Meet the Women Artists and Culture Bearers Shaping the Midwest

A member of the Miami (Myaamia) Tribe of Oklahoma, Tippmann’s work brings people together through plants, culture and sense of community.

A mixed-media celebration of art and family at the Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center.

Artist Joanne Aono relates working on her farm to her art-making practice: “oftentimes what you end up having isn’t anything you planned on.”

Chicago photographer and social justice artist Tonika Lewis Johnson is the recipient of the prestigious $800,000 no-strings-attached grant.

The 10-year-old Lakota language learner shares her hopes for what projects like this could bring in the future.

Dr. Tierney Brosius, a professor of biology, believes art can impact science communication. From handmade wares to murals, she’s exploring creative ways to build curiosity around insects.

A series of molten-metal workshops are bringing artists and neighbors together in northeastern Iowa, sparked by newcomer Tamsie Ringler.

Peggy Brown says she can make a game out of anything. For over 30 years, she’s been doing just that.

The historic ballet Rodeo gets a bold new retelling from Cleveland’s Dancing Wheels, a physically integrated dance company reimagining inclusive artistry.

Carolyn Mazloomi, now in her late 70s, has been quilting for decades. She calls the art both a passage and keepsake for stories—of struggle to survival and success.

Arlene Fairbanks and Jessica Travis opened a one-stop shop to support sewing and regalia-making, an important cultural and creative practice for Native Americans.

Based in the Driftless region of Wisconsin, Buche shares her skills with students seeking new experiences and ancient wisdom.

Stephanie BadSoldier Snow is a multifaceted artist, anthropologist and mother building community and cross-cultural exchanges through traditional knowledge and the arts.

In 1912, in Chicago’s industrial hub by Lake Michigan, marionette mermaids performed Shakespeare’s works. 100 years later, puppets are still being made and performing there.

The Minneapolis-based Indigenous Peoples Task Force has spent nearly a decade developing baby food that’s sustainably farmed and drawn from a traditional, healthy diet.

A writer, historian, and an artist from the Midwest are among the 2024 MacArthur Fellows. They will each receive an $800,000 grant, with no strings attached.

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

Chicago artist Pooja Pittie on exploring the bodymind, disability, and building her practice in the Midwest.

The Mural On The Wall team works closely with community members from finding locations to generating imagery, themes, and content.

Afnan Isleem Algharabli of Balady Stitch and Jenin Yaseen of Sr7aneh are stitching the Palestinian traditions of the past to a new generation for the future.

Colors, traditions, and prayers are all pieced into Benson’s star quilts. Her craft has been encouraged by the women in her family.

“Urushi is most close to who I am,” says Indianapolis-based artist Nhat Tran, who has been creating abstract sculptural and 2D pieces with lacquer over the past two decades.

In Indigenous culture, the arts aren’t mere entertainment but a vital practice grounded in community. Those arts include hoop dancing, a form of storytelling through movement. Starr Chief Eagle is among a generation of women making the traditionally male practice their own.

Artist Jill Wells’ murals transform ordinary buildings, uplifting Black culture.