Instagram Story Save

Join us at Midway for a series of presentations by the 2025 Visual Arts Fund grant recipients. Each recipient will speak about their funded project and any upcoming events they have organized. Following the presentations, grantees and Midway’s staff will be available to answer questions.

2025 VAF Grant Recipients

–Artropolis — Taoheed Bayo
–Chapel of Stonemilkur — Calvin Stalvig
–Promise Experimental — Sati Varghese-Mac
–QOSLAY — Wasima Farah
–Shoreham Collective — Gudrun Lock
–WICK — Tessa Wick

The Visual Arts Fund is a grant program established by Midway Contemporary Art with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts through their Regional Regranting Program, which aims to promote vibrant artistic activity in 39 cities across the United States.

General details for the Visual Arts Fund are available at www.midwayart.org/vaf-info/. Expect announcements about the 2026 grant cycle in Summer 2026!

Please contact us with questions: vaf@midwayart.org

Please join 2024 Grantee Lis Sundberg and artist Douglas R. Ewart for the third Songbird Spectra Workshop!

In September 2023, while hiking in Leaping Tiger Gorge in the Yunnan province of China, Lis Sundberg heard a bird singing a repeating melody. When she whistled back, it taught her the song through call and response. Lis was reminded of an instrument building workshop she took in Berlin in 2019 and the power of call and response to establish community at protests. Songbird Spectra is a series of workshops to build community and solidarity through exploratory instrument making and playing. Each workshop will culminate in a public performance and a recorded sound piece.

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Final day! DM to request a peak before closing.

UN ART AUTRE

Bringing together the works of Graham Collins, Jessica Dickinson, and Sean Noonan, a full spectrum of gesture is explored and interrogated; and while it cannot be pinpointed to a singular exploration of gesture, anti-form pertinently prevails – which is difficult and cannot be faked, despite an intensely visceral feeling being the judgement of that – and it’s not a pareidolic envisioning or association, as it’s not meant to be recognized nor thought of as form. However, all coalesce to conjure this art of another kind; gesture and non gesture, practice, place, material and the sourcing of it - the ground of which it is created or the ground it is created upon.

315 SE MAIN ST MPLS 55414

Photography by Gene Bird

Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.
@visualartsfund @midwayart
@warholfoundation

Our 2025 Grantee, WICK has two exhibitions currently on view.

• UN ART AUTRE at 315 SE MAIN ST MPLS
Reception: 4/25 | 6-8P

open hours:
Saturday, 2-6 pm
Sunday, 4-6 pm
*also available by private appointment

• BOOKS at NE Sculpture
With final programming taking place this Saturday:

LATE NIGHT LOUNGE: 4/18 | 8:30p-10:30p.

Our 2025 Grantee, WICK has two exhibitions currently on view.

• UN ART AUTRE at 315 SE MAIN ST MPLS
Reception: 4/25 | 6-8P

open hours:
Saturday, 2-6 pm
Sunday, 4-6 pm
*also available by private appointment

• BOOKS at NE Sculpture
With final programming taking place this Saturday:

LATE NIGHT LOUNGE: 4/18 | 8:30p-10:30p.

Please join 2025 Grantee Gudrun Lock for the exploration of a collaborative archive centered on Shoreham Yards, a 230-acre railway and trucking facility in Northeast Minneapolis. Created and compiled by Lock in collaboration with 13 contributors, the collection reveals the complex history of this living landscape through art, maps, photographs, scientific observations and experiments, found objects, film, and more.

Please join 2025 Grantee Gudrun Lock for the exploration of a collaborative archive centered on Shoreham Yards, a 230-acre railway and trucking facility in Northeast Minneapolis. Created and compiled by Lock in collaboration with 13 contributors, the collection reveals the complex history of this living landscape through art, maps, photographs, scientific observations and experiments, found objects, film, and more.

Join 2024 Grantee Elisabeth Sundberg for the second Songbird Spectra Workshop!

