About MAX

WHAT IS MAX?

The Midwest Arts XPO (MAX) is an arts conference created by Heartland Performing Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization since June 28, 2022, which brings together arts professionals to encourage innovation, create educational opportunities, strengthen artist touring relationships, and support arts advocacy throughout the central United States. The organization was founded by agents, artists, and state consortia leaders from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and beyond.

MISSION STATEMENT

Heartland Performing Arts is a nonprofit organization which brings together arts professionals to encourage innovation, create educational opportunities, strengthen artist touring relationships, and support arts advocacy throughout the central United States. The organization was founded by agents, artists, and state consortia leaders from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Plains Presenters, Southwest Presenters, and Wisconsin.

Heartland Performing Arts Board of Directors

Tommy Hensel, President
Elgin Community College
Eric Olmscheid, Vice President
Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University
Tianna Conway, Secretary
Moraine Valley Community College & WI Presenters Network Chair
Laurel Canan, Treasurer
Siegel Artist Management

Sara Barasch, IMG Artists
Bill Blagg, Bill Blagg | Magic & Illusion
Gail Boyd, Gail Boyd Artist Management
Jared Duymovic, Marcus Performing Arts Center
Kevin Horton, William Morris Endeavor
Timothy Mar, Arts Management Group
Derrick McBride, Dance Theatre of Harlem
Nicole Mulder, Theatre L’Homme Dieu
Lisa Rock, Close to You / Lisa Rock Entertainment
Ichun Yeh, Sozo Media

Founding Midwest Arts XPO Committee

After the announcement of Arts Midwest conference not continuing in October 2021, agents/artists/presenters got together shortly after, to strategize the future of touring/presenting. The following people are the founders of MAX committees to assist with the inaugural conference in Indianapolis 2023.

Lindsay Bauer (Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, Sondheim Center)

Loni Boyd (Wisconsin Lutheran College)

Laurel Canan (Siegel Artist Management)

Tianna Conway (Moraine Valley Community College)

Tommy Hensel (Elgin Community College)

Mary Jennings (Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan Technological University)

Luisa Kormann (The Roots Agency)

Jeff Laramie (SRO Artists)

Gary Minyard (Dayton Live)

Jennifer Morris (Siegel Artist Management)

Nicole Mulder (Theatre L’Homme Dieu)

Eric Olmscheid (Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University)

Peter Palermo (Sheldon Arts Foundation)

Maureen Patton (The Grand 1894 Opera House)

Kevin Peters (G.L. Berg Entertainment)

Thomas Robbins (The Legacy Theater)

Lisa Rock (Lisa Rock Entertainment)

Leslie Rodriguez (Dominican University Performing Arts Center)

Crandall Rogers (Four Mortals Production)

Founding Donors

Heartland Performing Arts, Inc. thanks the following generous individuals and organizations for their founding donations to this exciting new venture that launched in September 2023!

Sara Barasch

Janet Herman Barlow

Laurel Canan

Annick-Patricia Carriere

Tianna Conway

Shantel Dow

Jared Duymovic

Amy Gosz

Daniel Hahn

Tommy Hensel

Kris Kaminski

Michael Kott