In this issue:
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*NEW* Opportunity: Arts in Digital Spaces & Taking your art online
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Grant opportunity from SMAC for organizations dealing with disruptions from COVID-19
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SMAC Awards $34,268 in Individual Artist Grants
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Springboard for the Arts hosts Virtual Open House Q & A for SMAC region
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Third Thursday Artist Talks: Special Guest Artist Lee Kanten of Ortonville (Big Stone)
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Thank you for attending SMAC's first *Virtual* Annual Celebration!
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- Upcoming Grant Deadlines & Workshops
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SMAC seeks panelists for Fiscal Year 2021 & County Board Representatives for Lac qui Parle, Murray and Nobles counties
Pictured: Grace Johnson of Willmar working on her pottery. Grace received a SMAC Individual Artist Grant in 2019. The next deadline for Individual Artist Grants is January 13, 2020.
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Arts in Digital Spaces: Taking your art online.
Ready to take your art online, but don’t know where to start? We’re here to help!
Whether you’re starting from scratch or ready to build on your existing digital engagement, this FREE virtual workshop series will provide the tools you need. Get the training, capacity building, and support you need to take your arts organization to digital spaces in this series of facilitated workshops--all based on your feedback.
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Workshops Built by You, for You
How It Works
- Provide feedback on what you need and want when it comes to taking your art online.*
- Listen and learn about tools for key elements of digital engagement.*
- Dive deeper into the topics you choose and elevate your digital toolkit.
- Make your digital plan a reality through facilitated cohort discussions with arts professionals.
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Want MORE? If you are applying as an arts organization, you can apply for a SMAC Going Virtual: Equipment, Technology and Training Grant to finance additional individual consultations and trainings with OPEN VOICES to reach your goals! Click here for details, or see the next article in our newsletter for more information.
* = Parts 1 & 2 are open to all. Organizations will be chosen via application for the more intensive Parts 3 & 4.
The best part?
It’s FREE thanks to the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota!
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Deadline for sign ups: Friday, October 16th |
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Made possible by Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota, and Open Voices LLC.
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SMAC's Monthly Virtual Conversations for Arts Organizations:
Join SMAC on Tuesday, October 13th at 3 pm to openly discuss these
Digital Spaces for the Arts workshops
and get your questions answered!
If you need instructions on how to join by a landline phone, please email info@swmnarts.org
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NEW grant opportunity from SMAC for organizations dealing with disruptions from COVID-19:
"Going Virtual" Equipment, Technology and Training Grant
~ Funded with MN Disaster Relief Funds ~
Grant Amount: up to $1000
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This special grant program provides up to $1,000 to aid arts organizations in the SMAC Region with equipment or technology that will allow them to provide virtual events & programming. No match requirements. Applicants can also use the monies to participate in “go-virtual” training or consultations. One such training opportunity is being provided statewide through the FORUM of Regional Arts Councils and led by OPEN VOICES (see above article or click here for more information!)
Application Deadlines -- First of the month for October, November and
December or until funding runs out.
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SMAC Awards $34,268 to local artists
The SMAC board met virtually on September 22, 2020 and awarded the following seven artists within our region Individual Artists Grants for a total of $34,268.
The following four artists were awarded Established Career Artist Grants. These grants provide up to $7,000 to aid established career artists in the advanced stage of their career development with projects that will advance their career.
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Daniel Bernstrom of Worthington has been awarded $6,958 for developing poetically inspired children's picture books. Daniel plans to attend a non-credit post-graduate semester in Writing for Children and Young Adults through Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. He will work with a mentor, Phyllis Root, on 3-4 new picture books. Berstrom said his artistic vision is to "write diverse, everyday picture books for children in a poetic style (rhymed poetry and free-verse poetry). The stories I tell are informed by my life as a Black/African American. That is, my stories are informed by race but not about race. I write picture books because it is an artistic medium that inspires both mental and visual art." His "story-poetry" is informed by his background as a former musician: "my books are filled with syncopated word phrases and fun rhyme schemes."
