OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

TLC helped create the 4 Seasons Residency committed to the development of American playwrights, offering a residency to one selected playwright each year at four locations nationwide.

The Four Directions Playwright Residency is a multi-site initiative in collaboration with Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Tofte Lake Center, Great Plains Theatre Commons, and KCRep to champion Native and Indigenous playwrights.Rooted in the belief that story-making is both an artistic craft and a community act, the program spans roughly a year, offering the selected playwright four distinct one-week residencies—one at each partner institution—and culminates in a public reading/workshop at KCRep. 

TLC is proud to be a long-standing member of the Artist Communities Alliance which speaks collectively on behalf of the more than 1,500 residency programs worldwide. Since 2004, the Alliance has provided more than $4 million in direct grant funding to artists and artist residency centers.

TLC’s programming activities are made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

The Ely Cultural Alliance exists to strengthen and sustain arts and culture in Ely, Minnesota by bringing people together. Founded in 2022 by Liz Engelman, Executive Director of the Tofte Lake Center, and Ian Francis Lah, Executive Artistic Director of Northern Lakes Arts Association, the Alliance grew out of a shared recognition. Ely is rich with creative energy, artists, and cultural organizations. We are stronger when we work together.

The Ely Cultural Alliance unites diverse creative voices to support local artists, preserve cultural heritage, and encourage collaboration across disciplines and organizations. At its core, the Alliance serves as a supportive platform. A place to connect, coordinate, celebrate successes, and imagine what is possible when the arts community moves forward together.