Heritage Center Selected to Receive Funding from Arts Midwest Touring Fund
Nov 21, 2019
DUBUQUE, Iowa – University of Dubuque Heritage Center has been selected to receive funding from Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from the Iowa Arts Council and the Crane Group.
Arts Midwest Touring Fund engages people in meaningful experiences with the fine arts of dance, music, theater, and other performing arts forms. Inter-state touring and the engagement of professional artists is central to the work of Arts Midwest.
“Arts Midwest is proud to support Heritage Center in their upcoming engagement of Shesh Besh, The Arab-Jewish Ensemble. Arts events like this not only provide uplifting experiences for audiences, they also create meaningful jobs for those employed in the arts industry – thus amplifying the effectiveness of our funding,” said Arts Midwest President and CEO Torrie Allen.
Shesh Besh is a model of mutual respect in a turbulent, violent Middle East seeking an elusive balance of East and West through music while embodying two cultures living together in harmony. The ensemble is comprised of two members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra alongside three of the finest musicians from Israel’s Arab community. Shesh Besh is presented in cooperation with the Dubuque Arts Council.
Support provided through Arts Midwest makes it possible for Heritage Center to present premiere international artists and to offer outreach programs. In this case, the support enables Heritage Center to partner with the Dubuque Arts Council in the engagement of Shesh Besh and related educational presentations in numerous tri-state area schools.
“This funding extends our reach on the magnitude and caliber of guest artists we are able to engage plus it allows for a world class ensemble to touch the lives of many area residents, but particularly our youth,” said Thomas Robbins, executive director of Heritage Center.
Shesh Besh is part of the 2019-2020 Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series and will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, in John and Alice Butler Hall. A free pre-show lecture will also be offered from 6:30 to 7 p.m. in Babka Theatre.
Tickets for Shesh Besh can be chosen as part of a flexible season ticket package through Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, or single tickets can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque, 2255 Bennett Street; by phone at 563.585.SHOW; or online at www.dbq.edu/heritagecenter.
Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest is one of six nonprofit regional arts organizations in the United States. Its mission is to promote creativity, nurture cultural leadership, and engage people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. Since its establishment more than 30 years ago, Arts Midwest has been serving audiences, arts organizations, and artists throughout the nine states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and beyond.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.
