Nki Calloway and Amanda Snead, co-founders of Mosaic Arts Collective in Springfield
Like a multicolored window, Mosaic Arts Collective mixes color and light to shine the arts on everyone. Founded in 2022, the Springfield-based nonprofit exists to remove barriers to creative expression.
"It's expensive to pay for lessons, it's expensive to pay for materials,'' says Nki Calloway, who cofounded Mosaic with Amanda Snead and California-based Keegan Winfield. "It's hard for people to find transportation, to get the education that they need. But I think some of the best art is hidden in poverty, and it's hidden in these communities that don't have access. The biggest need is getting the people to where the arts happen in Springfield."
To help, Mosaic might connect an aspiring dancer with shoes. Or provide a workshop or experience. Or put on a performance, which offers opportunities to learn how to audition and how to "act" on stage. The CFO supported this work through a grant that provided scholarships, offering easier access for diverse individuals to participate in productions.
"They are for representation, but I think they're also for community building," Calloway says of the group's shows, which includes "The Color Purple," produced with Springfield Contemporary Theatre in 2023.
"There are real reasons and perceived reasons that individuals may not feel like art is for them, or maybe they're unable to express themselves in that way,'' Snead says. "We exist for that need to say, 'Yes, you can. Yes, what you contribute is important, and here's a way to do it."'
Who inspires you? Send your suggestions of individuals moving the needle in your community to Kaitlyn McConnell, the CFO’s writer in residence, at kmcconnell@cfozarks.org.
