Author: Alana

As a child, Milwaukee artist DeMar Walker was captivated by a mural on the side of a building: the former home of an organization called the Inner City Arts Council. Now the artistic director of Ko-Thi Dance Company, Walker is capturing the stories of the elders who contributed to this historic space for Black arts and celebrating the legacy of its foundational work.

Eager to step outside of Chicago and experience more creativity in rural Illinois? Join travel writer Meena Thiruvengadam for a road trip across Southern Illinois, filled with natural landscapes, quirky roadside attractions, historic monuments, and a stretch of Route 66.

When you visit Portage County, Wisconsin, you’ll see thirteen incredible new pieces of art on buildings around the region. Through a program inspired by the New Deal, CREATE Portage County, a people-centered economic development organization in Stevens Point, WI, put artists impacted by COVID-19 to work painting murals inspired by themes including food, imagination, farming, refugee experiences, and resilience.

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.

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.

Appalachia has its own distinctive, vibrant, diverse culture, complete with creativity galore. Explore the unique region of Ohio where the Midwest and Appalachia meet with writer Mandy Shunnarah.

As the Executive Artistic Director for the African Arts Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Hamzat Koriko is bringing nuance to the conversation about what it means to be a new American, particularly within the arts.

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.

Over the course of seven days and nine time zones, Finnish band Kardemimmit joined Minnesota's New York Mills community in celebrating its Scandinavian heritage.

Mushrooms, multi-use spaces, murals, and more? Explore an often-overlooked corner of the Midwest with local writer Elisabeth A. Fondell, and discover how the Driftless Region is delicious, distinctive, and utterly creative.