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Now Accepting Applications: 2026 Midwest Culture Bearers Award

by Holly Doll, Anpao Win (First Light Woman)

18 culture bearers across the Midwest will receive $5,000 awards to support their cultural practice.

Every community has people who carry its stories, teachings, and creative practices forward to ensure cultural knowledge remains alive and accessible for future generations. The 2026 Midwest Culture Bearers Award is now open and looking to support those people.

This year, 18 awardees will each receive $5,000 to support their work. They’ll also have the opportunity to join capacity building and professional development sessions and have an Arts Midwest story written about their work.

If this sounds like a good fit for you or someone you know, submit an application by August 18, 2026.

  • What

    The Midwest Culture Bearers Award is a $5,000 award. It is unrestricted and no matching funds are required.

  • Who

    You may apply if you have a folk arts or traditional cultural practice that you have engaged in for at least 10 years and focus on sharing knowledge with others.

  • When

    Applications close at noon (12:00 p.m.) Central Time on August 18, 2026. Awards will be made in October 2026.

  • Where

    You must live in the Arts Midwest region. This includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations and communities that share this geography.

Trays filled with colorful, intricate wax-resist patterned eggs
Photo Credit: Petra Daher / Arts Midwest

New this year: We’re increasing our support from 9 to 18 culture bearers!

More About the Award

Generously supported by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, the Midwest Culture Bearers Award honors, amplifies, and financially supports cultural practitioners, and creates opportunities for recognition and relationship-building across the Midwest. 

Arts Midwest uses the term “Culture Bearers” to honor individuals who carry and sustain living cultural traditions instead of “Folk & Traditional Arts,” because it can unintentionally limit recognition of practices that extend far beyond just “art.”

Many communities carry culture that is intertwined with daily life, ceremony, language, foodways, and generational knowledge. We strive to use community-centered language to describe how cultural knowledge is held and passed on, recognizing the full spectrum of cultural expression.

Read the Application Guidelines

Learn more about the 2026 Midwest Culture Bearers Award, eligibility requirements, and how to upload and submit your application.

Learn More and Apply

Small pamphlets are displayed on a table with the title "Passing it on" next to Ken Cook's business cards.

Explore Past Awardees

Have questions about the Midwest Culture Bearers Award?

We are happy to answer your questions about the Midwest Culture Bearers Award. Please check our FAQs, or send us an email at MCBA@artsmidwest.org.

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