Twenty arts organizations across the Midwest have received grants of $23,000 to $67,000 through Cultural Sustainability, a pilot program supporting small arts organizations that are deeply rooted in their communities.
Funded by The Wallace Foundation and administered by the United States Regional Arts Organizations, Cultural Sustainability is designed to strengthen small arts organizations by providing flexible funding. The program supports organizations that serve as cultural anchors in their regions, fostering creativity, connection, and belonging through their work.
Over the next 15 months, grantees will take part in virtual learning workshops, engaging in peer networking and quarterly check-ins with Arts Midwest staff. These opportunities will help organizations strategize for the future while continuing to create spaces that uplift artistic expression, community engagement, and cultural preservation.
This opportunity is part of The Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative, which funds arts organizations rooted in communities to advance their well-being and enhance understanding of their contributions to community. Through this work, Wallace hopes to help to build a more equitable and sustainable arts ecosystem.
Holly Doll, Program Manager“Small arts organizations are essential to a thriving creative ecosystem, and this program is designed to help them sustain and grow their impact. We’re excited to support their work and learn from them along the way”
Meet the Midwest Cultural Sustainability Grantees:
825 Arts (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Since 2016, 825 Arts has been a catalyst for change in St. Paul, Minnesota’s Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods. We celebrate diversity through inclusive arts programming, bringing together artists, elders, youth, and nonprofits to promote healing and growth, and by providing a permanent creative home for our community.
Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Bi-Okoto, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, creates performances and educational experiences to help audiences of all ages and backgrounds engage with and bridge cultural gaps. Our mission is to preserve and share the heritage of Africa by using traditional arts as an educational tool to promote cultural awareness in communities globally. We use authentic African culture-based theatre, music, drums, dances, cooking, languages, and clothing to accomplish this.
BIPOCA Incubator and Gallery (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
BIPOCA (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Artist) Incubator and Gallery, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, uplifts and promotes the work of BIPOC artists and creatives whose contributions have historically been excluded, overlooked, or exploited. We advocate for greater representation and support for BIPOC artists and creatives in our communities. We are committed to addressing systemic barriers and ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities.
Black Alphabet (Chicago, Illinois)
Black Alphabet NFP, located in Chicago, Illinois, is a nonprofit organization operating at the intersection of art, media, wellness, and social justice. We empower and uplift Black LGBTQ+ individuals through creative expression and advocacy. Our flagship event, the Black Alphabet Film Festival, provides a platform for amplifying the stories of Black LGBTQ+ individuals, showcasing films, and fostering conversations around social justice, representation, and mental health.
Cante Waunsilpi Wi Ta Ominiciye / The Kind-Hearted Women’s Society (Rapid City, South Dakota)
The Kind-Hearted Women’s Society is an Indigenous-led nonprofit organization centering its work on arts, culture, and community empowerment. We revitalize Lakota cultural practices and empower Native women and girls in Rapid City, South Dakota, and neighboring reservations. Our programs provide a safe, culturally grounded space for participants to reconnect with their heritage, heal from trauma, and develop leadership skills through artistic and cultural expression. Rooted in Lakota traditions and guided by the wisdom of our elders, we believe in the transformative power of the arts to nurture the next generation of leaders.
Colectivo Luchart (Iowa)
Colectivo Luchart is an Iowa City-based Latinx artist collective focused on fostering diversity and empowering minority artists. Our goal is to create a creative, strong, and resilient Iowa. We have collaborated with over 50 artists across the state and continue to support more artists as they grow individually and collectively.
Detroit Lit (Detroit, Michigan)
Detroit Lit is committed to providing literary, creative, and professional development opportunities for narrative makers of color in Southeastern Michigan. Our work is guided by core values of empowerment, equity, and community building. We envision a literary world where all writers of color in Detroit feel supported, nurtured, and able to thrive in their writing careers from their home city.
