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Announcing the Creative Midwest Media Cohort

by Arts Midwest

A ground-level shot of three people in colorful regalia dancing; their faces are not visible.
Photo Credit: Jaida Grey Eagle / Arts Midwest
Dancers at the first Two-Spirit Powwow in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Ten organizations have been awarded a total of $150,000 as part of the Creative Midwest Media Cohort, a new year-long program facilitated through Arts Midwest’s Creativity News Desk. This initiative amplifies stories of arts, culture, and creativity in the Midwest.

The Creative Midwest Media Cohort supports organizations in producing media projects that cover stories of Midwestern creativity in the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or the 42 Native Nations that share this geography. The inaugural participants, selected as part of an invite-only application process, will each receive a $15,000 grant and networking opportunities through the program.

Cohort organizations are creating diverse projects such as podcasts, multimedia series, social media videos, print publications, and a writers’ residency program. These initiatives will prominently feature and engage Native artists, creatives of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals in the rural Midwest.

“Arts Midwest is excited to support these outstanding media professionals and amplify the significant work they are doing to inform and inspire communities. We envision this new initiative building a connected network of media-makers across the Midwest, while sharing stories of how creativity manifests in our lives.”

TORRIE ALLEN, PRESIDENT & CEO, ARTS MIDWEST

Meet the Inaugural Creative Midwest Media Cohort

Learn more about the 10 cohort organizations and the projects they are working on through this program.
  • Barn Raiser Logo

    Barn Raiser

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Illinois

    Barn Raiser will publish a series of articles highlighting the work of artists, photographers, community organizers, and artistic movements informing Midwestern creativity and social change. Stories will emphasize the cultural…

  • Buckeye Flame Logo

    The Buckeye Flame

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Ohio

    The Buckeye Flame will profile rural Ohio artists and organizations within the LGBTQ+ community through interviews, articles, podcasts, and video reporting. They will focus on the counties in Ohio that…

  • Buffalo's Fire Logo

    Buffalo’s Fire

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    North Dakota

    Buffalo’s Fire will produce feature articles and a companion podcast that highlight Native American dentalium artists and their work. The series will provide an overview of harvesting dentalium, share its…

  • Detroit Metro Times Logo

    Detroit Metro Times

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Michigan

    Detroit Metro Times plans to enhance their social media presence by producing and publishing high-quality videos to run alongside their “Artist of the Week” series and arts cover stories. These…

  • Dovetail Logo

    Dovetail

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Wisconsin

    Dovetail will create a print publication with stories about Midwest-based artists contributed by Midwestern writers. The publication will cover a range of visual art and diverse perspectives from artists and…

  • Hola Iowa Logo

    Hola Iowa

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Iowa

    Hola Iowa will produce a multimedia series highlighting the contributions of the Latino community to the arts and culture landscape in Iowa and the Midwest.

  • Input Fort Wayne Logo

    Input Fort Wayne

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Indiana

    Input Fort Wayne will create an editorial series spotlighting artists in Northeast Indiana. Their artist profiles will feature original photography and social media videos showcasing the artist and their work….

  • Project Optimist Logo

    Project Optimist

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Minnesota

    Project Optimist will launch its Biophilia program, a series of features—commissioned and community-sourced—that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. They plan to work with artists, naturalists, scientists, folk schools,…

  • Sixty Inches from Center Logo

    Sixty Inches From Center

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    Illinois

    Sixty Inches From Center will launch a Midwest Writers Residency, centering two writers who reside in or lived a significant portion of their lives in Midwest cities outside Chicago. They…

  • SDPB

    Creative Midwest Media Cohort

    FY2024
    South Dakota

    SDPB aims to expand arts coverage of their premier daily local news and culture program “In the Moment with Lori Walsh.” They plan to do this with impactful social media…

Led by Arts Midwest, the Creativity News Desk and the Creative Midwest Media Cohort are generously supported by Builders Initiative. Builders Initiative is the philanthropic team of Builders Vision, an impact platform dedicated to supporting people and organizations building a more humane and healthy planet. Builders Initiative is a strategic philanthropy that includes grantmaking and impact investing.

This project is also supported by Arts Midwest’s gift from MacKenzie Scott.