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Big Read Brings Native American Voices and Culture to University Campus

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Lake Superior State University (LSSU) is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where five Native nations are located. In 2020 and 2021, LSSU staff, students, and community members dug deeper into the area’s Native American culture and history through a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read grant. Louise Erdrich’s award-winning novel The Round House inspired impactful discussions, book talks, writing workshops, and performances.

Workers Rights and Literature Unite in Iowa City Big Read

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Iowa City, Iowa is a bookish town. The first American UNESCO City of Literature, it is known for extensive University writing programs, a famous bookstore, Prairie Lights, and a community of open-minded literature lovers. The National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program, which aims to expose people to new ideas through works of literature and community conversations, is right at home here. But alongside Iowa City’s internationally renowned literary enclaves are less visible communities with important stories to tell.

Interview: Rhonda Greene on Sustaining African Dance in Detroit

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As Executive Director of Heritage Works in Detroit, Michigan, Rhonda Greene has spent decades connecting folks to West African cultural traditions through youth programs, community programs, and placemaking efforts. Arts Midwest spoke with Rhonda about cultural reclamation, placemaking, skill sharing, and the moves we need to memorize for a brighter future.

Wisconsin Meets Brazil in Creative Music Video

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What happens when Wisconsin winter meets Brazilian carnaval celebration, all during a pandemic? You get a new music video for Brazilian artist Paulo Padilha’s song, “Outro Carnaval,” featuring students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stout playing alongside musicians in São Paulo.