What does that mean? Film at least 10 short, vertical phone clips of a local art, culture, or community happening, and get paid to help us amplify Midwestern creativity.

We’ll handle the editing, scripting, and posting on our channels. You’ll get credit and $300 for your footage, a short write-up, and a couple of photos.

Need Examples?

Here are some recent short-form videos made with footage from documenters across the Midwest. You can watch more on our YouTube channel!

• Senior Parkour Proves That Age Is Just a Number
• How Ohioans Turn Neighborhood Walks Into a Weekly Creative Ritual
• Mini Golf, Mega Art, Maximum Joy
• Forget Ice Fishing . . . How About Art Shanties?
• Sidewalk Joy: Mini Art Galleries to Mug Exchanges
• The Nation’s Largest Non-Profit Artist Studios is in the Midwest

Our Video Guide

You don’t need to be a filmmaker—just a curious, thoughtful observer. Think: “What moments would I want to share with someone who couldn’t be here?”

Read More

Photo Credit: Jaida Grey Eagle / Arts Midwest

The post Call for Pitches: Short-Form Video from Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota & Native Nations appeared first on Arts Midwest.

We’ll handle the editing, scripting, and posting on our channels. You’ll get credit and $250 for your footage and a short write-up.

Want to get involved? The first step is to tell us what’s happening in your community by submitting a pitch via our online form. Right now, we’re looking for events, activities, and creative happenings that will take place between December 8 – January 30.

Bring the view from your corner of the Midwest, and we’ll help share it with others.

Can I see examples?

Here are some recent examples of video taken from contributors across the Midwest to spark your imagination. Or, see all our short-form video content on YouTube.

• Ohioans Turning Neighborhood Walks into a Weekly Creative Ritual
• Seedy Art is a Minnesota Tradition
• Dance and Music, in a Parking Lot?
• This Duck Isn’t What You Think It Is: The Art of Hanji
• An Orchestra, for Everybody
• It’s Spooky Season All Year in Small-Town Wisconsin

Our Video Guide

You don’t need to be a filmmaker—just a curious, thoughtful observer. Think: “What moments would I want to share with someone who couldn’t be here?”

Read More

Photo Credit: Taylor Dorrell / Arts Midwest

The post Call for Pitches: Short-Form Video from Your Community appeared first on Arts Midwest.

This year’s NEA Big Read will center around the theme America250, honoring the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s Semiquincentennial.

The 24 NEA Big Read books available for programming this cycle celebrate America’s culture, history, and resilience through the eyes of its people.

Using a book selection as inspiration, applicants will facilitate discussions, writing workshops, and creative programming activities that explore this theme and celebrate the unique aspects of their communities.

The NEA Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with Arts Midwest.

NEA Big Read At-A-Glance

• What is it? The NEA Big Read is a reading program that brings communities together around the central theme America250 using one of 24 available books as inspiration. It offers matching grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
• Who can apply? Nonprofit arts organizations, universities, libraries, service organizations, museums, school districts, and tribal governments are all encouraged to apply.
• Where? Your organization must be located and operate within the United States or the Native Nations that share this geography.
• When to apply? A mandatory Intent to Apply is due January 15, 2026, with final applications due January 29, 2025. Funded programs will take place between September 2026 and June 2027.

Read more about eligibility and how to apply in the guidelines.

About NEA Big Read

The NEA Big Read supports community reading programs designed around a single NEA Big Read book.

As our nation moves into its 250^th year, the goal of this program is to honor America’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community. 

Grantees will receive funding for their programming and purchasing books, and tools to support them in working with local partners, developing public relations strategies, and leading meaningful book discussions.

NEA Big Read programs vary and can be as short as a week or as long as several months. Beyond discussions of the book, organizations may choose to include a kick-off event, invite the author for a visit, or have other events inspired by the content and themes of the book. These may include panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, art exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, poetry slams, writing workshops and contests, and community storytelling events.

