
Arts-Based
Community Development Model
Artful Life's approach to community development was based on extensive experience with large-scale projects in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and Founding Director Valerie Martinez's experience in the field since 2008.
Learning from successes and challenges, over the years, Artful Life developed a collaborative approach which worked to harness the capacity generated by team-led creative engagement into community-led development initiatives.
We worked in community-based teams (artists and residents who live in each neighborhood, village, town, city) through an unusual, dynamic and participatory process.
The work was intentional, sustained and long-term. It rested firmly in strengthening the social fabric of communities through creative collaboration which led to art and other community-based projects.