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Northwest Minnesota Arts Council News

The Latest in Regional Arts Opportunities

Exhibits, Grants, Announcements, Events, Trainings, Workshops, & More!

March 22 Comments Due on Biennial Plan.
April 5 Artist Reception 5 to 7PM Art of Addiction.
April 30 NW Art & Of the Year Awards Reception and Program
May 1 Grant Application Deadline for organizations.
May 19 Art Inspired by Art Student Art Exhibit Entries Due

Learn more about these programs, services, and events in this newsletter!

NWMAC Gallery

The Art of Addiction

An Exhibit Featuring the Artwork of

Kate Hammer & Other NW Minnesota Artists

Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery

Northland Community & Technical College

Thief River Falls

Open Until Friday, April 28

Artist Reception April 5 from 5 to 7 PM

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) is pleased to announce the opening of our latest exhibit -- The Art of Addiction. This exhibit is open through Friday, April 28 at the NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

The exhibit features ceramic art by Roseau Potter Kate Hammer and other pieces of art by NW Minnesota artists around the theme of addiction. Kate Hammer explained, “For me this exhibit symbolizes healing and growth as an artist and a person living in recovery.” Other artists with work in the exhibit are Courtney Olson of Crookston, Mara Hanel of Warren, and Karrie Taie of Roseau.

In addition, there are 9 12 x12 canvas paintings included in the exhibit that were created in a workshop with residents of the Northwestern Apartments transitional living facility in Crookston. Mike Anderson who manages the apartments stated, “For those who have struggled with mental health and substance use problems in their life, recovery is a sometimes long and arduous path. Often it can literally be a life and death struggle. Residents of the Northwestern Apartments (NWA) transitional living facility know that struggle intimately. Many residents come to NWA from inpatient mental health facilities, homeless shelters, substance use programs, and incarceration. Criteria for admission is to have a serious mental illness, and about 3/4 of residents also have a co-occurring substance use disorder. But whether it is stabilizing mental health symptoms, or the daily challenge to stay clean and sober, recovery is the goal of all. Inclusion in this art therapy project, The Art of Addiction, was a great way for residents to “go deeper.” After an initial session with local artist Trey Everett, the residents engaged with supplies and canvas to work on their own creation, with the general theme of addiction and recovery as a guide. Residents spent a week with their art. Many did several art pieces. Some were unable to finish one. Others felt their art was too personal to put on display. The project was captivating – residents were in the community room, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups, at all times of the day and night, working on their art, talking, and healing. One of the keys to recovery is connection, and this project provided that in addition to a personal and therapeutic experience that helped all involved on their healing path.”

Join us for an online discussion with Kate Hammer on Monday, March 20 at 11:00 am on the NWMAC Facebook or YouTube pages. After the broadcast, you’ll be able to watch the Artist Spotlight recording on our website, Facebook or YouTube.

Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at https://youtu.be/QMU-LXZzkEc.

An artist reception at the gallery will held on Thursday, April 6 from 5 to 7PM. Refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome to join us for this free event.

The NWMAC Gallery is located at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls at 1101 State Highway 1. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30-5 PM and at other times when events are held at the college. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.

The Northwest Minnesota

Annual Art Exhibit

Open Through April 30

Legacy Center in Middle River

Reception and Program on April 30

Honoring Exhibit & Of the Year Award Winners

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is pleased to announce the NW Annual Art Exhibit is at the Middle River Legacy Center from March 11 until April 30.

Adult artists from our 7 county- service region (Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Polk, Pennington, Roseau, and Red Lake Falls) have entered 64 pieces of art, including photography, sculpture, drawings, and paintings, into this exhibit and are competing for $2,300.00 in cash awards. Attendees at the exhibit can vote for People’s Choice. Exhibit cash award winners will be chosen while the exhibit is on display by a qualified juror. They will be recognized and receive their check at the Artist Reception.

Student art will be included in the exhibit in April and will also be eligible for cash awards.

The exhibit is at the Middle River Legacy Center at 335 4^th Street, Middle River and will be open for the public to view art and vote for People’s Choice

Saturday, March 11 from 1-5:00 PM.
Mon-Fri, March 13 - April 28 during city office hours.
Saturday, April 8 from 1-5:00 PM; including high school entries. Start of people's choice voting for student artwork.
Tuesday, April 11 and 18 until 7:00 PM.
Sunday, April 30 from 1:00 - 4:00 as the closing day.

