Last weekend, many artists and art advocates from Sitka and around Alaska went to a conference in Anchorage titled "Creative Communities."  I've been amazed by the amount of activity and creativity I've seen in Sitka. But, what impact does this actually have?

New studies have emerged, showing that factors that most affect where a person chooses to live are community-based, not economic opportunity. 

The focus of revitalizing the Sheldon Jackson Campus is strengthening community.  If you weren't able to make it to the presentation at the library, Roger Schmidt  touched on just that. "People keep asking what we're going to do [with the campus] other than Fine Arts Camp, and I tell them, 'We're doing it!'"

This was of course a light-hearted joke before he jumped into a lengthy list of the programs. But I loved the comment, because he was referring to the amount of community involvement we have seen on the campus already--just in the initial effort toward revitalization.

This is an uncommon story of community, and it is just beginning. I know we, on this end of things, have to step back every now and again from the whirlwind to just take the time to appreciate everything that's happened and realize what is taking shape.