The Art Of The Rural

10/09/2026

Read now on Broadsheet! 🗞 Joe Williams reflects on his experiences organizing the inaugural Northern Plains Indigenous Film Festival in Fargo, North Dakota. Hosted this past April, the festival brought together Native filmmakers and intercultural audiences from across the continent.

"Both filmmakers and documentary participants felt seen and heard," shares Joe. "That’s what these films — and providing the civic space to share ideas — are about.”

Read now (for free, always) at artoftherural.substack.com

✍ by Joe Williams, Art of the Rural's Media & Editorial Collaborator; Host, 5 Plain Questions podcast
📷 by Tyrel Iron Eyes | Ista Maza (via Arts Midwest)

10/07/2026

Thank you for joining us last month for the opening of "Healing Phase," a collaborative exhibition from our 2025-2026 Spillway Fellows Bee Kakac & Nipinet Landsem!

"Healing Phase" is on view through November 13, 2026, at the Winona County History Center. Through Bee's drone photography and Nipinet's illustration, the exhibition asks what it would take to reject the current status quo, the bleeding of the land, and move forward with radical optimism into an Indigenous future focused on Land Back and reciprocal relationships. Learn more: artoftherural.org/healingphase

10/01/2026

Congratulations to our partners at PA Humanities on the launch of the Pennsylvania Cultural Exchange (PaX)! The inaugural cohort of PaX fellows gathered in Pittsburgh last weekend for the first of three immersive cultural exchanges. In each, their cohort of artists, storytellers, historians, educators, organizers, scholars, librarians, filmmakers, and other cultural leaders will share experiences from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to ultimately strengthen Pennsylvania’s humanities and creative network.

PaX is close to our hearts, as it was inspired by the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) and developed in partnership with Art of the Rural and RUX leaders. We’re deeply grateful for PA Humanities’ partnership and look forward to following the fellows’ journeys! Learn more about the program at pahumanities.org/pax

09/17/2026

For The Atlantic magazine, independent journalist Kate Nelson (Alaskan Native Tinglit) profiled three leaders of Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota in Dakota): Dr. Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Sioux Dakota/Muscogee Creek), the M's executive director; Sean Sherman, (Oglala Lakota), chef-owner of Indígena by Owamni; and Giizh (Sarah) Agaton Howes (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) designer-owner of Heart Berry, with photos and video by Jaida Grey Eagle (Oglala Lakota).

Each gives recommendations for anyone craving authentic Indigenous experiences across the state, made up of 11 federally recognized tribes, including seven Ojibwe and four Dakota communities.

Read it here: https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/explore-minnesota-2026/where-dakota-and-ojibwe-cultures-thrive/4133/

09/15/2026

Big news! 🎉 Art of the Rural & the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) are honored to be part of New Pluralists’ 2026 Breakthrough Fund, alongside seven other teams working to bridge class divides and help communities solve shared problems.

With this support, we’ll be able to expand RUX's statewide network and train local leaders to get to know their neighbors, celebrate what’s special about where they live, and work together to address shared concerns. This funding will enable hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment in Kentucky’s civic life, so that more people have a chance to work on the issues affecting our Commonwealth.

We believe Kentucky can show the nation what’s possible when people come together across real differences, including class, to build trust and shape a stronger future. We’re grateful to do this work alongside New Pluralists and the other 2026 Breakthrough Fund grantees.

Learn more and meet our fellow grantees: https://newpluralists.org/blogs/2026-breakthrough-fund-announcement/

📷 KY RUX 2024 by M. Tyler McDaniel

09/15/2026

09/15/2026

Join us at WSU Monday Sept 28 at 5:30! 🍉 Palestine ’36 Film Screening
A film by Annemarie Jacir recounting the 1936-1939 Arab revolt against British colonial rule during the Mandate period.
Monday, September 28th- 5:30-8:30pm
Stark Hall, Room 103, Winona State University, 400 Winona St, Winona.
Free pizza will be available!

Support from: WSU Faculty Association, The Cedar Tree Project, and the Frozen River Film Festival.

09/11/2026