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Fern Cloud of Granite Falls was awarded $7,000 to work on a traditional Dakota bison robe painting. Fern said, "I am a native Dakota woman artist and my passion is traditional bison robe painting. I am a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Oyate and my artist vision is to replicate a beaded tablecloth from 1900-1910 on a bison hide using traditional painting methods." The design is floral and originally done on wool with glass beads, brass beads, and cotton thread. The piece can be viewed at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution. Fern said, "I chose to replicate this work of art because it is a piece that is made by a Dakota women from my tribe. Too often these works of art are in a private collection, museum archives or other places that native's find almost impossible to view and appreciate. I want to make this replication viewable by the native Dakota communities with the thought of inspiring other artists to preserve ancestral works of art. Although this is a replication, I would consider this new work because of the methods I am using to replicate."
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Zachary Ploeger of Pipestone has been awarded $7,000 to create an album of standard repertoire recordings. Zachary said, "for musicians who want to have a career as a soloist, having high quality recordings is a crucial thing." He will be playing the trumpet as the soloist on the album and work with a collaborative pianist. These recordings will be of works from the standard trumpet repertoire (works that are familiar to most trumpet players). He said, "by having high quality recordings of these works, I will be able to start a career as a trumpet soloist, something that at present is extremely difficult to do without this first step." Zachary said his vision for the project is to to create recordings of the highest quality in collaboration with professional recording engineers, editors, producers, graphic designers, and musicians. The final project will be a full length album (approximately 60 minutes) of standard trumpet works with piano accompaniment.
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Lucy Tokheim of Dawson was awarded $7,000 to work with mentor Sophia Glock, whom Lucy had previously taken a "Writing for Comics" class from through the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, to develop a comic, or graphic novel. Lucy's project is based on her knowledge of the Primstav, an ancient Norwegian Calendar. Lucy said, "The comic book form is a light-hearted way for me to introduce people to the Primstav Calendar. My working title 'Heroes of the Primstav' keeps me in touch with the magic of myth, legends, and morality plays as the popular media of the time of the early middle ages. There were no books or pictures, only stories to give meaning and inspiration to the harsh existence of northern people isolated by geography and long winters." Added to this project will be a series of four paintings inspired by the Norwegian Baldishol tapestry to have a more formal visual statement of the medieval world of the Primstav. Lucy said, "paintings called 'cartoons' have always been used by tapestry weavers to complete their designs. The paintings will become a limited edition of giclee prints. It is my profound hope that someday a weaver will use them to make a new tapestry. I see many possible spin-off projects for myself and other people on the Primstav as a design platform." Pictured: Image from comic project Lucy did as part of her class at the Loft Literary Center.
The following three artists were awarded Emerging Artist Grants. These grants up to $2,500 to aid emerging artists at an early stage of their career development with projects that will advance their career.
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Rhonda Buerkle of Glencoe has been awarded $2,500 to complete her first children's book in what she plans will become a series. Rhonda said the story "follows the adventures of a stuffed wolf and a little girl with blonde pigtails, beginning with their first meeting in a quaint store in Northern Minnesota." Through this grant, Rhonda will work with content editor Jennifer Rees. She will also work with a freelance graphic designer from Minneapolis, Layne Kennedy, for the illustrations. Rhonda said, "I cannot wait to share the shenanigans of Ryley and Woofy with other children." She plans to self-publish with KDP publishing and to share author copies with local schools, libraries, and appropriate charities.
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Deborah Meyer of Madison was awarded $1,310 to frame a series of watercolor paintings she plans to produce from reference photos of her (and other volunteers) time in Sri Lanka responding to the disaster following a tsunami in December of 2004. The photos are from a collaborative album of 16 CDs shared by 32 volunteers from Minnesota that responded to the disaster. Deborah says, "we worked in Sri Lanka the entire month of February, 2005. I will do portraits and some landscape, but my favorite subject is people." Deborah plans to exhibit her finished works at a gallery in Ortonville. Pictured: Painting by Deborah Meyer.
