We often see the logo for MAC, The Missouri Arts Council, RAC, The Regional Arts Commission, and A&E, The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, and sometimes M-AAA, The Mid-America Arts Alliance. The first three are somewhat familiar, but often the last is a mystery.
The Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) is Missouri's regional arts organization. Through its partnership with the Missouri Arts Council, M-AAA brings an array of arts and cultural experiences to Missouri. It supplements the work of Missouri Arts organizations, and drives direct economic benefit and cultural enrichment to the state.
M-AAA brings more art to more people. It reaches nearly one million children and adults in more than 145 communities, produces and manages more than 450 exhibitions, performances, and professional development opportunities and supports over 1500 educational programs.
The organization works in partnership with the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. The federal partners are the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
In its "Exhibits U.S.A" program, art exhibitions are created by professional curators and are for purchase throughout the country. They always include educational programs and materials. An example of one of these programs will soon be exhibited at The Sheldon and is entitled, "Our People, Our Land, Our Images." We will have the opportunity to view indigenous people through the eyes of indigenous photographers from North America, Peru, and New Zealand.
The Griot Museum of Black History in our city will have an exhibit from this same program entitled "A Cast of Blues." This exhibition is a celebration of Mississippi's rich musical heritage." A Cast of Blues" features 15 resin-cast masks of blues legends created by artist Sharon McConnell-Dickerson.
Another program of M-AAA is "NEH on the Road.” The National Endowment for the Humanities sends recommended programs to M-AAA and these specially curated shows also travel around our region. "Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints: Popular Art of the Northeast of Brazil" will be shown at the Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art in Fayette, Missouri in the near future.
"Bandits and Heroes" explores how the ancient cultures of Africa blended with indigenous and colonial Portuguese traditions to form the vibrant and complex cultural mosaic of modern Brazil. Engaging photographs and works of popular art, including sculptures, paintings, prints, religious objects, toys, and booklets of poetry will draw visitors into the complex and vibrant culture of the Northeast of Brazil and introduce the festivals, heroes, and spiritual traditions that give shape and meaning to the daily lives of the Nordestinos, common people of Brazil's Northeast.
Touring grants are also offered by M-AAA. Our own Jim Widner of UMSL will travel with his big band to the University of Nebraska in Omaha and the Dallas Children's Theater will travel to the Hays Arts Council in Hays, Kansas.
These few examples are just the tip of the iceberg of the rich and engaging programs produced by M-AAA. Keep an eye out for the M-AAA logo while visiting art exhibitions, listening to concerts, or watching the performing arts.
Nancy Kranzberg has been involved in the arts community for some thirty years on numerous arts related boards.