There will be a reception and program on April 30 at the Middle River Legacy Center. Mingling, light refreshments, and music will start at 3:00 PM in the cafeteria with the program at 4:00 PM. Of the Year Awards -- the NW Star Award -- Lifetime Achievement, Artist of the Year, and Arts Advocate of the Year will be presented, in addition to exhibit awards. The Exhibit and Reception are open to the public and free to attend. Many pieces of art are for sale and the public is encouraged to shop. Purchases can be marked as sold and picked up on April 30 after the reception. The reception is a wonderful day of celebrating the arts in our region.

Visit our website for more information at www.NWArtsCouncil.org. Funding for these awards is provided by the McKnight Foundation and the Minnesota State Legislature.

Call for Student Art

for an exhibition

Art Inspired by Art

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is announcing a call for student art in the NW Minnesota region. This exhibit is titled Art Inspired by Art and will feature visual art, writing, and music. Consider submitting illustration, watercolor, acrylics, 3-D works of clay, ceramics, or other 3-D mediums. Written works, such as music lyrics and poetry, along with recorded music will also be considered.

Include a description of the art your work is based on, along with your thought process.

Submissions Due May 19, 2023

Art Inspired by Art will be open June-July

NWMAC Gallery, Northland Community and Technical College

Thief River Falls

Visit

https://northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/blog/call-for-student-art-art-inspired-by-art or contact Trey Everett at the NWMAC for details.

https://northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/

218-745-8886

treyeverettcreates@gmail.com

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council invites your input on the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council’s FY24 & FY25 biennial plan.

The biennial plan is a two-year workplan and budget that outlines goals, programs, and services. Each Regional Arts Council is required to submit a biennial plan to the Minnesota State Arts Board prior to receiving any funds from the state. A public meeting was held via Zoom on March 16 to hear what the NWMAC is planning, and to offer feedback.

We are now asking you to submit any comments, suggestions and/or feedback for consideration to the priority sections of the plan within an email to director@nwartscouncil.org by March 22, 2023. The draft plan language is within a recent post on our website at https://northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/blog/nwmac-biennial-plan-draft. It can also be emailed or mailed to you upon request.

Let's Talk Art is our weekly radio interview and podcast with Pioneer 90.1's Ron West.

Let's Talk Art Podcast

Do you listen to our weekly podcast? If not, you are missing out! We feature artists, arts organizations, and arts events in our region. The podcast begins as a radio interview on Pioneer 90.1 radio. The interviews air on Tuesdays at 3:05pm. Then, we put the interviews on our website so you can listen to them at any time. It's a simple and entertaining way to learn about all the arts happenings in our region and even about some statewide arts organizations and efforts.

Some of the recent podcasts include:

3.14.23 Mark Johnson & Michael Hurley Pioneer 90.1 Station Manager Mark Johnson and Michael Hurley (the son of It Ain’t Easy film writer and director Maury Hurley) spoke about It Ain’t Easy and its interesting history. This was the first feature film that was made entirely in Minnesota. The NWMAC provided a grant to help restore and digitize this film. Listen here.

2.28.23 Eric Mueller McKnight Fellowships in Media Arts Administrator Eric Mueller is at FilmNorth in St. Paul. FilmNorth administers the McKnight Fellowships for Media Artists. This includes filmmakers, screenwriters, and other media artists. The application deadline is March 20. Eric spoke about FilmNorth and the fellowships. Listen here.

2.21.23 Sarah Fossen Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Executive Director Sarah Fossen shared info about MCA, the lobbying arm for the arts in Minnesota. MCA reminds citizens and legislators that the arts are an economic driver throughout the state of Minnesota. MCA also empowers their advocates to tell their arts story. MCA is holding Arts Action Week from March 20-24 (virtual meetings with legislators — please sign up!) On March 21at 2:30, they are holding an in-person rally at the Minnesota State Capitol building. To learn more about MCA and to sign up for Arts Action Week visit their website at artsmn.org. Listen here.

