Amplifying Midwestern Creativity
Arts Midwest supports, informs, and celebrates arts organizations and creative communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond.
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Joyful, loud, and Midwest proud
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February 20, 2025
‘East Boogie’ Inspired Blues, Jazz, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Joy
By Calyssa Zellars
Lifelong residents of East St. Louis saw some of the world’s greatest entertainers hone their craft on their hometown stages.
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Meet Stafford C. Berry, Jr., an Artist-Scholar Teaching Embodiment Through African Dance
February 19, 2025
The Bloomington-based director of IU’s African American Dance Company continues a long lineage of dance, community, and exploration.
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East St. Louis, the Entertainment Gateway Across the Mississippi
February 18, 2025
The city’s venues provided respite from the grind of industrial life—embracing the joy of music, dancing, and community.
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Catch World Fest Artists in Your Community This Spring
February 12, 2025
Farah Siraj, LADAMA, and A Moving Sound will return to the Midwest in Spring 2025 for one last World Fest tour.
Grant Opportunities and Programs
We support efforts that connect people, ideas, and solutions through creativity. Learn more about our grantmaking initiatives and our community programming.
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Takeaways From the Most Comprehensive Survey of Minneapolis’s Music Scene to Date
In early December 2024, the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs department released the findings from a music census – including key takeaways about the needs of the city’s music ecosystem. It is the most extensive music survey of Minneapolis to date.
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A Reflection on 2024
In 2024, Arts Midwest launched new programs while continuing to support our long-standing initiatives. All told, we offered 12 grant opportunities, awards, and programs that supported creative individuals and communities across the Midwest.
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An Introduction into Program Evaluation
Evaluation can be more than a compliance exercise for funding, it can be an embedded approach, allowing organizations to be intentional about what they want to know and how it can strengthen their programming.
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