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Mary KG Seifert of Willmar has been awarded $2,500 to help with preparation of her novel for publishing and to develop a website. Funds will go towards a professional edit and revision of Mary's full-length mystery novel, preparing it for submission to a literary agent with an "attention-getting query letter and a riveting synopsis". On the creation of a website, Mary said "a website helps artists present their work to a reviewer, an agent, a teacher, a mentor, a publisher, a consumer, and an appropriate audience and this artist would like to construct a webpage to further online connectivity."
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You are invited to join Springboard for the Arts Virtual visit in Marshall, open to all of our SMAC region, on Tuesday, October 20 from 3-4 pm.
Staff and consultants from Springboard for the Arts will be on hand for an hour-long virtual open house to let you know what programs and resources Springboard offers, answer questions you have about your artistic career, and otherwise try to entertain you for an hour. They'll be making six virtual stops across Minnesota.
Curious about selling your art online? Looking for art projects to be involved with? Questions about copyright? Looking for grants? Want to take a workshop but don't know where to start? Trying to set up a streaming concert at home and need some pointers? They'll address all of these questions and more via Zoom, phone or email!
RECORDING: This session will not be recorded.
CAPTIONING: This event will be captioned on Zoom with AI captioning by REV.com.
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Our monthly conversation for individuals will be on Thursday, October 15th at 5:30 pm and our guest artist will be musician Lee Kanten of Ortonville in Big Stone County! If you'd like a teaser, check out our feature on him from our Annual Celebration Highlight video for Big Stone County-Click here! As always, you will be able to network, share, find inspiration, and more through connecting with other area artists. We'd love to "see" you there!
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How to join:
Please join our meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone:
If you need instructions on how to join by a landline phone, please email info@swmnarts.org
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Thank you for joining us for our 2020 Annual Celebration!
You can also view SMAC's Year in Review Slideshow presentation shown by clicking here.
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Be sure to also check out our County Features! Enjoy case studies & stories that showcase one artist, arts organization or school grantee from each of our 18 counties. Feature content was provided by the grantees and also gathered from their grant applications and reports. See features from:
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Schools Artist Residencies with Yellow Medicine East Schools:
Singer/Songwriter Lee Kanten of Ortonville for Big Stone County:
Community Art Project for the town of Slayton in Murray County:
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And Congratulations to our "Spirit of the Region" Raffle Basket Winners! We had 12 baskets this year. Thank you so much to all our board members who collected items from their region and helped us sell those tickets! And a special thanks to all the members of our region who donated their items. We are so grateful. We could not have a successful Annual Celebration without you all.
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We need you to help us support the arts.
Our mission is to promote the arts in the 18 county region of southwest Minnesota. We are asking you to please contribute to the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council and help us continue to make a difference in the arts in our region. Contributions are tax deductible. Please donate online or send your check today to Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, PO Box 55, Marshall, MN 56258. |
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Added to the Gallery: Art from George Floyd Memorial in Marshall, MN
If you've recently visited the SMAC Gallery in Marshall, you might have seen some new art in our hallway where our offices are located. We were approached by the Marshall Area Peace Seekers if we would be interested in displaying some artworks from the George Floyd (and others who have died during interactions with police officers) memorial. It was previously located at the parking lot of Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) McFarland Alumni and Foundation Center for the months of June, July and August. The Lyon County Historical Society and a few other local organizations also have artworks from the memorial. The memorial started with just a few pieces from the organizers, but quickly grew as the community was invited to drop off their own art, flowers, letters, or other items. The memorial became a site of gathering and silent vigils, as well as a Juneteenth celebration. The organizers said, “We are grateful to SMSU for providing a place to install the art memorial so all members of the Marshall community could have a place to mourn and commune.”
