Three cheers for ArtHaus!!!: ArtHaus Selected to Participate in ArtsLab Program
ArtHaus has been selected to participate in ArtsLab, a six-month leadership and strategy program designed to ensure that artists and arts organizations in the Midwest have the skills, ideas, and networks needed to flourish. The course, available only to organizations in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa, will explore the concepts of relevancy in the marketplace, leadership development, financial and resource development models, and organizational infrastructure.
ArtsLab is a program of Arts Midwest, a U.S. Regional Arts Organization that fosters connections among artists, organizations, and communities across the Midwest. Through performing, visual, and literary arts and leadership development programs, Arts Midwest is committed to delivering high-quality arts experiences and encouraging new, cross-sector collaborations.
David Fraher, president & CEO of Arts Midwest, says, “We are looking forward to working with these organizations and leaders to support their ongoing leadership development. We are already inspired by the important work they are doing in Iowa to engage their communities in the arts and we anticipate that ArtsLab will only foster more exceptional conversations, new approaches, and innovative artistic experiences that make both urban and rural communities stronger and more connected.”
Beginning in April 2015, 22 organizations will participate in retreats and shared learning opportunities including:
From South Dakota: Aberdeen Area Arts Council, Hill City Area Arts Council, Mathews Opera House, Pierre Players, Sioux Falls Arts Council, Sisseton Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council
From North Dakota: The Arts Center, Arts North Dakota, Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts, Dakota West Arts Council, Nelson County Arts Council, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Three Rivers Arts Council, Village Arts
From Iowa: ArtHaus, Grinnell Area Arts Council, Iowa Arts Council, Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance, Orange City Arts Council, Public Space One, Riverside Theatre
“The Iowa Arts Council is proud to partner with Arts Midwest to bring ArtsLab to Iowa,” said Matthew Harris, Iowa Arts Council Administrator. “Investing in the capacity of Iowa arts organizations is part of our mission and ArtsLab is giving us an opportunity to do that in a collaborative way while fostering a regional network with our peers in the Dakotas.”
Support for ArtsLab is generously provided by Bush Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Mardag Foundation, The Saint Paul Foundation, and The Iowa Arts Council.
ArtsLab was launched in 1999 by six major foundations seeking to learn better approaches to building leadership and management skills in community-based arts organizations. The project was renewed in 2008 and offered capacity building education and support to sixteen arts organizations in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area and northwestern Minnesota. A third cycle of the program offered similar support to organizations in urban and rural Minnesota and North Dakota from 2012 to 2014. All cycles have been highly rated by independent evaluators for their positive impact on organizational stability, community engagement, and the development of strong, adaptive leadership.
More information about ArtsLab is available at artslab.artsmidwest.org. Questions about the program may also be directed to Sharon Rodning Bash at sharon@artsmidwest.org.
About Arts Midwest
Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. A regional arts service organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest serves audiences, arts organizations, and artists throughout the nine states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and beyond.