Midwestern Voices and Visions is a collaboration between the Alliance of Artists Communities and seven artists' residency programs in the Midwest. Each site offers its own way of serving its artists-in-residence, though all share a common vision that supporting living artists with time and space to create new work is essential to human progress.
Click on the names below to read more about each program:
Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies
Red Wing, Minnesota
Art Farm
Marquette, Nebraska
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Omaha, Nebraska
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Ox-Bow
Saugatuck, Michigan
Prairie Center of the Arts
Peoria, Illinois
Ragdale Foundation
Lake Forest, Illinois
Ox-Bow
Ox-Bow is a 98-year-old school of art and artists’ residency, affiliated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Established by two painters looking for an escape from the industrial havoc of
Today, Ox-Bow operates in much the same way. With a three-month academic program and two residency cycles per year, over 600 artists make their way annually to the historic 115-acre campus, nestled in the dunes of Lake Michigan. With old growth forests and a closed lagoon, Ox-Bow's landscape is naturally protective of the artists who come to campus each year – offering an immersive experience that is committed to freedom, focus, and risk-taking.
Because of Ox-Bow's long history as a school and its commitment to exchange and community, a philosophy of experimentation, collaboration, and mentorship resonate throughout all of its programming. With 24-hour access to studios, artists who come to Ox-Bow can fully commit to their practice, the discussion of art-making in the 21st century, and the development and refinement of new work.