The NEA Big Read welcomes applications from a variety of eligible organizations, including first-time applicants; organizations serving communities of all sizes, including rural and urban areas; and organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets.

Explore the 2026-27 NEA Big Read Library

The 24 titles available this cycle span fiction and nonfiction books that celebrate America’s culture, history, and resilience through the eyes of its people.

See the Books

Get Ready to Apply

Learn more about the types of projects that the NEA Big Read supports and review our grant guidelines.

Learn More

New York Irish Center

Queens, NY

NEA Big Read

The post Now Accepting Applications: 2026-27 NEA Big Read appeared first on Arts Midwest.

For the second year, there are three different grant opportunities available.

Theaters can bring Shakespeare’s works to life for students with support from the Schools and Juvenile Justice Programs, or offer hands-on opportunities for early-career theater professionals with support from the Apprenticeships Program. The programming that apprentices support does NOT have to be Shakespeare-related

Shakespeare in American Communities At A Glance

• What is it? Shakespeare in American Communities is a theater program that provides grants to nonprofit theater organizations in the U.S. to present high-quality productions and educational activities based on Shakespeare’s works. There are three grant opportunities available: the Schools Program, Juvenile Justice Program, and Apprenticeships Program.
• Who can apply? Nonprofit theater organizations with at least two years of relevant experience for their chosen grant opportunity are welcome to apply. Take a short eligibility quiz to find out which opportunity is the best fit for your organization.
• Where? Your organization must be located and operate within the United States or the Native Nations that share this geography.
• When to apply? A mandatory Intent to Apply is due January 29, 2026, with final applications due February 12, 2026.

Take an Eligibility Quiz

Curious which Shakespeare in American Communities grant is the best fit for your organization? Take a short eligibility quiz to find out!

Schools Program: Brings Shakespeare-inspired theater and education programs to middle and high schools, with new flexibility to perform in community venues. Matching grants range from $15,000 to $25,000.

Juvenile Justice Program: Engages young people in juvenile justice settings, offering performances and workshops. Non-matching grants range from $15,000 to $25,000.

Apprenticeships Program: Supports theater companies in providing paid apprenticeships to early-career theater professionals. Matching grants range from $20,000 to $30,000.

Take the Quiz

Photo Credit: Kelsey Tidball, courtesy of Actors’ Shakespeare Project

About Shakespeare in American Communities

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with Arts Midwest, Shakespeare in American Communities brings the works of William Shakespeare to students, communities, and juvenile justice facilities across the country.

Since its inception in 2003, Shakespeare in American Communities has supported more than 16,000 performances and 60,000 educational activities in all 50 states. Each year, the program reaches thousands of young people with inspiring productions and hands-on learning experiences.

Through the Schools program, organizations can also stage productions and educational activities in community settings, expanding access beyond traditional schools alone. Grantees are not required to produce original Shakespeare plays. Rather, they may use adaptations or create new work inspired by William Shakespeare.  

Grantees will participate in virtual and in-person gatherings with other program participants. Travel, lodging, and some meal costs for one representative will be covered.

Get Ready to Apply

For more details on how to apply and to explore our guidelines, visit the Shakespeare in American Communities program page.

Learn More

Photo Credit: Ivan Lopez, courtesy of GableStage Theatre Company

The post Now Accepting Applications: 2026-27 Shakespeare in American Communities appeared first on Arts Midwest.

This one-time $2,500 award honors an individual whose work demonstrates entrepreneurial thinking and business acumen in the creative sector. Each year, it rotates among Arts Midwest’s nine member states to celebrate individuals whose vision and business acumen fuel the creative sector.

If you’ve been working in Minnesota’s creative or cultural field for at least 10 years, this award might be for you! We are seeking individuals who embody Arts Midwest’s core values of togetherness, integrity, and learning, who find innovative solutions, and foster creative partnerships to increase access to the arts.

