‘We Are Here’: Voices of the Rural Assembly

The Rural Assembly is committed to amplifying voices of rural agents of change, who are working to build a more equitable, inclusive, and thriving rural America. Now more than ever, we need to listen to the voices of people of color, women, immigrants, young people, and the LGBTQ community for truth and guidance. about how to heal and repair what is broken.

We are grateful to Anita Earles, Ruby Sales, Diana Oestreich, Jackie Shelton Green, Prairie Rose Seminole, Magaly Licolli, for sharing their voices at the 2018 Rural Assembly and the 2019 Rural Women’s Summit.

Drawing Resilience: Maureen Hearty

Maureen Hearty transforms objects, space, and community, seeing art as a tool for action, education, and opportunity. The majority of her community-based work today is on the eastern plains of Colorado, considered one of the most sparsely populated areas in the United States. In Joes, Colorado (pop. 78), she is activating space using art, music, and the collection of story. In 2020, Maureen and her friend Kristin Stoltz were awarded an NEA grant for a project titled “Arts for a Prairie Seas: Farming Fluxus.”

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