Colorado Change Leader Network Activation Grant to Launch
- Heather Robinson Hernandez
- Aug 8
- 3 min read
For Immediate Release
Museum of Friends' Co-Founder Awarded Colorado Change Leader Network Activation Grant to Launch Rural Arts Advocacy Initiative
WALSENBURG, CO — August 8, 2025
The Museum of Friends (MoF) is proud to announce that Co-founder and Executive Director Maria Cocchiarelli, a Colorado Change Leader, has been awarded a Colorado Change Leader Network Activation Grant from Colorado Creative Industries (CCI). The grant supports MoF’s new Rural Arts Advocacy Initiative, a statewide effort to strengthen public investment in arts, culture, and creative placemaking in rural communities.
Guided by Cocchiarelli and Rural Policy Connector Mary Hoffman, and managed by Strategic Planning Consultant Heather Robinson Hernandez, the project combines community engagement, legislative advocacy, and stakeholder storytelling to position the arts as a key driver of Southern Colorado’s economic and civic vitality.
Building Rural Creative Economies
The initiative comes at a pivotal moment for Huerfano County, a rural, post-coal region navigating economic transition. Since its founding in 2006, MoF recognized by Art in America as the nation’s first museum of counterculture, has become a hub for exhibitions, wellness arts, school partnerships, and maker events. Through its Made in Walsenburg shop, the museum also supports over 25+ local artists and makers, contributing directly to the local economy.
The Rural Arts Advocacy Initiative will:
Advance cultural stewardship by preserving and promoting local heritage and artistic expression.
Diversify the rural economy through creative industry development and cultural partnerships.
Engage civic leaders in exploring new cultural funding models that can sustain and expand the creative economy.
Produce advocacy tools such as an impact storytelling video, a rural arts messaging toolkit, and stakeholder engagement resources.
Mentorship and Statewide Collaboration
As part of the project, MoF has welcomed Marissa Martinez, a CSU Pueblo Honors Program intern and former STEAM student of Cocchiarelli’s. Martinez is working alongside MoF leadership and Change Leaders across the state to conduct research, produce outreach materials, and contribute to archival and advocacy deliverables.
The initiative also engages a network of statewide cultural leaders and policy experts, including leadership from Colorado Creative Industries, founders of regional creative partnerships in Southeast Colorado, directors of established museums, and cultural innovators whose work bridges the arts and social impact. Among these collaborators are other Colorado government officials and community builders who have successfully advanced creative industries advocacy, leveraging the creative economy as a pathway to upward mobility and community revitalization. Together, these partners provide strategic advising, peer learning, and real-world case studies to strengthen the initiative’s reach and impact.
A Replicable Model for Rural Communities
“This project is about making the case for the arts - not as a luxury, but as essential infrastructure for healthy, economically resilient communities,” said Cocchiarelli. “By combining local leadership with statewide collaboration, we aim to show how rural creative economies can thrive through investment, community engagement, and policy alignment.” The Rural Arts Advocacy Initiative will run through November 2025, culminating in advocacy resources and a case study that MoF hopes will serve as a replicable model for other rural communities across Colorado. Updates and community engagement opportunities will be shared via the Museum of Friends website and social media channels.
About the Colorado Change Leader Program
The Colorado Change Leader Program, administered by Colorado Creative Industries, recognizes cultural professionals who use the arts to envision new futures, activate public spaces, and strengthen communities through collaboration and creative problem-solving.
Media Contact
Heather Robinson Hernandez, Strategic Planning and Organizational Development Specialist hrhernandez@museumoffriends.org | www.museumoffriends.org
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