2.14.23 Mitchell Johnson Roseau resident and President of the Northern Lights Concert Association Mitchell Johnson spoke about the Northern Lights Concert Association and the concerts they have coming up. Check out the schedule and make plans to attend. Listen here.

Traveling Art Exhibit Visits Crookston Public Library

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) sponsors an annual Traveling Art Exhibit, which visits northwest Minnesota communities throughout the year. The exhibit includes 17 original pieces of art by regional adult and student artists, chosen from works submitted for our annual juried exhibit. The exhibit is currently at the Crookston Public Library until April 28. Please stop by to see these works of art as this is the last stop for this traveling exhibit. Some of these pieces of art are for sale.

The 2022-2023 Artists:

Ross Hier, Crookston.

Elizabeth Kitchell-Rockstad, Ada.

Heidi Danos, Fosston.

Stephanie Olson, Thief River Falls.

Alicia Spilde, Karlstad.

Cindy Kolling, Gully.

Jodi Peterson, Ada.

Kate Hammer, Roseau.

Nick Reitzel, Karlstad.

Paulette Christianson, Badger.

Mason Owens, Crookston.

Kinsley Oslund, Grygla.

Emily Balboa, Crookston.

Autumn Ruikka, Thief River Falls.

Carlie Nehrus, Ada.

Lakylie Brobst, Grygla.

Paige Sturre, Thief River Falls.

To read more about the traveling exhibit and to find out the schedule click here.

Apply Now for an Arts Grant

Additional Deadline is May 1

Arts Grants Funding Available!

Applications are open to nonprofit arts organizations, communities, schools, individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Applications are being accepted from our seven county Minnesota service area including Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau counties.

Nonprofits and government organizations can apply for one arts project at a time. Upcoming grants deadlines for these are March 1. Grants are between $500 and $10,000. Funding sources for these grants are Clean Water, Land and Legacy funds and general allocation funds from the State of Minnesota.

Organizational arts activities funded through these two very important grant opportunities include festivals, community theatre projects, folk music entertainment, sponsorship of visual demonstrations, creative writing workshops and many other activities that improve the quality of life of people in our communities. This is a great way to bring arts experiences to your community.

Schools in our seven-county region can also apply now for an Artist Residency grant of $2,600 plus an additional $400 if the residency needs supplies. Our teaching artist roster online is a great resource to view artists available to teach in our area. Go to our www.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org website and click teaching artist roster on the left navigation bar. Another resource to view artists available to enhance curriculum is COMPAS.

Also available on a first come-first served basis are Quick Turn Around Grants for $500. These grants can be used for missed gigs and income due to the pandemic. Use the Quick Turn Around application in the Individual Artist grants. See our website for more information and to apply!

To learn more about these grant programs and start an application visit www.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org. The grant application process is completely online and NWMAC's Director Mara Hanel can help walk you through the process of using the grants portal to get accustomed to it. Please contact her at director@NWArtsCouncil.org or call 218-745-8886.

Join our board! Would you like to be more involved in the arts in northwest Minnesota? Consider becoming an Arts Council Board Member! The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council has openings for representatives from Red Lake, Pennington and Norman. We are also looking for one at-large member who can be from any of our seven counties of Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau.

The Arts Council meets five times a year usually in Warren or virtually and reviews and approves arts grants and arts policy and arts services for seven counties in Minnesota.

For more information and to receive a nomination form for yourself or a friend, contact Mara Hanel, NWMAC, at 218-745-8886; or email her at director@nwartscouncil.org. Visit our website here to learn more and for the nomination form.

Need a Head Shot or Photos of Work Samples? We’ve got you covered!

We now offer a photography room for artists to create work sample shots at no cost at our office space in Warren. The photography room offers amateur headshots, photography of instruments and samples of art pieces, as well as live recording shots. Take advantage of this valuable opportunity for artists and creatives in our region.

You must make an appointment for this service. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment or with any questions at director@NWArtsCouncil.org or 218-745-8886.

Sista's Corner in Crookston and Tonnabell’s in Thief River Falls showcase local artist's works.Both stores are looking for artists who would be interested in teaching classes or demonstrating their art. Reach out to Kelly at Tonnabell's or Shirley at Sista's Corner to inquire.