If you know someone who fits this description (or see yourself in it!) submit a nomination by October 16, 2025. Self-nominations are welcome.

Overview

Anyone may submit a nomination, and self-nominations are allowed.

Nominations will be submitted via our grants portal, SmartSimple. First time users of SmartSimple will need to register in the category of Individuals. Get instructions here on how to register in SmartSimple.  

About the Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship

Our award namesake Peter Capell served on the Arts Midwest Board of Directors for 23 years and served as Board Chair from 2012 until 2021.

During his time as Chair, he led Arts Midwest through the creation and launch of new national programs like Creating Connection; the development of Arts Midwest’s first major giving campaign; and a founder leadership transition. He is a passionate advocate for creativity and entrepreneurialism, a markedly generous philanthropist, and is deeply committed to strengthening and celebrating the Midwest creative sector.

In honor of Peter’s contributions to Arts Midwest and Midwestern creativity, the Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship was established as a time-limited award, running for nine years beginning in 2022.

Past awardees include:

• Tyrone Phillips, founding artistic director at Definition Theatre in Chicago, Illinois
• Brenda DeVita, artistic director of American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin
• Billy Weathers, founder and CEO of the B.WELL Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa.

Read the 2025 Application Guidelines

Learn more about the Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship, eligibility requirements, and how to submit your application.

Learn More

Photo Credit: Art Shanty Projects

The post Nominate a Minnesota Arts Leader for the 2025 Peter Capell Award appeared first on Arts Midwest.

We’re seeking community documenters — everyday storytellers, artists, organizers, or creatives — who can quickly film what’s happening around them and send us 8–10 raw vertical video clips that highlight something distinct, local, and creative.

We’re looking for short, unedited vertical video clips that showcase creative people, projects, and events in your community. If you’ve ever thought, “People need to see this!,” we want to hear from you.

That could mean:

• A public art project taking shape
• A joyful community gathering
• A local artist at work
• A food, craft, or culture moment unique to your area

We’ll take care of editing, scripting, and publishing videos on Arts Midwest’s Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok. You’ll get credit and $250 compensation for your footage and a short write-up of what you’ve captured.

Arts Midwest covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography. Pitches from outside of this region will not be considered.

A brief pitch of what you plan to capture is due August 17, 2025.

What You’ll Submit if Selected

• Video documentation: 8-10 *solid* unedited clips, at least 15 seconds each, shot vertically and high resolution (min. 1080 x 1920)
• Short summary: 200-300 words (who, what, when, why + any distinct details)
• Contact info for a recommended source: for proofing and fact-checking purposes

Total compensation for these deliverables (from a selected pitch) is $250.

Final videos will be published on Arts Midwest’s Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

Timeline

• July 29, 2025 – Call for Pitches opens
• August 17 – Pitches due
• Week of August 25 – Notifications to selected community documenters
• August 25 – September 30 – Selected community documenters take videos and send them to us
• September and October – Final edited videos published

Before You Pitch

• Will I be able to film this between August 25–September 30?
• If it’s an event or a person, will they be available and okay being filmed?
• Do I have a phone or camera that shoots high-res, vertical video?

See Examples

Our Video Guide

You don’t need to be a filmmaker—just a curious, thoughtful observer. Think: “What moments would I want to share with someone who couldn’t be here?”

Read More

Photo Credit: Taylor Dorrell / Arts Midwest

How to Pitch Us

The Call for Pitches will close on August 17, 2025. We’ll send notifications to selected community documenters during the week of August 25.  Due to high submission volume, we may not be able to respond to every pitch.

To pitch us, fill out our pitch submission form. You’ll be asked for the following information:

• What are you proposing to cover?  (50 words) 
  • Tell us about the event, project, or person at the heart of your story. What is distinct about this story?
• What makes it distinct or creative? (100 words)
  • Elaborate on why this story or subject. 
• What makes it visually interesting? (50 words)
• When would you be able to film it? (25 words)
• What is your connection to this story? (50 words)  
• Tell us about yourself.  (100 words)
• Provide links to up to three work samples and/or a portfolio so we can get an idea of your skills. 
  • Work samples do not have to be published works, but should show your video filming skills.  

