Annual Report FY21: Moving Forward
Letter from Our Chair
I find this to be my last letter to you as Chair of Mid-America Arts Alliance at a time when the organization—America’s first regional arts organization—is poised to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. Founded in 1972 in Lincoln, Nebraska, M-AAA was formed by the thought that more could be done collectively in middle America than apart. This concept of togetherness is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago.
The past several years have flown by, and around every turn we found “new” sponsors and more funding for the artists and creative organizations we serve. This funding includes the historic and generous donation from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett. The Scott gift has the ability to solidify the foundation of service that lies at the core of M-AAA. It also permits for more transformative and future thinking, and allows the organization to find ways to empower artists and communities across our six-state region and beyond.
The spirit of collaboration was perhaps best illustrated in FY21 when M-AAA and its fellow Regional Arts Organizations joined forces to ask for pandemic funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This resulted in an investment of $10 million for the creation of the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund. Those funds, paired with a $150,000 donation from the Windgate Foundation, allowed M-AAA to award more than $1.5 million to twenty-seven organizations in our region. Overall this past year, M-AAA’s grants and subsidies grew more than 355% to $5.78 million, offering vital assistance to our region’s arts ecosystem.
The M-AAA team, deftly led by President and CEO Todd Stein, does quite well in the face of adversity. I continue to marvel at what has been accomplished and the positive trajectory of M-AAA. It has been a pleasure to be Chair and to partner with all of you.
With kind regards,
Richard J. Vierk, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Pictured above: Still image from Tuko Sasa by St. Louis artist Câmi Thomas as featured in FY21’s online and socially distanced exhibition reflect / project
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Interchange Awards $20K Grants to Artists Working Toward Change
Find Out MoreInterchange awards grants to artists who focus on social change in communities of Mid-America. Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) is pleased to announce the Interchange 2021 Fellows, supporting artist-led projects focused on social impact in M-AAA’s six-state region of Arkansas, Kansas,…
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Mural Project in Norton, Kansas
Find Out MoreA Special Projects grant from Mid-America Arts Alliance with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission allowed Kansas artist Erika Nelson to create a new mural to mark the 100th anniversary of women…
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ExhibitsUSA: Touring exhibitions find a way
Find Out MoreDuring the past year, museums, libraries, and other venues continued to operate cautiously due to the pandemic. While some hosted virtual displays of exhibitions, a gradual reopening allowed visitors to return to the galleries. Exploring various topics from Johnny Cash’s…
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NEH on the Road: A Fond Farewell
Find Out MoreMore than 2.4 million visited NEH on the Road exhibitions across the United States. Since 2004, NEH on the Road exhibitions have traveled to 252 distinct communities, both large and small, reaching more than 2.4 million visitors at 275 venues…
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ARt Connect in FY21
Find Out MoreEngage Professional Development Program comes to Northwest Arkansas. M-AAA partnered with Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE) to launch ARt Connect, a professional development program tailored to the needs of Northwest Arkansas arts and culture nonprofits, in order to…
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Pandemic Funding Relief in FY21
Find Out MoreThe fight against COVID-19 and its lasting impacts remained at the forefront of FY21. Mid-America Arts Alliance was honored to serve and assist many arts and cultural organizations and artists whose work was affected by the pandemic. In FY21, M-AAA…
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A Digital Year, A Digital Artist INC
Find Out MoreArtist INC continues to grow and adapt to the needs of individual artists. Artist INC gets its strong foundations and continuing momentum from its community: more than 1,500 Fellows, staff leadership made up of program veterans, and most importantly, an…
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Transformational Gift to M-AAA
Find Out MoreOn June 15, 2021, novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced that Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) was one of 286 organizations selected to receive funding as part of her commitment to the Giving Pledge. M-AAA has received this unexpected and transformative…
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Engage Houston: Celebrating Ten Years
Find Out MoreHouston Engage looks back on a decade of programming. Engage Houston was a professional development program for small to midsize organizations in the Texas counties of Harris, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller. Launched in 2011, Engage…
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Artist INC Express in Nebraska
Find Out MoreWorkshop brings artists together across the state. Artist INC Express is an intensive workshop created to address the specific professional needs and challenges that artists of all disciplines face. It was developed to serve communities outside major metropolitan areas with…
Our Programs
ARt Connect is the Engage professional development program in Northwest Arkansas.
Artist INC connects artists of all disciplines to the tools, resources, and opportunities necessary to develop their entrepreneurial skills and to strengthen their artistic practice.
Artistic Innovations is a grant program that encourages the spirit of experimentation and exploration, exclusively engaging in-region artists in the creation of new, original works for audiences in the M-AAA region.
Artists 360 gives artists from the Greater Northwest Arkansas area a platform to succeed and grow with grantmaking and professional development.
Engage provides community-centered professional and organizational development that focuses on leadership training for small to midsize arts and cultural organizations.
ExhibitsUSA is a traveling exhibition program that creates access to an array of arts and humanities experiences, nurtures the understanding of diverse cultures and art forms, and encourages the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities.
Interchange recognizes the role of individual artists as change agents and connectors in the cities and towns where they reside, supporting them with grantmaking and professional development.
NEH on the Road is a partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, touring major humanities exhibitions scaled for smaller spaces.
Regional Touring Program provides grant support for regional presenting organizations to showcase the work of artists from outside their home states.
Special Grants: Pandemic Relief includes the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund and Houston Cares About Music.