Revitalization Through the Arts
In Dubuque’s Washington Neighborhood, an arts nonprofit is leveraging grant support to enhance community vitality.
Looking up Central Avenue, the main commercial corridor in Dubuque’s Washington Neighborhood, Sam Mulgrew points out landmarks where people are making a difference. Across the street, an entrepreneur recently opened a candle shop. In the corner convenience store, the owner caters to residents’ household and personal needs. At the end of the corridor, a decommissioned fire station will house the city’s new Office of Shared Prosperity.
In the building Sam and his business partner, Gene Tully, recently purchased, they aim to make their own contribution to the racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood’s long-term vitality. The former paint store is being renovated to become the new headquarters of Voices Productions, the art and media nonprofit Sam and Gene run.
“When art involves people from the community, it can be redemptive,” Sam says.
The role of arts and culture in neighborhood vitality
The Washington Neighborhood at a glance
About the Data
*Americans for the Arts
**Journal of Urban Affairs (2016)
***National Endowment for the Arts “The Arts in Neighborhood Choice” report (2019)
°Dubuque Main Street
Because of Voices’ nonprofit status, gifts and grants are major contributors to the building renovation. In 2021, the Community Foundation awarded Voices a Community Impact Grant to support their project and, ultimately, support the role arts and cultural amenities play in community vitality.
To many people who don’t live there, the Washington Neighborhood’s reputation is poverty and marginalization. Sam and Gene say they want to play a role in elevating the neighborhood’s strong points — the sense of community, the architecture, the diversity of the people — by involving residents in Voices.
The new space will showcase local artists, host public art events for residents to enjoy, and serve as a gathering place that inspires creativity, Sam and Gene say. It will provide opportunities for neighborhood engagement in ways that Voices’ current rented space in the Millwork District cannot.
Sam and Gene point to arts and cultural amenities as key components of a vibrant community. They can support attraction and retention of residents and provide employment opportunities. Through philanthropic opportunities like the Community Impact Grant program and the Forever Fund, the Community Foundation recognizes that supporting arts and culture is critical to building a strong Dubuque region for the future.
“We are grateful for the financial support from the Community Foundation,” Sam says. “But what means even more is the partnership and the acknowledgement of the work we are doing.”
Gene adds that the project Voices is undertaking is about more than just opening a new space: “Our goal is to build a better community for our children and our grandchildren to live in."
Pictured above: Gene Tully and Sam Mulgrew in front of Voices Productions on Central Avenue.