The post Call for Pitches: Short-Form Video from Your Community appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Through this grant, Midwestern organizations can now request up to $15,000 to bring a professional artist into their community and host creative, engaging public activities.

New this year: We’re thrilled to introduce GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness, a new opportunity that supports projects that connect art and wellness. This track also includes professional development sessions to support your team and your work.

We’re also continuing the regular GIG Fund, which seeks to ensure audiences across the Midwest have access to high quality arts activities. The grant amount has been increased to better serve a wider range of projects.

If you’re part of a Midwestern non-profit that wants to host an arts project or activity between December 2025 to June 2026, read on!

GIG Fund Overview

• What is it? The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 that helps organizations bring artists into their community. This year, there are two tracks: GIG Fund and GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness.
• Who can apply? 501c3 non-profit organizations, hospitals, and clinics; and tribal organizations.
  • GIG Fund is for organizations with budgets under $2 million annually whose projects reach underserved audiences.
  • GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness is for organizations of any budget size whose projects have an arts and wellness focus.
• Where? Your organization must be located and operate in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, or the Native Nations that share this geography. 
• When to apply? A mandatory Intent to Apply is due September 15, 2025, with final applications due September 29, 2025.

Watch an Informational Webinar

Hear from Arts Midwest staff about the latest round of GIG Fund, including a new track for Arts & Wellness projects.

Watch the Webinar

Photo Credit: Zach Rosing, courtesy of Indianapolis Shakespeare Company

5 Tips for Combining Arts and Wellness in your Programming

Explore tips and examples for how to design arts programming that supports personal and community wellness.

Read More

ORMACO

Homerville, Ohio

GIG Fund

Photo Credit: Thomas Sigel

The post Now Accepting Applications: 2025-26 GIG Fund appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Culture bearers and folk arts practitioners are deeply rooted in the practice and preservation of cultural traditions through craft, storytelling, dance, performance, visual arts, language preservation, foodways, and more. Cultural identities may include geographic communities, occupational groups, or family traditions.  

Folk arts and culture bearer practices are often connected to cultural communities and prioritize sharing knowledge with the next generation. Some of the titles they may use are culture bearer, folk artist, taproot artist, traditional artist, elder artist, and ancestral knowledge bearer. 

• WHAT: The 2025 Midwest Culture Bearers Award is a $5,000 unrestricted, non-matching award. It honors and amplifies the work of nine Midwestern culture bearers each year. 
• WHO: If you have a folk arts or traditional cultural practice that you have engaged in for at least 10 years and prioritizes the next generation of practitioners, you may apply.
• WHEN: Applications close at 11:59 pm CST on July 21, 2025. Awards will be made in September–October 2025.
• WHERE: You must live in the Arts Midwest region. This includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography. 

You may get help from someone else to complete your application. Or, you can nominate someone with their permission. 

About the Midwest Culture Bearers Award

The Midwest Culture Bearers Award will honor and amplify the work of nine Midwestern folk arts and culture practitioners each year. This award seeks to financially support folk arts and culture practitioners, as well as create opportunities for further recognition and relationship-building across the region. 

Selected individuals will each receive a $5,000 unrestricted, non-matching award. Additionally, we will offer professional development and networking opportunities, and stories featuring awardees and their work.  

Read the Application Guidelines

Learn more about the 2025 Midwest Culture Bearers Award, eligibility requirements, and how to upload and submit your application.

Learn More and Apply

Photo Credit: Mia Beach / African American Arts Institute

The post Now Accepting Applications: 2025 Midwest Culture Bearers Award appeared first on Arts Midwest.

