Oskaloosa Showcased as National Example of Arts in Action

Community panelists Andy McGuire, executive director of the George Daily Auditorium; Allison McGuire, community engagement and education director at the George Daily Auditorium; Kristen McMains, talent acquisition specialist at Musco Lighting; Deann DeGroot, executive director of the Mahaska Chamber and Development Group; and Mike Fisher, superintendent of Oskaloosa Community School District, discuss the role of arts education in Oskaloosa. The conversation highlighted how schools, arts organizations, industry, local government and residents work together to build partnerships that leverage community assets and prepare students with transferable skills aligned to local career opportunities.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Arts leaders from across the nation converged on Oskaloosa to see how a rural Iowa community is harnessing the power of the arts to strengthen education, build partnerships, and shape its economic future.

The gathering was part of the Professional Development Institute (PDI), an annual conference hosted by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The three-day event brought together about 46 arts education managers from more than 30 state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

Designed as an intensive learning opportunity, the PDI is dedicated to strengthening the work of state arts agencies. While it rotates locations each year, this year’s national program devoted an entire day to exploring a rural community.

“We wanted to focus on rural communities this year, and Oskaloosa was the clear choice,” said Jennie Knoebel, senior grants and programs manager for the Iowa Arts Council. “So many of us serve rural populations, but the conferences usually take place in bigger cities. This was a chance to see rural arts education in action.”

Knoebel submitted Iowa’s proposal to host the institute, which was accepted by the planning committee. She then introduced committee members to Oskaloosa leaders Andy and Allison McGuire from the George Daily Auditorium during a site visit. Their presentation impressed the group enough to make Oskaloosa a centerpiece of the conference.

Kimberly Washburn Motte, deputy director of the South Carolina Arts Commission, said the decision aligned with one of the institute’s learning outcomes: to examine how rural arts education engages local leadership and leverages community strengths.

When NASAA asked for an Iowa example that embodied their learning goals, Knoebel pointed them straight to Oskaloosa, “Oskaloosa is the place to go if you want to learn about this particular work.”

Participants spent the day touring Oskaloosa’s arts institutions, including the George Daily Auditorium and several downtown organizations. They also engaged with local leaders to understand how the arts intersect with education, city government, and business.
“I think the partnerships here between the mayor, the schools, and the businesses are remarkable,” Washburn Motte said. “Everyone seems to be uniting around the arts, and that’s a powerful thing to witness.”

This type of “field trip” format is rare for the institute. Eric Giles, community learning director for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, explained that it only happens when there is a strong connection between the host community and the conference’s learning goals.

“This year, focusing on rural communities, it made sense to actually go to one,” Giles said. “And Oskaloosa, in putting this event together, has been some of the best work I’ve seen in my 16 years [with NASAA]. The team here created a reciprocal relationship, where we could learn from them, but also give back.”
For Andy McGuire, executive director of the George Daily Auditorium, the visit was both a validation and an opportunity.
“Of all the places in the country they could have gone, they came here,” McGuire said. “It’s exciting that Oskaloosa got to share our story.”
He added that the biggest takeaway is not just recognition for Oskaloosa, but the hope that attendees will bring renewed focus to rural communities in their own states. “They could have stayed in Des Moines and talked about rural work,” McGuire said. “Instead, they came here to experience it. That openness to meeting a community where it is, that’s one of the most important things you can do.”
The visit also highlighted the impact of arts education on workforce and economic development. Washburn Motte noted that students who engage in the arts build skills that transfer directly to the job market.
“You’re talking about being able to communicate, to collaborate, to be creative and to think critically,” she said. “Those 21st-century skills are inherent to the arts. By developing them in students and communities, we’re contributing to workforce development, which creates broader economic impact.”
Knoebel said the arts also play a role in attracting and retaining residents. “The arts bring people together for a shared purpose,” she said. “That makes people want to live in a community and feel part of something bigger than themselves.”
McGuire pointed to local success stories, including Oskaloosa graduate Maddie Hamilton. After participating in the George Daily Youth Theatre, Hamilton began teaching for the program while studying Theatre and Theatre for Youth and Communities at the University of Northern Iowa.
“That kind of cycle, where students grow up in the arts here and then come back to give back, is something we’re proud of,” McGuire said. “It’s how communities revitalize themselves, by inspiring the next generation to keep building.”
Conference attendees said they were struck by both the programming and the hospitality. Washburn Motte described the welcome as “overwhelmingly warm,” while others shared that some participants commented about wishing they could relocate to Oskaloosa.
For NASAA’s Giles, the day reinforced the importance of connecting national conversations about the arts with local realities. “It’s not just about policies or funding streams,” he said. “It’s about real people, real schools, and real communities. Oskaloosa showed us what that looks like.”