As you will see evidence from on some of the pieces, the site was vandalized multiple times before it got to our gallery-including an instance of blue spray paint on many of the pieces. Some artists chose not to repair their art, saying “The message shines through the hate…and it always will!” Others remarked that leaving the blue paint “brings the point even stronger that there is an issue in our community.” Pieces at SMAC include work from an employee, multiple past grantees and more. Pictured: Artwork by past grantee, Anne Wedler.
You will be able to view these pieces in person at our gallery through October. You can also view a short virtual show of the pieces in our gallery here: https://youtu.be/Qdm5JL5v3tk
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In the Main Gallery: Jessica Bak
If you would like to watch a recording of Jessica's Virtual Artist Reception and our Third Thursday Artist Talk for September, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/ct1HRyFMndI
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Next in the Gallery: Olga Krasovska
Olga Krasovska of Granite Falls in Yellow Medicine County will be exhibiting her Moving Forward Abstraction painting series at the SMAC Gallery in Marshall from November 12 through December 18, 2020. Olga received an Individual Artist Established Career grant from SMAC in 2019. SMAC will host a virtual artist reception combined with our Third Thursday Artist Talk on Thursday, November 19th at 5:30 pm. Watch our media channels for more information on Olga and her SMAC exhibit in the next coming weeks!
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These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Additional funding provided by the McKnight Foundation. Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive. The McKnight Foundation supports working artists to create and contribute to vibrant communities.
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Last year SMAC created it's first Equity Taskforce that met periodically to address how SMAC can adjust our systems and processes to break barriers and bridge gaps that underserved communities have in participating with us and our services. It is through this taskforce that SMAC created our Artist Equity Grants and introduced priority scoring for our grants. (Priority Scoring can be read about in our last newsletter, click here to do so.)
SMAC recognizes we can build increased connectivity and economic strength through supporting cultural and artistic expression of all social identities including race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, socioeconomic background and the intersectionality of these identities.
Do you represent an underserved community and have an interest in building relationships and increasing arts access in your community? SMAC is seeking artists, arts-leaders and/or culture-bearers from underserved communities in our 18 county region. These are stipend positions.
If interested, please contact SMAC Director Nicole DeBoer at nicole@swmnarts.org or 800-622-5284.
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New Artist Equity Grant
SMAC Staff and Board are so proud to announce a new grant program that provides committed funding to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic careers. SMAC acknowledges that systems currently in place have historically marginalized and underserved indigenous people of the Americas and communities of color. We are committed to closing access gaps in the arts, breaking down barriers, and building bridges across communities. It is vital that we support artists in writing their own narratives, and we hope to do so by providing dedicated resources and recognition to artists of color in our region. Watch the Artist Equity Webinar video here: https://youtu.be/zg-IZQ0gQzc
Pictured: Moccasins by Eileen O’Keefe of Morton, MN.
Applicants to the Artist Equity grant program may be at any stage of their artistic career. All arts disciplines are accepted.
Apply today! Application deadlines are ongoing, September 1, 2020 through May 1, 2021 or until funding for the year has been expended. Applications received by the 1st of the month will be reviewed and acted on by the end of that month.
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- Provides up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic career. No match requirements.
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Provides up to $1,000 to arts organizations in the SMAC service region for equipment or technology that will allow them to provide virtual events and programming. Applicants can also use the funds to participate in “go-virtual” training or consultations. No match requirements.
- Grants to schools for artist residencies or field trips that include educator training and community involvement; juried student art exhibits; and prepackaged theater experiences. Up to $4,000 (artist residencies) or $2,500 (field trips, juried exhibits, or prepackaged theatre). No cash match required. **View Grant Webinar here**
- Provides organizations in the SMAC region with up to $7,000 in matching funds to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts (pre-packaged theatre residencies limited to $2,500). No cash match required this year. **Grantwriting Webinar: October 29, Noon-1 pm. Register here!**
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- Provides organizations in the SMAC region with up to $7,000 in matching funds to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts (pre-packaged theatre residencies limited to $2,500). No cash match required this year. Next application deadline: December 9, 2020.**Grantwriting Webinar: October 29, 12-1 pm. Register here!**
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Individual Emerging Artist Grants provide up to $2,500 to aid emerging artists at an early stage of their career development with projects that will advance their career. No match requirements. Next application deadline: January 13, 2021.
