Program/Grant: Creative Midwest Media Cohort

SDPB aims to expand arts coverage of their premier daily local news and culture program “In the Moment with Lori Walsh.” They plan to do this with impactful social media storytelling and in-depth conversations with artists. In this process, they seek to diversify their arts features to reflect the full range of artists and art in SD, with a focus on BIPOC and rural artists, and diverse art-forms.

Sixty Inches From Center will launch a Midwest Writers Residency, centering two writers who reside in or lived a significant portion of their lives in Midwest cities outside Chicago. They will publish writings that highlight pressing cultural issues facing artists and arts workers and how that plays out in their city and regionally. Sixty will also host a public-facing virtual conversation with the writers to facilitate cross-regional conversations.

Project Optimist will launch its Biophilia program, a series of features—commissioned and community-sourced—that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. They plan to work with artists, naturalists, scientists, folk schools, and other thought leaders to explore our affinity with nature.

Input Fort Wayne will create an editorial series spotlighting artists in Northeast Indiana. Their artist profiles will feature original photography and social media videos showcasing the artist and their work. Input will also collaborate on a speaker series with Creator Space, an emerging organization focused on strengthening the creative community.

Hola Iowa will produce a multimedia series highlighting the contributions of the Latino community to the arts and culture landscape in Iowa and the Midwest.

Dovetail will create a print publication with stories about Midwest-based artists contributed by Midwestern writers. The publication will cover a range of visual art and diverse perspectives from artists and writers in rural or semi-rural areas. Dovetail will feature creatives who explore themes of immigration or displacement, and/or facilitate creative opportunities in their communities.

Detroit Metro Times plans to enhance their social media presence by producing and publishing high-quality videos to run alongside their “Artist of the Week” series and arts cover stories. These stories highlight local artists in their studios or their current art exhibitions, and other arts-related topics.

Buffalo's Fire will produce feature articles and a companion podcast that highlight Native American dentalium artists and their work. The series will provide an overview of harvesting dentalium, share its trade route history, and highlight current practitioners in the Plains region.

The Buckeye Flame will profile rural Ohio artists and organizations within the LGBTQ+ community through interviews, articles, podcasts, and video reporting. They will focus on the counties in Ohio that they have not yet had the capacity to cover. They will also produce the “This News is So Gay: An LGBTQ+ Reporters Roundtable" podcast, creating a forum for LGBTQ+ journalists to gather for panel discussions.

Barn Raiser will publish a series of articles highlighting the work of artists, photographers, community organizers, and artistic movements informing Midwestern creativity and social change. Stories will emphasize the cultural significance and contributions of BIPOC and Native communities, focusing on themes of food and the arts.