Arts Midwest

TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY, NURTURE CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, AND ENGAGE PEOPLE IN ARTS EXPERIENCES.

REGIONAL INITIATIVES: ARTS MIDWEST'S REGIONAL INITIATIVES INCLUDED GRANT FUNDS SUCH AS THE U.S. REGIONAL ARTS RESILIENCY FUND, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO HELP UNDER-RESOURCED ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS WEATHER THE COVID-19 CRISIS AS WELL AS GRANTS DISBURSED AS PART OF ARTS MIDWEST'S WORK ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. REGIONAL INITIATIVES ALSO INCLUDE NEW EFFORTS TO SUPPORT STORYTELLING AND RESEARCH AROUND THE MIDWEST'S CREATIVE SECTOR AND GATHERING AND SUPPORTING OUR STATE ARTS AGENCY PARTNERS.

PERFORMING ARTS: ARTS MIDWEST'S PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS CONNECT ARTISTS TO AUDIENCES IN THE MIDWEST AND NATIONALLY. IN FY22, OUR EFFORTS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON GIG FUND, WORLD FEST, ARTS MIDWEST CONFERENCE, SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND WE THE MANY.GIG FUND PROVIDES GRANTS TO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR REGION FOR PERFORMANCES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH ARTISTS. THROUGH THE 2021-2022 CYCLE, WE AWARDED MORE THAN $375,000 TO ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE MIDWEST. WORLD FEST CONNECTS SMALL AND MID-SIZED MIDWESTERN COMMUNITIES TO WORLD CULTURES THROUGH WEEK-LONG RESIDENCIES WITH GLOBAL PERFORMERS. IN 2021-2022, WE PRODUCED VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FEATURING THE FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS: PAULO PADILHA E BANDO OF BRAZIL AND HADAR MAOZ OF ISRAEL.THE 2021 ARTS MIDWEST CONFERENCE TOOK PLACE VIRTUALLY IN SEPTEMBER. THE CONFERENCE WELCOMED OVER 700 ARTIST MANAGERS/AGENTS, PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTERS, AND ARTS ADMINISTRATORS, REPRESENTING 45 U.S. STATES AND TERRITORIES AND SEVEN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.ARTS MIDWEST MANAGES SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. DURING THE 2021-2022 PROGRAM CYCLE, WE MADE $1 MILLION IN GRANTS TO 40 NONPROFIT, PROFESSIONAL THEATER COMPANIES FROM 34 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO PRESENT PRODUCTIONS OF SHAKESPEARE PLAYS AND RELATED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, ARTS MIDWEST MADE NINE GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING SHAKESPEARE PROGRAMMING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE U.S. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.WE THE MANY IS AN ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM THAT SEEKS TO EXPAND THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MIDWESTERNER THROUGH THE CREATIVE EXCHANGE OF VOICES, CULTURES, AND IDEAS. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PERFORMING ARTS RESIDENCIES WITH MIDWESTERN ARTISTS IN 2021-2022 IN WABASH, IN; PERRY, IA; AND SISSETON, SD.

LITERARY ARTS: ARTS MIDWEST MANAGES NEA BIG READ ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. NEA BIG READ SEEKS TO BROADEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR WORLD, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OURSELVES THROUGH THE JOY OF SHARING A GOOD BOOK. NEA BIG READ SUPPORTS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN DEVELOPING COMMUNITYWIDE READING PROGRAMS. PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE A GRANT, ACCESS TO ONLINE TRAINING RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND EDUCATIONAL AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. IN 2021-2022, WE AWARDED MORE THAN $1 MILLION TO 61 ORGANIZATIONS IN 28 STATES TO CONDUCT NEA BIG READ EVENTS.

LEARNING INITIATIVE: ARTS MIDWEST PROVIDES ARTS LEADERS OPPORTUNITIES TO COME TOGETHER AND EXPLORE NEW IDEAS, DEEPEN THEIR STRATEGIC PRACTICES, AND BUILD NEW SKILLS AND RELATIONSHIPS. IN JULY 2019, ARTS MIDWEST WAS NAMED THE OPERATING PARTNER FOR THE BUSH FOUNDATION'S COMMUNITY CREATIVITY COHORT PROGRAM, WHICH IS A COHORT OF 40 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND THE NATIVE NATIONS THAT SHARE THAT GEOGRAPHY. THE COHORT IS FOCUSED ON HELPING ORGANIZATIONS INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY TO MAKE ART AND CULTURE CENTRAL TO PROBLEM SOLVING.ARTS MIDWEST ALSO PROVIDED VIRTUAL RESOURCES AND TRAINING SUPPORT THROUGH OUR NEW IDEAS HUB, AN ONLINE TOOLKIT OF CURRICULUM AND TRAINING MATERIALS FOR ARTS ADMINISTRATORS.IN 2021-2022, ARTS MIDWEST PARTNERED WITH NEW BEDFORD CREATIVE IN NEW BEDFORD, MA, TO BRING OUR CREATING CONNECTION TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THAT COMMUNITY.