Michele Lee Anderson

Michele Lee Anderson

Rural Program Director, Springboard for the Arts (Fergus Falls, Minnesota)

Session: Rural Prosperity through the Arts and Creative Sector (Friday 1:30 – 3:15pm)

Artists on Main Street: A Model for Creative Community Development (Friday, 3:45 – 5:00pm)

Michele Anderson is the Rural Program Director for Springboard for the Arts, a community and economic development organizations for artists based in St. Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota. In 2011, she launched Springboard’s office in Fergus Falls, which has become a hub of thought and action about arts-based community development and creative placemaking in rural settings. Through her work at Springboard, Michele has launched nationally recognized programs at the intersection of the arts, historic preservation, health and economic development. Her writing and ideas on dismantling stereotypes of rural life have been featured in mnartists.org, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, CBC’s “As it Happens,” and more. Michele is also a pianist and creative writer, and lives in Fergus Falls, MN with her husband, Spencer, and their new son Ash.