TO HOLD A CONFERECE IN 2018 ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL CAPITAL IN RURAL INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.NO RESEARCH-ORIENTED EVENT OR CONFERENCE HAS BEEN HELD TO FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF RURAL ARTS AND CULTURE INVESTMENTS IN SUPPORTING RURAL INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND ENTREPRENEURS AT MULTIPLE SPATIAL SCALES. HOWEVER, THE INVESTMENT BY THE NEA IN THE NEA/RUPRI LAB UNDERSCORES THE RISING INTEREST IN THE RURAL DIMENSION OF ARTS AND CULTURE, THE LACK OF RIGOROUS RESEARCH IN THIS AREA, AND CONFIDENCE THAT THE CONNECTION AMONG THE ARTS, CULTURAL CAPITAL, INNOVATION, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAN BE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE RURAL CONTEXT. THE UNDERSTANDING OF THESE EXISTING CONNECTIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITHIN THE URBAN CONTEXT DOES NOT PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE BASE FOR DESIGNING AND EVALUATING POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER RURAL ARTS AND CULTURE AND THEIR ABILITY TO STIMULATE AND SUPPORT INNOVATION.CULTURAL CAPITAL (A) IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE GENERATION OF NEW IDEAS AND (B) HAS SIMULTANEOUSLY RECEIVED THE LEAST RESEARCH ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF RURAL INNOVATION. RESEARCH AT THE COGNITIVE LEVEL PROVIDES THE MOST COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT THE ARTS EXERCISE OUR ABILITY FOR ASSOCIATIVE THINKING--THE COMBINATION OF SEEMINGLY UNRELATED IDEAS--THAT UNDERLIES ALL INNOVATION. THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON INNOVATION OF CULTURAL CAPITAL AND THE ARTS IS FAR REACHING BUT A DEARTH OF LITERATURE ADDRESSES THE MECHANISM OF ACTION IN RURAL AREAS. THE PROCLIVITY OF CULTURAL CAPITAL TO GENERATE NONOBVIOUS SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS WILL FORM A FOCUS OF OUR CONFERENCE, WHICH WILL DRAW ON HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES TO DEMONSTRATE THE UTILITY OF THIS ASSET IN ADDRESSING A BROAD RANGE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES. A COMMON THEME WILL BE THE INTERACTION OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL CAPITAL WITH THE OTHER COMMUNITY CAPITALS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED DURING A 2011 CONFERENCE, COSPONSORED BY THE FORD FOUNDATION AND USDA'S ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE (USDA ERS), ON RURAL WEALTH CREATION.