DES MOINES – The State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council have selected 11 Iowa arts, culture, history and humanities organizations to participate in the second class of the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort program.
Launched in 2022, the program helps participants build leadership skills and increase their organizational capacity in areas including operations, sustainability and programming. Participants attend workshops and learn from experts in their field, take part in peer learning and mentorship opportunities, and can apply for financial support to help advance identified goals over the course of two years.
The program is jointly administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council.
“We created the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort a year ago to identify and support Iowa’s next generation of cultural arts and history leaders,” State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Susan Kloewer said. “The program gives participants opportunities to sharpen their skills as their organizations look to the future.”
“This program addresses an important need that Iowans brought forward in our last strategic planning process,” Iowa Arts Council Director David Schmitz said. “Through the emphasis on capacity building and peer learning, we hope that participants are better empowered and equipped to continue strengthening the missions of their organizations.”
Sixteen organizations applied to participate in the program, which is designed to primarily serve small and mid-sized organizations. The 11 organizations chosen to participate follows:
Cedar Rapids, Eastern Iowa Arts Academy
Creston, Creston Arts
Davenport, Azubuike African American Council for the Arts
Davenport, German American Heritage Center
Des Moines, Girls Rock! Des Moines
Emmetsburg, Emmetsburg Main Street Community Theatre
Mount Pleasant, Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra
Muscatine, The National Pearl Button Museum
Waterloo, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony
Waterloo, Youth Art Team
West Des Moines, West Des Moines Historical Society
For more information about the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort program, visit the program website.
The State Historical Society of Iowa has been a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy since 1857. With a dual mission of preservation and education, it maintains a museum, two research centers, and seven historic sites. The society preserves and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources through a variety of statewide programs, exhibitions and projects while serving as an advocate for Iowa’s past and connector to the future. The society is part of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. Follow the State Historical Society of Iowa on Facebook and Instagram.
The Iowa Arts Council empowers Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by cultivating creativity, learning and participation in the arts. Established in 1967, the Iowa Arts Council serves as Iowa’s state arts agency and works in collaboration with its federal agency partner, the National Endowment for the Arts, and regional arts partner, Arts Midwest, to carry out its mission. The Iowa Arts Council is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.