Arts Midwest

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2010 to Jun 30, 2011

Signed

Mar 1, 2012

Return Version

2010v3.4

Gross Receipts

$7,186,916

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Literary artsthe third of three programs that arts midwest manages for the national endowment for the arts is the big read, which is designed to restore reading to the center of american culture by supporting community-wide reading programs throughout the u.s. This national program provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. The initiative includes innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature and an extensive web site providing comprehensive information on authors and their works. Each community event lasts approximately one month and includes a kick-off event to launch the program locally, ideally attended by the mayor and other local luminaries; major events devoted specifically to the book (panel discussions, author reading, and the like); events using the book as a point of departure (film screenings, theatrical readings, and so forth); and book discussions in diverse locations and aimed at a wide range of audiences. In 2010-2011, 74 nonprofits (including arts organizations, museums, universities, and libraries) and municipalities received grants totaling $983,000 to host big read celebrations between september 2010 and june 2011. The 2010-2011 big read grantees represent 31 states. Each community focused on one of 31 featured books, which included such well-known titles as the things they carried by tim o'brien the great gatsby by f. Scott fitzgerald, the call of the wild by jack london, and the stories and poems of edgar allan poe.

Activity 3

Learning initiativesarts midwest also manages several special projects funded by private foundations. The arts learning xchange is a four-year program designed to foster growth in public arts attendance and to identify, develop, and share useful lessons to help arts organizations reach more people. Funded by the wallace foundation and in collaboration with minnesota community foundation, arts learning xchange brings experts in audience participation to the twin cities for public presentations, provides advanced training and grants to selected organizations, and will offer opportunities for twin cities arts leaders to attend a national conference on arts marketing and participation. Artslab, a capacity-building program whose purpose is to strengthen smaller arts organizations in minnesota through an in-depth organizational assessment process, quarterly peer learning gatherings, one-on-one consultative support, distance learning, and modest operational support grants, recently completed its current three-year cycle. The program most recent two peer groups - one in minneapolis/st. Paul, one in rural minnesota - of eight nonprofit arts organizations each that learn together, shared best practices, and received support to strengthen their organizational infrastructure. Artslab is funded by the bush foundation, f. R. Bigelow foundation, mardag foundation, the mcknight foundation, and the saint paul foundation. We are currently planning for the next cycle of artslab to begin in winter 2012.

Filer

EIN

41-1000424