Founders Circle and Charter Members
2022-2024
The people who nurtured our first two years transitioning to a 501(c)3 nonprofit are our Founders Circle and Charter Members. We commemorate their generosity through this Donor Wall, which appeared as a center spread in The New Territory Issue 17 in spring 2025.
The Donor Wall was commissioned by The New Territory and designed by Kansas City artist Taffy Studios in 2025.
Reminiscent of the endless possibilities evoked by starry skies, names in white and goldenrod text stand out in a field of deep aquamarine, mimicking the Lower Midwest’s dark nights during a new moon — much as the transition from a collaborative art project to a 501(c)3 nonprofit opened new worlds to the coming season of The New Territory Magazine as an organization. Familiar New Territory motifs of a toad, snail, catfish, and Northern Flicker appear, constellation-like, serving as navigational guides toward patience, slowness, depth, and community.
Early Success Thanks to Early Donors
We’ve come a long way in two years. The New Territory started as an independent collaborative magazine project in 2016. In 2022 we formed a board of directors and became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2023.
Our success so far has been made possible by early donors, who enabled us to engage with grants and key partnerships, readers, editors, writers, artists, readers, presenters and performers. All believe understanding about our region can lead to love and protection of the Lower Midwest. The names on the Donor Wall are the people and organizations who went above and beyond to elevate our mission.
We thank you all, grandly, for your generosity.