All News & Stories

When you hear “fan art,” what comes to mind? Maybe frivolity, fantasy, or amateur art? One class at the University of North Texas challenged these assumptions. In spring 2024, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Professor Melissa Nelson on…

From 1907 to 1928, S. P. Dinsmoor, a retired Civil War Veteran and sculptor built the Cabin Home and Garden of Eden just on the outskirts of Lucas, Kansas. He was in his 60s when he started creating his fascinating,…

Artists 360 to Award $300,000 in Grants to Northwest Arkansas Artists Applications for the seventh cohort of Artists 360, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA), are open with more funding, peer networking, and professional development, thanks to increased funding…

Ten Artists 360 alumni will share their work at the third annual Full Circle Showcase. The public is encouraged to attend the free event, which includes musical performances and presentations by 10 talented Artists 360 alumni. There is no reservation…

Some stories stay hidden, locked away. Texan artist Mark Menjívar is working to bring these narratives into the light. His project Open Letters introduces audiences to the stories of individuals incarcerated on Texas’s death row. But these aren’t tales of…

Mix tapes weren’t anything new. Sharing music goes back thousands of years.  This simple concept inspired Oklahoma artist Elisa Harkins. Her ongoing project, Teach Me a Song, asks Indigenous artists to perform a tune on camera. “It’s a song exchange…

Art is for everyone—and can be by everyone, too.  One Kansas artist’s socially engaged practice explores the beauty that can be found not in galleries but in the wild: along roadsides and in communities. Ask a kid what they want…

Meet Israel Carranza, a 2024 National Leaders of Color Fellow. He is a Mexican-American artist who has been creating abstract expressionist paintings inspired by his Indigenous Mexican heritage. He has been instrumental in bringing traditional music, dance, and food to…

This year, 2024, brings a high-profile election year to the calendar. Now is an excellent time to review what actions your nonprofit arts organization can take to promote participation in the coming election cycle. (Please note: this is general information,…

A new installation by Arkansas-based artist Danielle Hatch is on view now at the Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Culture Lab. Although, the gallery building is not currently open to the public, visitors may enjoy the full installation on display both inside and…

Initiative awards up to $15,000 each to regional artists and organizations for experimental regional projects Applications are open for Mid-America Arts Alliance’s annual Artistic Innovations grant, a program that since 2012 has awarded over $2 million to regional artists and…

The first Catalyze cohort is soaring to new heights with their $10,000 grants and professional development opportunities. In June 2023, the Catalyze program awarded the first 25 artists $10,000 each in practice-based funding along with professional coaching to ignite their…