In September 2023, while hiking in Leaping Tiger Gorge in the Yunnan province of China, Elisabeth Sundberg heard a bird singing a repeating melody. When she whistled back, it taught her the song through call and response. Elisabeth was reminded of an instrument building workshop she took in Berlin in 2019 and the power of call and response to establish community at protests. Songbird Spectra is a series of workshops to build community and solidarity through exploratory instrument making and playing. Each workshop will culminate in a public performance and a recorded sound piece.

An overdue post, this video is from the Manure and Poetry Nr. 4: Out Loud, In Alphabetical Order performance by @laborcamp that focused around the activation of Metrodome. The basis of the performance was the 197 words and phrases banned by the current administration. A recorded reading of these words and phrases was continually built on during a 4 hour improvised sound piece.

Piotr and I had been scheming on this activation for over a year and a half. It was delayed for various reasons, but finally came to fruition earlier this month. It was an honor to have Piotr—my friend, colleague, and mentor—activate the sculpture with his continually evolving vision.

Thank you as always to the @visualartsfund and the @warholfoundation for their support with this project.

Photos of the performance to come in a separate post, but some already visible in a post from @laborcamp.

December 7, 2025
4:00–8:00pm
at the Metrodome
An evening with
Labor Camp Orchestra
Manure & Poetry Nr. 4 :
“Out Loud, In Alphabetical Order.”

Message @nickseetee for location information

December 7, 2025
4:00–8:00pm
at the Metrodome
An evening with
Labor Camp Orchestra
Manure & Poetry Nr. 4 :
“Out Loud, In Alphabetical Order.”

Message @nickseetee for location information

December 7, 2025
4:00–8:00pm
at the Metrodome
An evening with
Labor Camp Orchestra
Manure & Poetry Nr. 4 :
“Out Loud, In Alphabetical Order.”

Message @nickseetee for location information

Up next at Metrodome on November 8th

Julia Blair performing their new album from 4-5,
Mariel Oliveira & Bryan Hitchcock's Plimp Or Plant from 5-9

@zoozootek and @bryanbakerbox demonstrate their most recent audio research findings in the concept titled “Warp Stick: Zonal Definition”. Their habitual attempts at the scientific method are currently categorized as Plimp or Plant.

@ruliablair will be starting a short tour to celebrate the release of ‘All of My Important Things’

As always, this activation is made possible by continued support from @visualartsfund

Mark your calendar for the next activation of Metrodome with @_leenoble and @bennettpuente.

October 21st
6-9pm

Made possible by a grant from @visualartsfund.

Applications are due this Saturday - Sept 27th @ 5pm CDT!

Visit the link in bio for more info on how to apply. Feel free to email us (vaf@midwayart.org) your questions or drafts for review!

Learn more about the 2025 Visual Arts Fund Grant application at one of these upcoming sessions. OUR APP IS OPEN NOW! The application is due on Sat, Sept 27 @ 5pm CDT

For more info on guidelines and eligibility, and an application outline, please visit the link in our bio.

In-Person Info Session
*TOMORROW* Sept 4th
6–7:30 pm
Midway Contemporary Art

In-person Grant Writing Workshop
Saturday, Sept 20th
9am–12pm
Midway Contemporary Art

In 2025 the Visual Arts Fund will award $60,000 (six $10,000 grants) to artist organized projects in the Twin Cities metro region. Proposals must name a lead organizer, but can include any number of artists as collaborators; individuals or groups may apply.

The VAF supports the development of projects and initiatives that engage the public with visual art and seeks to support a wide array of innovative and diverse projects that otherwise might not occur.

The @visualartsfund is a grant program established in 2016 by @midwayart with generous support from @warholfoundation . Minneapolis–Saint Paul is one of 35 cities and regions included in the Regional Regranting Program, which is aimed at promoting vibrant artistic activity in cities across the United States and Puerto Rico.