This Evolving Art Fair Travels All Across The Midwest To Bring Out The Best From The Mississippi Basin Region

What comes to your mind when you think of the Midwest U.S.? For most people, the answer is probably the Midwestern hospitality of friendly small towns like Concordia, Kansas, or agrarian attractions like the world's longest corn maze. But there's more to the Great Plains than farms and prairie. The Mississippi River Basin also has a thriving creative culture that has long flown under the radar — one that the MdW art fair aims to bring further into the limelight.

Pronounced "midway," MdW is a regional coalition of artist-run spaces and hyperlocal art scenes from across the Midwest. Specifically, the consortium covers seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. The core of the initiative is its Convenings, bi-annual gatherings that connect artists and makers from across this region. 

The 2024 MdW Summit, held at the Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, drew over 100 artists and curators to events like a pop-up book fair, exhibit hall, and dance party. For those who want to enjoy art between Convenings, MdW curates The Atlas, an online and print publication that features essays, photos, and interviews that document the works of Midwestern creatives. Art lovers can also plan tours based on curated road trips using the MdWdrift interactive map.

The evolution of MdW

MdW started in 2010 as an artist-run fair organized by Chicago-based creators Brandon Alvendia and Nicholas Wylie. In its first iteration, they organized three fairs in collaboration with Chicago's Public Media Institute, each showcasing independent galleries, artist groups, and initiatives. The event grew to more than 75 exhibitors by its third iteration in 2012. It also spawned the Hand in Glove Conference, a four-day meet of artists and grassroots organizers from across the U.S.

The Hand in Glove Conference continued through the 2010s, taking place in cities like New Orleans and Minneapolis. In 2015, it shifted again into the national artist network Common Field, which grew to more than 700 member organizations across 43 states by 2019. Similar to past versions of the collective, it hosted annual convenings and connected artists with grants and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Common Field closed in December 2022, prompting the original MdW to emerge from hibernation. The revived version of the collective, led by seven organizing partners, launched a new model of regional road trips and readings that culminated in the MdW Fair at Mana Contemporary Chicago in September of 2022. This free, three-day event featured over 100 projects, along with an open print lab and screening space, continuing the mission of connecting creators with the public.

Celebrating Midwestern art all year long

While MdW Convenings only take place every other year, you don't need to wait for the next Assembly or Summit to discover creative projects in the Midwest. Brandon Alvendia's vision is to subvert the typical art fair model, expanding beyond a weekend spectacle to instead "draw it out over a few months with the Atlas and the Drifts" (via Arts Midwest). Alvendia spent much of MdW's hibernation period doing research for the Drifts program. Starting in 2015, he leveraged the support of an Independent Curators International Research Fellowship to take road trips across the region and explore artist-run spaces and DIY initiatives, thereby "mapping an archipelago of art worlds in the middle of the United States." Many artists he connected with now serve as MdW organizers or participate in the bi-annual fairs, in addition to having their spaces included on the Drifts road trip itineraries.

The Drifts project exemplifies MdW's spirit of collaboration in another way, too: the map is open-source and interactive. The site provides instructions for artists and creators to add locations, which have expanded to include adjacent states, such as Ohio, Kentucky, and South Dakota. Clicking on a pin brings up a brief description of the space, its offerings, and a link to learn more. Art lovers can add these destinations to road trips that include under-the-radar Midwest art hubs like Overland Park, Kansas. This ever-expanding collection of art-focused destinations reinforces MdW's mission to build a community that extends beyond the limits of any one city. For those looking ahead to the next MdW Convening, the best way to learn more and plan your visit is to follow MdW on Instagram (@mdw.coalition), where you'll also find information on new additions to the Atlas and in-between events like the Subversion Summer Camp. 

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