In partnership with the McKnight and Jerome Foundations, the Playwrights’ Center provides more than $400,000 each year to playwrights and theater artists. Their upcoming programs for playwrights and other theater artists include:

For other theater artists:

The McKnight Theater Artist Fellowship supports mid-career Minnesota-based theater artists other than playwrights (while the deadline for this program is March 30, 2023, it is helpful to submit an intent to apply as soon as possible.)

Reach out to Julia Brown (she/her/hers),

Artistic Programs Manager, for more information at juliab@pwcenter.org.

www.pwcenter.org | 612-332-7481 x.11152301

Handcrafted Somali Artwork on display in Thief River Falls

Stop by Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River to see hand crafted household and functional Somali artwork displayed in one of the window cases near our exhibit space and the library.

Call to Artists

Art Residency Opportunity

The Arts Retreat artist residency program of the Cultural Center in New York Mills focuses on providing dedicated artists time for creative development and exploration. The program offers a unique taste of life in rural Minnesota while allowing the artists virtually uninterrupted time in which to immerse themselves in their artwork.

When the Cultural Center was founded its name was “The New York Mills Arts Retreat.” The artist retreat and residency program remains central to the mission, purpose, values, and vision of the Center today.

Artists from all disciplines (performance, written, audio and visual media) will be considered for a residency. The selection committee awards residencies to artists based on artistic merit and commitment to the arts.

Artists are responsible for their own transportation to and from New York Mills, MN and food while in residence. The Cultural Center provides a one bedroom home, all linens, dishes etc. The Center requests that artists perform an outreach project, usually within the schools. For more information check the website: www.kulcher.org, or contact: cheryl@kulcher.org. Applications for the Artist Residency Program at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center in New York Mills MN are now being accepted. Deadline is April 1. Information and application can be found on the website: https://www.kulcher.org/programs/artist-retreat/

The residency program is open to artists of all disciplines; writers, poets, playwrights, visual artists, musicians and dancers, and offers time and space to create without distraction.

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To see all the trainings, events and other resources that Springboard for the Arts is offering, visit their events webpage here. These include zoom sessions on copyrights, trademarks, record keeping, pricing, websites, and more!

The Fertile-Beltrami School ISD#599 is looking for artists to provide arts programming for upper elementary school students for after school programming. Think of this as an after school artist residency! This might be for 1-2 weeks and could be grade level specific).

Please reach out to Brian Clarke at bclarke@isd599.org

Minnesota arts & cultural organizations offering accessible programs and services are welcome to list events on the Minnesota Accessible Activities Calendar. An account is required; register today or log in to submit events. New accounts need to be approved by the Minnesota Access Alliance board before you’ll be able to submit events. Please allow 48 hours for your registration to be approved.

The Minnesota Access Alliance (MNAA) provides this Accessible Arts & Culture Calendar for patrons who use accessibility accommodations. At the their website you’ll find listings of (in order):

* Captioning,

* ASL interpreting,

* Audio Description,

* Sensory-friendly accommodations, and

* Disability-related events.

Each listing links to more details on MNAA’s online calendar (https://calendar.mnaccess.org). Be sure to check the listing or venue to find out its COVID-19 protocol and if you need to make an advance reservation for the accessibility service.

Minnesota Accessible Activities Calendar is here: https://calendar.mnaccess.org

If you previously had an account to submit events to VSA Minnesota’s Accessible Art Activities Calendar, your credentials for that calendar are still valid here.

This calendar only lists events that provide explicit accommodations for people with disabilities. Information about the accessibility of the event location and provided accommodations is a requirement in order to be listed.

To submit events and register start at this page: https://calendar.mnaccess.org/calendar/submit/

If you know of other accessible events, please ask those venues to submit their events to the MNAA Calendar (and to MinnesotaPlaylist.com).

Anyone can get this monthly calendar: email mactfactor@icloud.com and/or info@mnaccess.org and indicate which list you want: the entire list or specifically ASL Interpreting, Captioning, Audio Description, Sensory Friendly accommodations or Disability-related topics.

