Fiscal Year: 2025

ARTSiE's literacy through the arts project focuses on Evanston's Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center where we will work with local artists to create its first community mural and provide year-round enrichment programming to under-represented students in Evanston’s 5th ward. This public mural will celebrate cultural diversity, environmental stewardship and intergenerational collaboration.

Courtney Owens is a celebrated poet whose work has been featured in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Known for her ability to capture complex emotions and experiences in her writing, Owens will use her words to inspire young voices at Unity Elementary School, nurturing the next generation of poets.

The Ashland Chamber Music Society is an all-volunteer organization that brings six diverse chamber music performances to communities in rural Wisconsin every year. This grant will help fund an evening concert and an educational program for middle and high school students, performed by the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, from the Mead-Witter School of Music, UW-Madison.

Arts Midwest Gig funds are being requested to assist the Community Council in hiring an Appalachian artist to paint a mural in East Dayton, celebrating the community's history and diversity. The artist will work with Montgomery Preparatory Academy, Belmont High School students, and community volunteers to create a mural that contains a QR code connected to personal stories and histories.

We will work with area artists and local clays to build a clay oven and work with traditional Ojibwe clay forms.

Black Arts MKE’s Black Nativity celebrates the timeless work of Langston Hughes story of the Nativity retold through a combination of poetry, dance & song from an African American perspective, with a twist of being set in MKE & highlighting culturally relevant issues. Project includes: Community Night w/tickets 50% off, cast/crew talkbacks, FREE student matinees w/resources, ASL performance& more.

Free, accessible, and culturally enhancing concert open to all with performing artist question & answer meet and greet to follow.

Now entering its 16th year, Brite Winter continues its commitment to highlighting local and regional artists and musicians during a one-day outdoor winter festival. This application seeks support for an Art Director, whose job description includes bringing to life the annual theme; designing and constructing large-scaled outdoor installations; and leading community-based art workshops.

Buckeye Book Fair located in rural Wayne County hosts a short artist residency at the local schools. Andy J. Pizza uses music and theater to teach creativity and self-love. During the residency, Andy empowers students to see obstacles as opportunities for creative growth.

The Campanile will present "The Soul of Langston," written and performed by Daron Stewart in March of 2025. The project will include outreach to the local high school and to the middle school on the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, culminating with a public performance.