Fonseca Theatre Company (Indianapolis, Indiana)
The Fonseca Theatre Company amplifies the voices of underrepresented communities in Indianapolis, Indiana, through purposeful theater and civic engagement. We create responsive programs that inspire conversation, inform the community, and illuminate the challenges and beauty of our world. We produce plays, programs, and events by and about the global majority, including AAPI, Black, Disabled, Latino, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Fuerzas Culturales Ballet Folklorico De Cedar Rapids (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Fuerzas Culturales, which translates to “cultural forces,” is a traditional Mexican Ballet Folklorico group based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our mission is to empower youth through dance. We strive to promote exercise, leadership, and cultural pride in our students. Our program is free to participants, ensuring that children can participate regardless of socioeconomic status. We aim to share our dances throughout Iowa, highlighting the diversity in our community.
Indigenous Association (Fargo-Moorhead)
The Indigenous Association’s mission is to connect, unite, and empower the Indigenous community of Fargo-Moorhead. We create a safe and inclusive space reflecting the dignity and diversity of our community. Through collaboration and capacity building, we sustain programs focused on education, awareness, advocacy, and respect to support future generations.
Masa Center (Battle Creek, Michigan)
Masa Center is led by and committed to our Chicanx/Latinx community in Michigan. We are driven by four pillars: community-based land practices, sustainability, creative education, and community celebration. Our programming, such as Masa’s Emergent Leadership Program, builds mentorship and community for youth, centering Indigenous perspectives and creativity.
North Dakota Asian-American Arts and Cultural Initiative (Bismarck, North Dakota)
North Dakota Asian-American Arts and Cultural Initiative creates platforms for artistic expression, cultural equity, and community engagement in North Dakota. We champion conversations and practices to ensure everyone has access to a healthy and vibrant creative life.
Oh Sew Powerful (Cleveland, Ohio)
Oh Sew Powerful fosters community engagement and empowerment through transformative sewing programs. Founded in 2020 and led by African Americans, we primarily serve the underserved African American community in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. We use sewing as a catalyst for public cohesion, economic independence, and personal empowerment.
Racing Magpie (Rapid City, South Dakota)
Racing Magpie, a Lakota-centric arts and culture organization in Rapid City, South Dakota, centers the Lakota practice of being a good relative. We elevate the work of artists and culture bearers through affordable studios, a Native art gallery, cultural programming, and creative community spaces.
Rock the Rez (South Dakota and Minnesota)
Rock the Rez is a 5-day music camp for Indigenous youth who identify as girls, two-spirit, or part of the LGBTQ+ community. We teach skills to enhance self-confidence, empowerment, music, and arts education. For six years, we have hosted Rock the Rez on the Pine Ridge Reservation and expanded to the Rosebud Reservation two years ago. In 2025, we will host camps in Lower Sioux, Leech Lake, and Minneapolis Minnesota, where we will hold our first full urban camp.
South Asia Institute (Chicago, Illinois)
South Asia Institute in Chicago is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and presenting South Asian arts and culture through thought-provoking exhibitions, vibrant artistic programs, and innovative educational initiatives. We strive to connect with our larger human family by introducing them to the richness and widespread impact of our traditions and culture.
TBEY Arts Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
TBEY Arts Center provides high-quality arts education and creative opportunities for underserved youth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 2000, we empower young people through the arts, fostering creativity, confidence, and personal development.
Ukwakhwa (De Pere, Wisconsin)
Ukwakhwa reclaims and revitalizes traditional Haudenosaunee agricultural practices to empower the Oneida community. We teach planting, growing, harvesting, and preparing traditional foods, alongside crafts like seed keeping and tool making. Every act of planting a seed is an act of resistance and sovereignty.
Watermark Art Center (Bemidji, Minnesota)
Miikanan Gallery is the first Indigenous art gallery in the Northwoods region. Located at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji, MN, we are part of a hub for creative arts serving nine counties and three Ojibwe Nations. We are committed to supporting Ojibwe creativity and cultural resources as a means to address social and economic challenges.
Youth Art Team (Waterloo, Iowa)
Youth Art Team brings together students from diverse life situations to complete exceptional works of public art through a process that values student voices in decision-making. The mission is to encourage youth to develop their creative potential, empowering both personal and social change through lifelong, intentional relationships and art.