• What: The Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities is a $3,000 award that recognizes disabled visual artists in our region, celebrates their efforts, and encourages their future work.
• Who: We invite mid-career 2D and 3D visual artists with disabilities to apply for this award.
• When: This award application will close at 11:59 pm CDT on July 10, 2025, with awardees notified in August 2025.
• Where: Individuals must live in the Arts Midwest region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography.

There is no cost to apply.

About the Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities

Please note that we acknowledge both identity first and person first framing of disability identity. When we use the phrase “disabled artists,” we intend to align with the Social Model of Disability understanding that people are disabled by environmental and societal barriers. 

Visual artists with disabilities are doing incredible work around the Midwest. The Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities recognizes and celebrates their efforts and encourages their future work.

It also advocates for the arts being viable employment for disabled people, which is often overlooked by funding agencies supporting people with disabilities.

From 2023-2025 years, this award will recognize 27 individuals (9 per year) in the Arts Midwest region of: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio or the Native Nations that share this geography.

Each awardee will receive a $3,000 check award. Total awards across the region will equal $27,000 per year. There are no requirements for how awarded funds are used, though awardees are encouraged to use it toward growing their art career. Awardees’ submitted work will be featured on the Arts Midwest website.

Established in 2022, this award is supported by the James Edward Scherbarth and Paul Francis Mosley Giving Fund. The award was created in honor of the late James Edward Scherbarth, an award-winning visual artist, visual arts teacher, and advocate of arts access who lived and worked in Minnesota. Jim believed that creativity lives in everyone, and he dedicated his career to helping people express themselves through the visual arts.

Explore Past Awardees

Learn more about the nine artists that received the 2024 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities.

Learn More

Photo Credit: Emily Wilson Gillespie

Read the Application Guidelines

Learn more about the Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities, eligibility requirements, and how to upload and submit your application.

Learn More and Apply

Photo Credit: Madison Elyse Rubenstein

The post Now Accepting Applications: 2025 Midwest Award For Artists With Disabilities appeared first on Arts Midwest.

What does creativity look like where you live? How is it distinctly of, by, and for your community? Tell us more!

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking engaging, people-centered stories that showcase the power of creative action across our coverage region—especially from Greater Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. 

We cover Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography. Pitches from outside of this region will not be considered. 

Pitches are due April 6, 2025. 

Selected pitches will be contracted for 500-word written articles to be published by Arts Midwest’s Creativity News Desk starting May 2025. The compensation of the 500-word story is $500; paid once all deliverables are finalized and ready for publishing.

Timeline

• March 20, 2025 – Call for Pitches opens 
• April 6 – Deadline to submit pitches 
• Week of April 14 – Notifications to selected writers
• May – July – Stories published 

How to Pitch Us

The Call for Pitches will close on April 6, 2025. We’ll send notifications to selected writers during the week of April 14. Due to high submission volume, we may not be able to respond to every pitch. 

To pitch us, fill out our pitch submission form. You’ll be asked for the following information: 

• Who or what does your story feature? (50 words) 
  • Tell us about the person, project, or idea at the heart of your story. What excites or inspires you about it? 
• What’s the story you want to tell?  (100 words) 
  • Tell us a little more about the specific angle you’d like to approach the story from. What aspects of the story/subject feel distinctly of, by, and for the community? What aspects of the story speak to “creativity at work”? 
• What is your connection to this story? (50 words) 
  • Why this story or subject? 
• Will you be the writer for the story idea you’re pitching?  
  • Yes.  
  • No, I’m just submitting the idea for Arts Midwest to assign to someone else. 
• If you’ll be the writer, tell us about yourself.  (100 words) 
• Provide links to up to three work samples and/or a portfolio so we can get an idea of your range of work. 
  • Work samples do not have to be published works, but should show your reporting, interviewing, and writing skills.  

The post Call For Pitches: Creativity at Work in Midwest Communities appeared first on Arts Midwest.