09/09/2022
ArtFest Midwest was founded in 2002 by Sue and Ron Stookey who envisioned an opportunity to expand Iowa’s art community by supporting talented Iowa artists and connecting people of all ages and backgrounds to art through an annual event. Over the past twenty years, the two-day summer festival has attracted thousands of attendees, hundreds of regional artists and provided a free indoor venue where fine art could be appreciated and accessible to everyone.
In 2017, SPPG stepped in to lead ArtFest Midwest and has served as the main funding sponsor and event organizer. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic, and a move to the Iowa Events Center in 2021 due to venue availability, our staff worked hard to make significant changes to ArtFest Midwest in 2022. In 2022, we:
- Created a standalone nonprofit with over half practicing artists (ArtFest Midwest Foundation)
- Secured financial donations to support scholarships for emerging artists
- Held an artist appreciation event in conjunction with Mainframe Studios
- Secured a local media partner and partnered with four community-based arts organizations
- Collected data from artists, patrons, and volunteers to help inform future decisions about the show
Even with the great strides we have made, we feel we are at a crossroads and need to hit the pause button. In order to serve artists, the community, and patrons at the level they deserve, we need to regroup and reimagine what the next 10 years of ArtFest Midwest could look like. This decision was not arrived upon lightly. The art world is changing and we would be remiss to not acknowledge this.
While we are unsure of what the future holds, we do know that there is value in ArtFest Midwest. If we are not the right promoters of the event, we want to find the individual or organizations who are. If that is you, or you know someone who might have an interest, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support over the past 20 years!
Sincerely,
The ArtFest Midwest Team
