$200,000 will fund 80 projects happening in the Midwest between January 1 and June 30, 2022, supporting organizations with capacity building and touring costs.
Mini art lesson at Gregory Daycare in Gregory, SD. Photo by Bailey Veskrna, Prairie Feather Photography. Courtesy of Gregory Horizons.
Today, Arts Midwest is thrilled to announce the recipients of Round 2 of the 2021-2022 Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund. 80 arts and culture organizations across the Midwest are receiving money to grow their capacity, fund creative engagements, and build community.
“Arts Midwest is proud to support these incredible projects and activities,” said Torrie Allen, President & CEO of Arts Midwest. “We are excited to see how Midwestern artists and organizations are bringing their communities together through dynamic, diverse, and creative programming.”
- Arts Midwest’s Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund provides financial support to arts organizations in the Midwest.
- It is a flexible grant of $2,500 that helps organizations bring touring artists into their community.
- As part of the GIG Fund, organizations must present performing or visual artists via at least two public events, which can be in-person or virtual.
- For more information, visit the GIG Fund page.
Applications were reviewed on a state-by-state basis by a group comprised of State Arts Agency staff and GIG Fund Advisory Committee members. The GIG Fund Advisory committee is made up of 14 individuals with diverse personal and professional experiences related to the arts and creativity. Learn more about the 2021 GIG Fund Advisory Committee members here.
Review criteria included artistic excellence and merit of the proposed project. Priority consideration went to organizations led by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQ, and people with disabilities. Further priority consideration went to organizations hiring artists from one of those groups or if the organization is located in an under-funded area. With limited funding, Arts Midwest was not able to award all projects.
- Applications for the second half of 2022 (activities occurring between July and December 2022) will open in early 2022.
- Join the Arts Midwest Mailing List to receive an email update when applications open
Explore three GIG Fund projects
Mentorship with a skilled jewelry-maker
Passion Works Studio – Athens, Ohio
Passion Works is a collaborative community arts center located in Athens, Ohio at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. At the heart and soul of Passion Works is a core group of artists with developmental differences. People who were historically perceived as unemployable, non-viable citizens are today creating visual evidence of the depth and wealth of the creative human spirit. Passion Works’ GIG Fund award will bring artist and jewelry-maker Rosemarie Basile on-site for a mentorship where she will help design, develop and produce original jewelry product lines fabricated by staff and artists.
Performances from a global peace ambassador
Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project – Minneapolis, MN
Founded in 2007 in Minneapolis, the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) brings Iraqis and Americans to work together, directing resources to Iraq, preserving and promoting Iraqi art in America, and transforming relationships in our communities. IARP’s GIG Fund award will present programming by Karim Wasfi, renowned cellist, maestro and global peace ambassador. Wasfi will give a hybrid artist talk, perform with celebrated Iraqi American poet Dunya Mickael, and give an unannounced improvised performance in the streets of the Twin Cities.
Engaging with stories of older transgender adults
SAGE Metro Detroit – Ferndale, MI
SAGE Metro Detroit is a local affiliate of the national Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. SAGE Metro Detroit’s GIG Fund award will fund two virtual presentations with the To Survive on This Shore project, which photographs and interviews transgender and gender non-conforming older adults. The resulting portraits and narratives provide a nuanced view into the struggles and joys of growing older as a transgender person and offer a poignant reflection on what it means to live authentically despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
See all Round 2 Grantees
80 arts and culture organizations across the Midwest received GIG Fund grants in this round. Projects will take place between January 1 and June 30, 2022.
