Peter Capell Award

Purpose 

The award recognizes Midwesterners whose work demonstrates entrepreneurial thinking and business acumen. Over nine years, the award will recognize an individual located in each of Arts Midwest’s nine member states. The 2022 award went to Tyrone Phillips from Illinois, and the 2023 award went to Brenda DeVita from Wisconsin. 

The 2024 award was open to nominees in Iowa. 

Candidates’ work must involve creative or cultural programming, and they must demonstrate entrepreneurial thinking and business acumen in expanding access to arts and creativity in their communities. Examples of these traits include, but are not limited to:  

• The identification and pursuit of innovative solutions to issues or problems.  
• A passion for seeking out new opportunities that drive organizational success.  
• Cross-sector partnerships that advance creativity and build communities.  
• Projects, actions, and leadership that lead to strong community impact and align with Arts Midwest’s core values.  
• Projects, actions, and leadership that serve communities and populations that have faced marginalization and inequitable access to resources, and that work to break down barriers to access for under-represented and/or under-resourced communities and populations. 

The following informations relates to eligibility for the 2024 award. More information on 2025 eligibility will be shared in summer 2025.

To be eligible for the 2024 award, an individual must: 

• Live and/or work within Iowa or Native Nations sharing that same geography. Their primary impact should be within that geographic region.  
• Be employed by an organization that offers creative or cultural programming as a manager, director, or similar position. Organizations may be nonprofit or for-profit.  
• Have a demonstrated history of engaging in partnerships and collegiality within the community in which they work.  
• Have at least 10 years’ experience in their field. 

Arts Midwest welcomes nominations for creative leaders that are diverse across lines of identity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, appearance, religion, age, geographic location, expertise, education, socioeconomic background, and professional level.   

We strongly encourage the nomination of leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latina/Latino/Latinx, Persons of Color, LGBTQIA+, Persons with Disabilities, Persons whose primary language is not English, and/or from rural and remote communities.   

The following individuals are not eligible for the award:  

• Current Arts Midwest Board and staff members, and their families.  
• Elected officials.  

Applications are accepted in our grants portal system, SmartSimple. Other means of applying (Word document, taking information over the phone, etc.) can be accommodated with advance notice. Please submit accessibility requests here.  

Anyone may submit a nomination that meets the eligibility criteria noted above. Self-nominations are allowed. Applications are due September 16, 2024.  

Individuals will be asked to answer: 

• Eligibility questions 
• Optional demographic information  
• Narrative: In 500 words or fewer, please explain why the applicant/nominee is an exceptional candidate for this award based on their Entrepreneurial Thinking, Creative Accomplishments, and Community Commitment.  
• Supporting documentation: Please upload  one  file that showcases the applicant/nominee’s Entrepreneurial Thinking, Creative Accomplishments, and Community Commitment. Examples include: a two-page document (press releases, media article, brochure, resume, portfolio) OR an audio or video file of no more than 5 minutes in length. 

Submit applications or nominations at the following URL: https://artsmidwest.us-1.smartsimple.com/  

First time users of this portal will need to register in the category of Individuals. Refer to this video walkthrough for registration assistance.  

The following informations relates to the review process for the 2024 award. More information on the 2025 review process will be shared in summer 2025.

Arts Midwest staff members will review nominations for eligibility and will recommend a group of finalists to a committee of Arts Midwest Board members. This committee will recommend a winner to Mr. Capell for his approval. 

Staff and board will use the following review criteria to assess nominations: 

• Entrepreneurial thinking: Does the applicant/nominee demonstrate entrepreneurial thinking, business acumen, and innovation in their work and accomplishments? 
• Creative accomplishments: Does the applicant/nominee’s work include notable accomplishments in creativity, arts, and/or cultural programming? Has the applicant/nominee showcased projects and/or leadership that led to strong community impact and align with Arts Midwest’s core values of equity, integrity, and learning?  
• Community commitment: Does the applicant/nominee demonstrate a commitment to their community, in terms of equitable practices that increase access to the arts, creativity, and/or cultural programming for under-resourced communities? Has the applicant/nominee fostered cross-sector partnerships that advance creativity and build communities?  

Arts Midwest staff will notify the awardee in October 2024. The award recipient will receive a $2,500 unrestricted cash award from Arts Midwest. The award recipient will also receive a matching $2,500 grant award from the Iowa Arts Council

• August 19, 2024: Nominations open 
• September 16, 2024: Nominations close 
• September-October 2024: Staff and Board conduct review 
• Late October 2024: Awardee announced 
• Summer 2025: Nominations open for Minnesota award