Joe Luckett, Marketing Director for Art Farm at Serenbe (Palmetto, U.S.A.)

Joe Luckett is a seasoned marketing leader with over a decade of experience driving audience growth and brand storytelling across hospitality, food, and arts organizations. From managing large-scale customer engagement campaigns to leading digital strategy for regional brands and cultural nonprofits, Joe brings a thoughtful, relationship-centered approach to his work. Now serving as the Marketing Director for Art Farm at Serenbe, he uses narrative, design, and data to build meaningful connections between mission-driven organizations and the communities they serve. Joe’s marketing journey is rooted in hospitality and shaped by a passion for making the arts accessible, relevant, and unforgettable.

Rooted and Resonant: Building Trust Through Nature-Based Art and Digital Storytelling

How do rural arts organizations build trust across both hyperlocal and global audiences—especially in an age of digital noise and cultural fragmentation? In this presentation, Joe Luckett shares how Art Farm leverages nature, digital storytelling, and live performance to foster meaningful connection.

Rather than using technology as a distraction, Art Farm uses digital tools to guide people back to nature—amplifying the voices of artists, curating immersive events, and fostering dialogue that bridges place, culture, and community. From seasonal film showcase weekends and multi-genre performing arts projects to year-round social content, email marketing, and virtual access strategies, Joe unpacks how his team crafts compelling narratives that resonate both locally and abroad.

This session explores the unique tensions of marketing a rural performing arts venue: low walkability, limited transit, inconsistent Wi-Fi, and seasonal attention spans. Joe will offer honest insights into overcoming these hurdles—using intentional partnerships, community trust-building, and an adaptive content strategy. He will also spotlight specific performing arts initiatives that embody this approach, including immersive site-specific productions and international artist residencies in Serenbe’s forested setting.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework for integrating place-based storytelling into their own marketing, regardless of geography or size. Joe’s approach emphasizes that rural does not mean remote—and that small, intentional organizations can serve as models for how to connect authentically, creatively, and sustainably in a changing world.