Arts Midwest Programs in Ohio
HEARTLAND ARTS FUND
This performing arts touring program is very popular among performing
arts presenters across the Midwest. The funding reserved for Ohio was
tapped out quickly once again this year. There is a broad spectrum of
presenters and performing artists participating in the Heartland Arts
Fund. For a list of Heartland Arts Fund events in Ohio and a list of Ohio
artists touring for the 2003-2004 season please contact Arts
Midwest.
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
Through a special agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts,
Arts Midwest is managing the national theater touring initiative Shakespeare
in American Communities. The purpose of this initiative is to bring professional
Shakespearean productions and related educational activities to all 50
states. In Ohio, Chicago Shakespeare Theater will perform Romeo and Juliet
at the Marion Palace Theatre in Marion, and Aquila Theatre Company will
perform Othello at Ohio Northern University in Ada. Visit www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org
to check out complete information about this initiative.
MIDWEST ARTS CONFERENCE
The 16th annual Midwest Arts Conference was convened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
from September 11-13, 2003. The Midwest Arts Conference is an annual trade
show of the performing arts that brings together performing artists, performing
arts managers, theater and facility managers, and arts administrators
to facilitate booking and touring plans, and to provide educational and
performance opportunities. The conference exceeded its average attendance
of 1,000 arts presenters, managers, and performing artists. More than
50 individuals from Ohio participated in the conference, including spotlight
showcase artists The Cleveland Duo & James Umble and seminar leaders Daniel
Ducoff, senior consultant in the Cleveland office of Campbell & Company
(a national philanthropic consulting firm); Stephanie Morrison-Hrbek,
founder of Cleveland's New West Theatre; Judy Beaumier, executive director
of the Ohio Arts Presenters Network; and Douglas F. Kridler, president
and CEO of Columbus Foundation and Affiliates. Information about the 2004
Conference will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.
MIDWEST WORLD FEST
Arts Midwest is completing the final details for Midwest World Fest, through
which four multi-cultural musical ensembles will tour the Midwest in 2003-2004
for in-depth community residencies accompanied by comprehensive educational
materials. Lima, Ohio was selected to host the Midwest World Fest artists
beginning in October 2003. Eyal Sela and Darma from Israel will visit
Lima October 19 - 25, kicking off a meaningful and enlightening artistic
and educational experience.
THE VIEW FROM HERE
Within the visual arts, the exhibition The
View From Here: Recent Pictures From Central Europe and the American Midwest
is currently touring the Midwest. This exhibition brings together 84 photographic
works by 22 contemporary artists who live and work in the Midwest and
Central Europe, including photographers Andrew Borowiec and Eric Rippert
from Ohio. The View From Here explores the significance and unique
role of place in shaping cultural identity. Two of the five U.S. exhibition
sites for The View From Here are in Ohio. Its U.S. premiere was
in Columbus from May 22 - July 6 at Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery,
and the exhibition opened on September 12 at SPACES in Cleveland, where
it will be on display through October 24. A Slovak artist from the exhibition,
Robo Kocan, has been in residence in Cleveland since August 8 and has
produced a large body of new work that is also on view.
INTERNATIONAL STATE SCANS
Arts Midwest recently completed the International State Scan for Ohio.
With funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest started
this project about a year ago to identify resources and information that
will help in planning and supporting international cultural work. This
unique tool is designed to assist the Ohio Arts Council strengthen your
outstanding international exchanges and activities. Look for links to
the resource to be posted by the end of 2003 on the OAC website.
HEARTLAND GLOBAL LINKS
In addition to providing services mentioned above, Arts Midwest has served
as a facilitator to the Ohio Arts Council for several international projects.
For example, Arts Midwest assisted the Ohio Arts Council in identifying
the Eblen Macari Trio, the ensemble for the upcoming International Music
and Performing Arts Tour (IMPACT). Arts Midwest arranged a joint research
trip to Veracruz and Mexico City in which delegates from Arts Midwest
and the Ohio Arts Council met, experienced and interviewed 10 music ensembles
that generously shared their music and culture with the group. Arts Midwest
has also provided services to Ohio through its U.S./Japan Cultural Trade
Network (CTN), an international initiative to support artists and artists'
services between the United States and Japan. Most recently, CTN developed
and planned a residency project featuring Eitetsu Hayashi, solo taiko
artist, in Cleveland and Dublin in association with the Ohio Arts Council.
The residency was conceived by OAC Executive Director Wayne Lawson after
viewing Hayashi's performance as the keynote at Arts Midwest's 2002 Midwest
Arts Conference. CTN has facilitated ongoing dialogue between the Ohio
Arts Council and Hayashi, including leading a research trip to Japan in
July 2003 which included a full day discussion with the artist as well
as a background briefing and contextual information on taiko and Japanese
culture. The residencies will occur in November 2003, and the entire research
process for the project will be documented in a publication.
Please visit www.artsmidwest.org for additional updates on these Arts Midwest programs.
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