The MdW Atlas is a regular online publication where editorial partners from each state commission contributions of stories, artwork, media, and other genres. It is also a radio show! The Atlas Editor is Mairead Case.

The complete 2022 Atlas Table of Contents, featuring 68 contributions, is below (keep scrolling!). It is currently being compiled into a book designed by Lu Liang and will be released at the 2024 convening in Kansas City.

The 2024 edition began in May 2024 and will continue to grow.

2024 Editors:
Rita Mae Reese, Art Lit Lab (Wisconsin)
John Engelbrecht and Rachel Buse, PS1 and Art Beacon (Iowa)
Yashi Davalos, Charlotte Street Foundation (Missouri)
Sylvia Thomas, Big Car (Indiana)
Za’Nia Coleman, Tangible Collective (Minnesota)
Alexander Andrew-Martin, Project 1612 (Illinois)
Intersectional Press (Michigan)
M. Carmen Lane, ANTSC (Ohio)
L.M. Forgie, Red River Creatives (North Dakota)
Angela Zonunpari, No Business Magazine (South Dakota)
Erika Nelson, The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Version of the World’s Largest Things (Kansas)
Peter Fankhauser, Amplify Arts (Nebraska)

If you have questions or need paper copies, large print, translations, or alt text, email Mairead: mairead.case @ gmail

Mili Mansaray 7/26/24 Mili Mansaray 7/26/24

Lost and Found in the Heart of America

I didn’t know what to expect, but I came across an energy. An ever-present energy around the concept of change, which is exactly what I am looking for.

Kaitlyn B. Jones 7/13/24 Kaitlyn B. Jones 7/13/24

8 Seconds and 16 Carriages: Contemporary Audio and Visuals as Archival Acts of Resistance

By the late 19th century, one in four American cowboys were Black.

Nasir Anthony Montalvo (they / them) 7/10/24 Nasir Anthony Montalvo (they / them) 7/10/24

Third Space: Queering Blackness from the Archival Fabrics of Middle America

Americana has always been historicized for the benefit (and thus, through the lens) of the white ruling class.

Yashi Davalos 7/6/24 Yashi Davalos 7/6/24

Third South Vernacular and Oyster Knives: A Curatorial Monologue and Manifesto on Researching Regional Discourse

Our dialogue is our Oyster Knife.

Cami Thomas 8/26/22 Cami Thomas 8/26/22

LouTown, Evolution (And Flashback)

There is a unique St. Louisan spirit for artists to simultaneously contribute as both artist and activist, an impulse which evolved from the years between 2014 and 2017.

PSA: 8/24/22 PSA: 8/24/22

This is a Public Service Announcement

Good doesn't always mean the same thing for everyone.

Visitor Assembly 8/17/22 Visitor Assembly 8/17/22

STL Arts Ecosystem: A Topography

The St. Louis arts community does not have a deep archive that documents its people, places, and resources.

Stephanie Koch 8/10/22 Stephanie Koch 8/10/22

How can we imagine an abundant future for St. Louis?

The work of rebuilding is an odd mix of tending to what already exists and starting anew. Do you pull up the foundation or build atop?

rachel atakpa 7/27/22 rachel atakpa 7/27/22

Agricultural Poetics: Practices for Transformation

we are at the edge of a forest, i ask you if you’re ready to enter

Kevin Umaña 7/20/22 Kevin Umaña 7/20/22

Artist-Run Galleries Dazzle

The challenge of this series is to address how we encourage and educate ourselves and the public about the importance of living and engaging with art and community. How do we cultivate a sense of culture and welcome constructive criticism?