Want Battle Lake to Grow? Invest in The Arts!

By Kristi Kuder, Art of the Lakes Chair
People who live in and around Battle Lake are a lucky bunch. We have an attractive downtown with great restaurants and shops. The schools are top notch. Each year we add a few more businesses, thanks in part to the efforts of the City’s Economic Development Authority. And our natural surroundings are second to none.

We also have a thriving arts community, which helps towns like ours grow by attracting new residents and visitors. Organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Governors Association consistently report that the arts are a key reason that people move to small towns and rural areas.

When a town has things like art galleries, craft festivals, local theater performances, or public murals and sculpture, it becomes more exciting and fun. Battle Lake has all of these and more! These creative spaces make people feel more connected to each other and proud of their community.

Artists often move to small towns because the cost of living is lower, and there’s more space to create. Once they move in they open studios, host workshops, or sell handmade goods. That attracts more residents, because people enjoy places where they can take a clay class, go to an art exhibition, or see a play without traveling far.

Events like the Art & Craft Affair, Prairie Lakes Plein Air, and the Studio Tour rural art crawl also bring in tourists. When people visit, they spend money at Battle Lake area restaurants, stores, and resorts, helping our economy grow. Visitors might even look at local real estate listings!

In some towns, old buildings are turned into art centers or museums. In Battle Lake, our Creative Arts Center has brought life back to a once-empty church. We’ve become known as a place for creativity, which makes more people want to live here.

The arts don’t just make a town prettier—they help build stronger, happier, and more connected communities. Learn how you can invest in the arts.