Arts Midwest News and Events

Midwest Arts Conference deadlines approaching

KatherineHaugen — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:00:50 -0500

Preparations for the Midwest Arts Conference are in full swing, and multiple deadlines are coming up fast. Mark your calendars so you don’t miss a thing!

Discount registration deadline — Register now before fees increase after July 9th. More…
Independent showcase listing forms due — Get your listing forms in by July 14 to be included in the Program Book. More…
Advertising reservations, artwork, and payments due — Your ad reservations, artwork, and payments must be in by July 16 in order to be included in the Program Book. More…

For full Conference details, visit the Conference home page.

First Lady Laura Bush Visits The Big Read Egypt/U.S.

Stephen — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:48:50 -0500

Arts Midwest coordinated First Lady Laura Bush’s visit to the Fayrouz Experimental Language School in Sharm al Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday, May 18, 2008 to highlight and discuss The Big Read Egypt/U.S. with students and local officials. At the school Mrs. Bush met with Egyptian officials responsible for implementing The Big Read Egypt/U.S. initiative, Egyptian Minister of Education Dr. Yousry El Gamal, and U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey. The official White House Web site has some great photos from Mrs. Bush’s visit. Following a discussion with the school’s students about the importance of reading and an introductory question and answer session on the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Mrs. Bush addressed the World Economic Forum.

For more information…
The Big Read
First Lady Laura Bush’s remarks to the World Economic Forum

A Passage to China: An Interactive Journey

Autumn — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:28:26 -0500

Arts Midwest is excited to participate in A Passage to China, on Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Center Court of Southdale Mall in Edina, MN. A Passage to China is presented by The Chinese Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with China Insight. This family-oriented event will feature interactive games/activities from different regions of China, and will transport visitors aloft with sights and sounds of authentic music and dance, and aromas of regional cuisine.

The inaugural event, planned in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month as declared by the U.S. Congress, offers ‘armchair’ travelers a wonderful opportunity to journey through exciting aspects of Chinese culture, history and geography. At each booth participants will be treated to fun encounters such as having their names translated into Chinese, having their fortunes told, making harmonicas, or meeting with a historical figure. All events are free and open to the public.

2008 Prairie Arts Management Institute

Autumn — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:54:00 -0500

The Prairie Arts Management Institute (PAMI) is a yearly program facilitated by the South Dakota Arts Council that offers intensive professional development and practical training for small and mid-sized community arts organizations. The 2008 Institute takes place June 3-6 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. This year’s master class topics include: Animating Democracy: Creative Community Engagement; Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations; and Public Policy and Your Organization. Limited scholarships are available. Find out more…

An Da Union spring tour comes to an end

digicom — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:48:23 -0500

An Da Union’s inaugural Midwestern tour has been a great success. The ensemble performed its last concert on April 26th in Spearfish, South Dakota, before returning to China. Workshop and concert audiences alike have been fascinated and touched by the spirit and energy of the ensemble and their music. As with all our tours, each week has included numerous school workshops and concerts, as well as many joyful connections and anecdotes that demonstrate the meaningful impact this program is having in our communities. With the end of the An Da Union tour, our focus will shift to preparing for the fall tours.

Some photographs of An Da Union’s public concert in Hutchinson, MN can be found on our Flickr page. For more information on any of this cycle’s touring ensembles, and to view curriculum materials supplied to participating communities, please visit the Arts Midwest World Fest Web site.

Performing Arts Fund staff visits grantee organizations in Chicago, Appleton

KatherineHaugen — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:39:20 -0500

Program associate Katherine Haugen recently attended Performing Arts Fund–supported events presented by two 2007–2008 grant recipients. April 27th featured the final concert in the University of Chicago’s residency with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; Katherine also toured Mandel Hall, attended a post-concert reception, and met the staff of U of C Presents. On April 29th, she spent the day at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she met with PAC staff, toured the center, and participated in events with Trinity Irish Dance Company – including student and public performances and a pre-concert question-and-answer session with the company’s artistic director and one of the group’s musicians.

Register now for the 2008 Midwest Arts Conference!

KatherineHaugen — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:38:40 -0500

The 2008 Conference registration brochure has been mailed and is now available online, along with a fill-in PDF version of the registration form. Register early to take advantage of discounted rates – check out the dates and deadlines for more information. If you are planning to purchase exhibit space in the Marketplace, remember to get your form in before the space assignment lottery registration deadline on June 4.

New RSS Feed Available

Autumn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:47:28 -0500

Welcome to the new Arts Midwest Web site! On this News & Events page, Arts Midwest will provide periodic updates about our programs. You can check back regularly to see what’s new, or subscribe to our RSS feed to have updates sent directly to your feed reader.

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication,” and it is a way for Web sites to update you when they make changes or add new content.

If you want to learn more about RSS feeds and how they work, we recommend the Common Craft video RSS in Plain English.

The Big Read Egypt/U.S. Cairo Delegation

digicom — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:55:30 -0500

Arts Midwest staff members David Fraher and Adam Perry led a trip to Egypt with a group of 8 representatives from U.S. communities participating in The Big Read Egypt/U.S. The delegation explored Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt to learn about Egyptian Nobel Prize winning author Naguib Mahfouz and Egypt’s culture, traditions, and modern social dynamics. The group also met with their Egyptian counterparts in The Big Read Egypt/U.S. to plan cross-cultural programming and exchange activities, and was feted at a reception given by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

Best Place to Work

digicom — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:14:24 -0500

Arts Midwest has become the first arts organization to be named one of the Twin Cities’ “Best Places to Work” by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Based on an examination of size, location, benefits, and employees’ opinions, Arts Midwest was selected from a group of 200 organizations to receive this award. The Business Journal highlighted the benefits received by Arts Midwest employees, as well as the stimulating and creative work environment.