Creative Ideas, People, and Projects in the Midwest and Beyond

Stories from the Creativity News Desk

January 14, 2025

Ohioans are Turning Water Pollution into Oil Paints

By Amy Felegy

Paint from this Ohio company starts out as orange sludge from a polluted creek.
- Ohio
How Its Midwest Roots Shaped The Onion

January 13, 2025

The newspaper started in 1988 in Wisconsin has become one of the most incisive and influential voices in the history of American satire.
- Wisconsin
Bare Feet and Banjos Meet at Woolsock, a Winter Festival

January 9, 2025

This old-time music and dance festival is set in the chilly woods of northeast Minnesota. The weekend is a celebration of winter triumph, collective joy, and movement.
- Minnesota
Meet the Indiana Educator Devoted to an Ancient Chanting Tradition

January 8, 2025

Constantine Maniakis has contributed his musical talent to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral for 50 years.
- Indiana
Every Life is a Story: Meet Iowa’s Human “Books”

January 7, 2025

Through CultureALL’s Open Book program, Iowans can “check out” real people who share their personal stories and spark conversation.
- Iowa

Need a Mental Health Boost? Talking Hot Dog is Here

By Amy Felegy

A Minnesota-based comic book artist is sharing colorful stories about battling anxiety and other mental health gremlins.
- Minnesota
Game Time: Reviving the Ojibwe Way with Dice and Cards

By Amy Felegy

Minnesota-based Nashke Native Games is breathing new life into dying languages, in the classroom and beyond.
- Minnesota
- Native Nations
Labor of Love: Carving a Career in Indiana Limestone

By Mary Lee Pappas

Amy Brier found her calling with the Midwestern stone after working as a stone carver at one of the largest cathedrals in the world.
- Indiana

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