Mid-America Arts Alliance
@midamericaarts
We support artists and arts organizations in the heartland and beyond. maaa.org
IT'S BACK! Artistic Innovations applications are now open. ⭐ New for this cycle, individual #artists can receive grants with no matching funds required! ⭐ Apply at maaa.org/artisticinnovations by September 24, 2026.
📣 Congratulations to the Heartland Craft Guilds awardees! Designed to strengthen leadership and operations for craft guilds, this program provides funding and technical assistance. maaa.org/news/heartland-craft-guilds-grants-15-organizations-craft-traditions-mid-america
“Water became everything once there was a lack of it,” Faye Duncan-Daniel says. In #Arkansas, the lack of safe water summoned a community response led by a poet. www.maaa.org/news/river-revival-arkansas-poet-channels-water-stories-greater-good
#Art-based programs supports us all; helping us heal and connect. #ArtsHealthDay26 How has participating in the arts helped you?
Instead of giving up, Andrew Myers got curious. 🔨 He had the confidence of an engineer, but not the skills of a woodworker. Now he's a fine craft artist showing us what it means to invest in yourself. https://www.maaa.org/news/bryant-arkansas-andrew-myers-engineering-fine-craft/
🚨 Applications for Artist INC are open in #STL! Take advantage of eight sessions of professional development brought to you by local artists. Learn more at artistinc.art
#Heartland music fest lineup just dropped! ⬇️ Whether you're a country, folk, EDM, rock, or jazz fan—the Heartland has music festivals for every ear. 🎶 There are so many that we couldn't fit them all here. Drop your favorite Mid-America music fest in the comments.
It's #NationalClayWeek! Have you ever wondered how glazes are made❓Check out our recent story about Arkansas' "Wild Pigment Potter," Emma Estelle. https://www.maaa.org/news/how-a-wild-pigment-potter-natures-chemistry-create-masterpieces/
What all of our programs have in common: they take your creative practice from chopped 👹 to skibidi ⭐ ~ sincerely, a Millenial/Gen Z cusp
Many artists find themselves isolated, dreaming and working without a support system or community. Nick Carswell is NOT that artist. "You have to start somewhere, and a lot of the time, that’s showing up.” https://www.maaa.org/news/how-one-kansas-artist-strengthening-arts-ecosystem-for-all/.
No matter your background, your experience, or your artistic medium . . . Artist INC offers career perspective and a community you can lean on. Pro artists from your city meet with you for eight-sessions about what it takes to make your practice thrive. Learn more at www.artistinc.art
If you're looking for ways to stabilize your creative practice, this eight-session seminar can help. The best part—it's led by #artists who have been in your shoes. Artist INC applications are open in #KansasCity 🩰 #Topeka 🎻 #StLouis 🎨 and #Houston! https://artistinc.art/apply/
Many organizations are seeking more equitable governance models. This free workshop responds with Indigenous approaches that move beyond rigidity and towards trust. https://www.maaa.org/event/future-pathways-the-wisdom-of-the-circle-reclaiming-ancestral-governance-in-modern-board-structures/
Calling #KC creative workers of all kinds. 📢 Your voice = better support for #artists. Take the Status of Artists in Kansas City 2026 survey today: https://bit.ly/StatusOfArtistsKC_Social
💎 By exploring the natural world, Emma Estelle found her niche. Now she has a camera to document her work the way it deserves and a community of artists who help her think about ways to expand her business. 📸 https://www.maaa.org/news/how-a-wild-pigment-potter-natures-chemistry-create-masterpieces/
#EarthDay is a reminder of how deeply art and environment are connected. Looking to bring that perspective into your space? Book a nature-themed exhibition and create opportunities for connection with the world around us. 🌿 Eusa.org
If #artists don’t tell their own story, someone (or no one) else will. 💬 The Status of Artists in #KansasCity 2026 survey is now open for artists 18+ living and/or working in the KC metro (MO + KS). Take the survey: https://bit.ly/StatusOfArtistsKC_Social
Artist INC applications in Kansas City and Topeka are now open! 📢 Our eight-session professional development seminar addresses the business needs of artists of all disciplines. Spots are limited and applications close June 10. www.artistinc.art/apply
We're so proud to announce the newest cohort of Catalyze grantees! Over the next year they'll combine mentoring and practice-based funding to take bold new steps in their creative practices. 🌟 https://www.maaa.org/news/catalyze-invests-25-artists-driving-creative-work-arkansas/
Need to refresh to your orgs' financial policies? 💸 Join Dr. Elaine Grogan Luttrull, CPA-PFS, AFC® on April 9 at 11:00 a.m. for Nonprofit Check-Up – Seven Financial Things for 2026! It's free. It's virtual. https://www.maaa.org/event/future-pathways-nonprofit-check-up-seven-financial-things-2026/
#KansasCity artists! 🫵 This is for you. A new survey is gathering data on the real living and working conditions of artists in the KC metro. 📈 Your voice helps shape funding, programs, and advocacy efforts. Take 20 minutes to participate: https://bit.ly/StatusOfArtistsKC_Social
We see your hard work #artists and orgs!🪻You make the #Heartland so special. Check out this list of grants, residencies, and workshops! https://www.maaa.org/news/artist-and-arts-organization-opportunities-and-deadlines/
Join Oklahomans for the Arts at Arts Day at the Capitol! Register and meet with legislators to advocate for the arts. https://www.ok4arts.org/arts-and-culture-day
NASAA is now accepting session proposals for NASAA Assembly 2026, taking place in Washington, D.C., October 9. State and jurisdictional arts agency staff are invited to share their ideas. The deadline is April 15. https://nasaa-arts.org/meeting_docs/nasaa-assembly-2026-session-proposal/
#FIFAWorldCup is approaching fast! And its fans could fall in love with your art. ⚽ Check out these ways you can prepare when a large event comes to town. ⬆️ Full guide at https://www.maaa.org/news/how-artists-can-prepare-world-cup-2026-houston-dallas-kansas-city/
In "Working America", artist Sam Comen presents American immigrants and first-generation Americans at work in the small, skilled trades as icons of the American experience. https://eusa.org/exhibition/working-america/ 📸 Sam Comen "Tailor" 2018 "Furniture caner" 2018 "Tailor" 2020
If it has been a minute since you dusted off your financial policies and procedures, now's a great time to check in. 💸 Join a free workshop for artists with Dr. Elaine Grogran Luttrull on April 9! Register: https://www.maaa.org/event/future-pathways-nonprofit-check-up-seven-financial-things-2026/
Take your music to places it's never been! Jazz Road: Tours offers $15K grants to develop tours into communities across the country. 🎷🎼 Submit a Letter of Interest by March 10 at https://www.southarts.org/grants-opportunities/jazz-road-tours