| Organization | City | State | Grant Amount |
| ArtHaus | Decorah | IA | $2,500 |
| NewBo City Market | Cedar Rapids | IA | $2,500 |
| Heritage Center at the University of Dubuque | Dubuque | IA | $2,500 |
| Public Space One | Iowa City | IA | $2,500 |
| Ames City Auditorium | Ames | IA | $2,500 |
| Pilsen Arts & Community House | Chicago | IL | $2,500 |
| Riverside Arts Center | Riverside | IL | $2,500 |
| Woman Made Gallery | Chicago | IL | $2,500 |
| The Dance Center of Columbia College | Chicago | IL | $2,500 |
| Quincy Art Center | Quincy | IL | $2,500 |
| Links Hall | Chicago | IL | $2,500 |
| Enrich Chicago | Chicago | IL | $2,500 |
| The Connecting Routes Project | Chicago | IL | $2,500 |
| Unity Temple Restoration Foundation | Oak Park | IL | $2,500 |
| Princeton Theatre Group | Princeton | IL | $2,500 |
| UIS Performing Arts Center | Springfield | IL | $2,500 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Spurlock Museum | Champaign | IL | $2,500 |
| Cedarhurst Center for the Arts | Mt. Vernon | IL | $2,500 |
| Raue Center for the Arts | Crystal Lake | IL | $2,500 |
| Fort Wayne Dance Collective | Fort Wayne | IN | $2,500 |
| Arte Mexicano En Indiana Inc. | Indianapolis | IN | $2,500 |
| Wunderkammer Company | Fort Wayne | IN | $2,500 |
| Embassy Theatre | Fort Wayne | IN | $2,500 |
| Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective | Indianapolis | IN | $2,500 |
| Hoosier Shakes | Marion | IN | $2,500 |
| Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art | Indianapolis | IN | $2,500 |
| Lotus Festival | Bloomington | IN | $2,500 |
| Pattern | Carmel | IN | $2,500 |
| The Gilmore | Kalamazoo | MI | $2,500 |
| Neutral Zone | Ann Arbor | MI | $2,500 |
| Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University | East Lansing | MI | $2,500 |
| Gay Elders of Metro Detroit (dba SAGE Metro Detroit) | Ferndale | MI | $2,500 |
| Good Hart Artist Residency Inc. | Harbor Springs | MI | $2,500 |
| Grand Rapids Children’s Museum | Grand Rapids | MI | $2,500 |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts | Interlochen | MI | $2,500 |
| Krasl Art Center | St. Joseph | MI | $2,500 |
| Pontiac Creative Arts Center | Pontiac | MI | $2,500 |
| Ironwood Theatre | Ironwood | MI | $2,500 |
| Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum | University Center | MI | $2,500 |
| Macomb Center for the Performing Arts at Macomb Community College | Warren | MI | $2,500 |
| Pine Mountain Music Festival | Hancock | MI | $2,500 |
| Midland Center for the Arts | Midland | MI | $2,500 |
| Blue Dart Art | Dowagiac | MI | $2,500 |
| Lakes Area Music Festival | Brainerd | MN | $2,500 |
| Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project | Minneapolis | MN | $2,500 |
| Ragamala Dance Company | Minneapolis | MN | $2,500 |
| Minnesota Marine Art Museum | Winona | MN | $2,500 |
| Alliance of Chinese Culture & Arts, USA | St. Paul | MN | $2,500 |
| Art to Change the World | Minneapolis | MN | $2,500 |
| Rum River Art Center Inc. | Anoka | MN | $2,500 |
| Northern Plains Dance | Bismarck | ND | $2,500 |
| Geographical Center Historical Society | Rugby | ND | $2,500 |
| Dakota Pro Musica | Bismarck | ND | $2,500 |
| Empire Arts Center | Grand Forks | ND | $2,500 |
| GroundWorks DanceTheater | Cleveland | OH | $2,500 |
| Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center | Cleveland | OH | $2,500 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati | OH | $2,500 |
| CityMusic Cleveland | Cleveland Heights | OH | $2,500 |
| Cincinnati Museum Association | Cincinnati | OH | $2,500 |
| Cincinnati Arts Association | Cincinnati | OH | $2,500 |
| Darke County Center for the Arts | Greenville | OH | $2,500 |
| African American Quilt & Doll Guild | Warrensville Heights | OH | $2,500 |
| Paper Circle | Nelsonville | OH | $2,500 |
| Jazz Arts Group | Columbus | OH | $2,500 |
| Karamu House | Cleveland | OH | $2,500 |
| Professional Flair, Inc. | Cleveland | OH | $2,500 |
| Shawnee State University | Portsmouth | OH | $2,500 |
| Passion Works | Athens | OH | $2,500 |
| Matthews Opera House and Arts Center | Spearfish | SD | $2,500 |
| Backroom Productions, Inc. | Rapid City | SD | $2,500 |
| Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills | Rapid City | SD | $2,500 |
| Vermillion Community Theatre Inc | Vermillion | SD | $2,500 |
| Arts & Literature Laboratory | Madison | WI | $2,500 |
| Woodland Indian Art, Inc. | Oneida | WI | $2,500 |
| Plymouth Art Foundation | Plymouth | WI | $2,500 |
| Pump House Regional Arts Center | La Crosse | WI | $2,500 |
| Green Lake Festival of Music | Green Lake | WI | $2,500 |
| TRUE SKOOL | Milwaukee | WI | $2,500 |
| Communication Madison | Madison | WI | $2,500 |
| Madison Music Collective | Madison | WI | $2,500 |