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Individual Established Career Grants provide up to $7,000 to aid established career artists in the advanced stage of their career development with projects that will advance their career. No match requirements. Next application deadline: January 13, 2021.
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Individual Artist with Community Collaboration Grants provide up to $10,000 to artists to create a major new work while collaborating with the community, introducing community members to the arts in a new way. No match requirements. Next application deadline: January 13, 2021.
- Grants to schools for artist residencies or field trips that include educator training and community involvement; juried student art exhibits; and prepackaged theater experiences. Up to $4,000 (artist residencies) or $2,500 (field trips, juried exhibits, or prepackaged theatre). No cash match required.Next application deadline: January 27, 2021. **Grantwriting Webinar: December 15, 5:30-6:30 pm. Register here!**
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For more opportunities and resources be sure to check our the latest news posts (updated DAILY!) on SMAC's website:
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Grant Support *Virtual* Open Office:: the second Tuesday of the month
NEXT EVENT: Tuesday, October 13, 2020
SW MN Arts Council hosts grant support open office hours the second Tuesday of each month. While we continue to take COVID-19 precautions, these open office hours will be virtual via GoToMeeting, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. You can use this time with SW MN Arts Council staff to talk through project ideas or get help with finding the right grant program, filling out your application, preparing work samples or budgets, or completing your final report. Join the virtual meeting here: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/834770973
As always, feel free to call (800-622-5284) or email us (info@swmnarts.org) any time with your questions if this option doesn’t work for you.
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Meet With SMAC Staff
We have added a new way for you to reach us! You can easily schedule time to meet with a SMAC staff member by choosing a date and time on their calendar. Just look for the scheduling links on the grants pages of our website, within our grant applications, and in our contact information. Currently, staff members are available to meet by phone or by web conference. We look forward to hearing from you!
Click on the names to check out out availability:
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General Inquiries and Grant Project Changes
Caroline Koksa, Financial/Grants Administrator: Grant eligibility, using the application system, and/or review application drafts.
Marketing, social media and artist promotion.
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Keeping up with SMAC:
The SMAC office is being staffed by only by one staff member at a time (usually for our "normal business hours but there have been exceptions). For this reason, it is important to use our general email ( info@swmnarts.org) to communicate or call ahead before a visit: 800-622-5284.
We encourage any grantee that has had to change plans because of COVID-19 to contact us immediately to talk about changing the details of their grant to allow them more flexibility in how they use the funds. We plan to be as flexible as possible in this regard. We will work with any grantee to find appropriate solutions to the extent that the law will allow.
SMAC offers a couple ways to share your art and art-related events. On our website ( swmnarts.org) we have an ARTS CALENDAR that showcases both in-person and virtual arts events. SMAC also offers an Artist Registry and an Arts Organization Registry that allows artists and organizations to have their own ‘webpage’ for sharing who they are and what they offer. It is free to take advantage of these opportunities and if you have questions, simply contact SMAC staff ( info@swmnarts.org). |
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For more opportunities and resources be sure to check our the
latest news posts on our website (updated DAILY!):
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SMAC Grant Panelists Needed
For grant programs in fiscal year 2021 (July 2020 – June 2021), the SMAC Board of Directors seeks panels of artists, arts administrators, arts volunteers, and arts appreciators representing multiple artistic disciplines from throughout the SMAC geographic region and from all our communities including BIPOC, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.
You may apply to serve on one or more of the following panels:
Grant review panel dates for 2020-2021
- Conference Calls/Virtual Meetings, 3rd Tuesday of the month, 6 pm. Starting September 2020.
