A group of children dance and laugh in a parking lot and a band performs behind them on a trailer.
Elementary students dance to the music of the Pine Travelers during the mobile concert in Green Lake, WI. Photo by Ric Damm Photography, courtesy of Arts Midwest.

Arts Midwest

Includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Arts Midwest amplifies the power of our region’s creativity. We support, inform, and celebrate arts organizations and creative communities in the Midwest and beyond. From the neighborhood block party to the national stage, we use our platform to champion the authentic stories of our people. We build connections that make our beloved places bolder, more welcoming, and seen for the beacons of brilliance that they are.

We’re here to build unprecedented opportunity in the Midwest by advancing creativity. To support the artists and organizations that define and redefine this place. To share ideas that make Midwesterners more visible and connected. To raise up the stories that challenge assumptions. And to build flourishing communities that are powered by opportunity, authenticity, and a deep sense of belonging.

Our mission?

Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives.

Our vision?

Midwestern creativity powers thriving, entrepreneurial, and welcoming communities.

A group of four people performs on stage. The person in the front is turned to the side with their arms out in front of them like they are in the middle of a dance move.
Las Cafeteras performs at the Arts Midwest Conference 2019 Spotlight Showcases in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Terry Gilliam, courtesy of Arts Midwest
On a stage, couples are celebrating and holding each other. In the background, someone plays an acoustic guitar with a smile on their face and one arm reaching up, and another person plays an accordion.
The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN presented As You Like It. Photo by Dan Norman, courtesy of the Guthrie Theater and Arts Midwest.
There are two light-skinned people, with short brown hair and wearing medical masks, performing on a barnyard surrounded by yellow and green trees. One of them plays violin while the other walks on stilts behind them.
Stilt walker and violin from Open Flame Theater Company serenade the barnyard at Philadelphia Community Farm in Osceola, WI. Photo by Connie Chang, courtesy of Arts Midwest.
Mini art lesson at Gregory Daycare in Gregory, SD. Photo by Bailey Veskrna, Prairie Feather Photography. Courtesy of Gregory Horizons and Arts Midwest.

Selected Arts Midwest Opportunities

Illustration of a lightbulb on a bright yellow background

Ideas Hub

Resource (For Individuals, Organizations)

A collection of free, curated articles and tools that help creative leaders foster growth within their organizations. Explore resources made specifically for arts organizations, including pieces on accessibility planning, marketing support, school partnerships, self care, and community engagement.

Arts Midwest
Arts Midwest
A group of people hold up copies of The House on Mango Street

NEA Big Read

Grant (For Organizations) – Up to $20,000

Bring your community together around the shared activity of reading and discussing a book.

Arts Midwest
Arts Midwest
On a stage, couples are celebrating and holding each other. In the background, someone plays an acoustic guitar with a smile on their face and one arm reaching up, and another person plays an accordion.

Shakespeare in American Communities

Grant (For Organizations) – Up to $25,000

Connecting youths across the country to Shakespeare’s plays by supporting performances and workshops in schools and in the justice system.

Arts Midwest
Arts Midwest