local resources. The local community created these videos to show how the Shift Workshop works and to showcase the projects that have helped grow the local creative economy and tourism.

The Projects

Join the movement

We’re on a mission to raise the value of arts and culture in every community. We believe that our human, creative, nature is what can solve our ills – if we can get folks together to collaborate and create together.

We’ve got a plan and a process that you can use in your community to help bring together the artists, creative types, makers, crafters AND the farmers, mechanics, accountants, lawyers, restaurant owners, outfitters, and retail store owners who are all trying to figure out how to thrive in the new economy and fast-paced world.

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