Arts Midwest

Arts Midwest, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is one of six not-for-profit regional arts organizations created to “encourage development of the arts and to support arts programs on a regional basis.” Arts Midwest's mission is to "promote creativity, nurture cultural leadership, and engage people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives.” Arts Midwest is primarily funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and is charged with supporting artists and arts organizations, and providing assistance to its nine member states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Regional arts programs first emerged in the late 1960s in response to a need for greater access to performing arts touring in areas isolated from major cultural centers. The development of RAOs was encouraged in 1973 by the NEA House reauthorizing committee, which stated its belief that:

The legislation creating RAOs was introduced by Public Law 93-133. Since 1973, the United States Congress has set aside a specific appropriation within the NEA budget for the states and their regional organizations. The RAOs, which include Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and the Western States Arts Federation, use this funding to coordinate the touring and presenting of visual and performing arts programs in the United States.

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