- Round II: Saturday, January 9, 2021, 9 am (In person or virtual, TBD)
- Round III: Saturday, April 17, 2021, 9 am (In person or virtual, TBD)
- Saturday, March 20, 2021, 9 am (Virtual meeting)
- Saturday, March 6, 2021, 9 am (Virtual meeting)
- Saturday, November 7, 2020, 9 am (Virtual meeting)
- Saturday, February 21, 2021, 9 am (Virtual meeting)
- Art Study Opportunity for Youth: Tuesday, April 20, 2021, afternoon (Virtual meeting)
- Saturday, September 12, 9 am (Virtual meeting)
- Round II: Saturday, October 7, 9 am (Virtual meeting)
TO APPLY:
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Read about Grant Panel Responsibilities below, or download here: Grant Panel Responsibilities.
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Read and sign our Conflict of Interest policy.
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Download and fill out a copy of the Panelist Application (PDF or Word doc) or fill out the online form at the bottom of this link: https://swmnarts.org/about/become-a-grant-panelist/
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Submit your completed application, resume, and signed Conflict of Interest document by using the submit button on the linked site or by: emailing them to info@swmnarts.org, or mailing them to SW MN Arts Council, PO Box 55, Marshall, MN 56258
Thank you for supporting the arts in SW MN!
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Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Seeks Board Representatives
SMAC is seeking a representative from Lac qui Parle County, Murray County, and Nobles County to serve on it’s Board of Directors. The Board meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday evening, currently virtually, to set policies, make final decisions on grant awards with input from grant review panels, share ideas and information from their representative counties, and to design programs that enable SMAC to best serve our communities. To learn more and to fill out an application, go to www.swmnarts.org/about/become-a-board-member/
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Memberships
From August 29 to September 24, 2020
Contributors: Betsy Pardick, Clarkfield • Amy Kester-Mabon, Redwood •
Supporters: Sima & Randy Wewetzer, Marshall • Loralee A. Miller, Minneota • Liz Rackl, Ortonville • Bonnie Smith, Willmar •
Sustainers: Ruth Hamlow, Hutchinson • Kristen Kuipers, Jackson •
Patron: Charles Freiss & Catherine Schlagel, Marshall •
Would you like to become a contributing member of SMAC or make a donation?
The arts have suffered tremendously since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our arts organizations and individual artists have had to modify, postpone or cancel most, if not all of their projects and events, since March of this year. These closures mean lost income and lost opportunities. Although we will certainly see a reduction of funding from our state funding which comes from sales tax revenues, the SW MN Arts Council will continue working to support and fund arts access for the citizens of your county. We need you to help us support the arts.
You help by contributing online or by mail, for more information, visit:
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS!
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Check out our regional arts calendar!
We are continuing to post both in-person and virtual arts events in our region on our website calendar. If you have events to let us know about, please email the details to info@swmnarts.org! |
2020 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
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Big Stone - John White
Jackson - Kristen Kuipers
Lincoln - Mark Wilmes
Meeker - Darlene Kotelnicki
Pipestone - Erica Volkir
Rock - Shawn Kinsinger &
Louella Voigt
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Chippewa - Georgette Jones
Kandiyohi - Cheri Buzzeo
Lyon - Michele Knife Sterner
Murray - Carisa Clarke
Redwood - David KelseyBassett
Swift - Alison Nelson
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Cottonwood - Anna Johannsen
McLeod - Greg Jodzio
Nobles - Brett Lehman
Renville-Anne O'Keefe-Jackson
Yellow Medicine-Betsy Pardick
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Executive Director - Nicole DeBoer
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Grants/Financial Administrator - Caroline Koska
Marketing Coordinator/Receptionist - Krystl Louwagie
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SW MN Arts Council
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting and encouraging the development of the arts in the eighteen counties of southwestern Minnesota by serving as a source of funds and technical services which enable local organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to sponsor and/or create and promote the arts in their communities.
SMAC receives funding from individuals, businesses, organizations, schools, cities, counties, private foundations including the McKnight Foundation, an allocation from the State of Minnesota, and a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, made possible by the voters of Minnesota.
Thank you for supporting the arts in the southwest Minnesota region!
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