MCKNIGHT FELLOWSHIPS FOR MEDIA ARTISTS

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED UNTIL

DEADLINE: MARCH 20 AT 5PM

Four fellowships of $25,000 will be awarded to Minnesota media artists. The awards can help an artist set aside periods of time for study, reflection, experimentation, and exploration; take advantage of an opportunity; or work on a new project. One of these four fellowships will be awarded to a screenwriter, and three will be awarded to other types of media artists, including directors in film, television, and streaming; radio producers; and creative artists in web, computer/video games, and other emerging forms of media. Eligible applicants include directors and writers in film, television, and streaming; radio producers; and creative artists in web, computer/video games, and other emerging forms of media. The fellowship is designed to support Minnesota media artists whose work is of exceptional artistic merit and who are at a career stage beyond emerging. For more info and to apply contact Eric Mueller at FilmNorth, 651-644-1912, emueller@filmnorth.org. filmnorth.org.

McKnight Artist Fellowship for

Ceramic Artists

Applications open March 17.. The deadline for the 2023 McKnight Fellowships for Ceramic Artists is Friday, May 19, 2023 at 5pm CT. Two $25,000 grants are awarded annually. Fellowship support may be pursued for, but is not limited to: experimenting with new techniques and materials; purchasing materials and equipment; collaborating with other artists; and pursuing education, exhibition, or travel opportunities. McKnight Fellowship recipients will be featured in a workshop and an exhibition with a corresponding catalogue at the end of their grant year.

Art is Not Separate from Life

Gully Artist Cindy Kolling's work involves fine line technical pen drawing. She often works on carefully selected recycled fiber paper. She considers art as essential to life as eating and breathing. Her work will be exhibited in a display case near our NWMAC Gallery at NCTC until this summer. Stop by and see it!

It's time to submit an entry for the 6th edition of our Artists of NW Minnesota booklet. Learn more and download an entry form on our website here. Or email director@NWArtsCouncil.org or call our office at 218-745-8886 to receive a form. The cost is only $20 for a listing + you receive 20 copies of the booklet! What a deal! Submissions will be accepted until October 10, 2023.

Find our a free print edition of our current booklet Artists of Northwest Minnesota at your local library, from featured artists, or in other public spaces throughout our region. This is the 5th edition of this publication. The directory lists fine craft and visual artists, photographers, writers, and performing artists who answered our call for entries, as well as arts organizations. It's an invaluable resource when you are looking for art and artists in our region.

Please join us for an online discussion with Roseau Ceramic Artist Kate Hammer on March 20. Kate's work is currently featured in the NWMAC Gallery exhibit The Art of Addiction. You will be able to watch the discussion live on the NWMAC Facebook or YouTube pages. We'll share the link to the recording afterwards.This artist spotlight will delve into the exhibit, Kate's background and artwork, insight into creativity, the topic of addiction, inspiration, and much more!

Saturday, March 18 from 7:30 to 10 pm

North Country Fiddle and Dance will be hosting a St. Patrick's Day Dance from 7:30 to 10:00 pm.

Live music with O'Neil Family Band

Caller: Shawn Glidden of St.Paul MN

East Grand Forks Senior Center 538 Rhinehart Dr. S.E., East Grand Forks

All ages -singles, couples, families

Reels, squares, circle mixers and more...

all dances are taught and easy to learn!

Donations at the door

To learn more find them online at northcountrydance.org

It Ain't Easy will be screening on Saturday, March 18 at 10:00 am at Falls Cinema in Thief River Falls. The public is welcome to attend. It Ain’t Easy was the first feature film that was made entirely in Minnesota. The NWMAC provided a grant to help restore and digitize this film. It hasn’t been available to watch since it was initially released in 1972.

Everyone is welcome to attend Tending the Creative Soul. The next session is April 12 from 5 to 6 PM via Zoom. Artist Ross Hier will be talking about his bird art and a birding trip he took to Costa Rica. Reach out to Trey for a Zoom invite if you aren't already on the list.

FCLAA is sponsoring

The Wildwoods

April 22 7pm, Fosston

The Wildwoods are an enchanting Folk/Americana trio based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their songwriting has been praised by Past Magazine as "focused and charmingly human.” The Wildwoods delicate melodies and descriptive lyrics come from nature, love, experiences from the road, and growing up in Nebraska.Tickets available at fclaa.org

Sista's Corner Downtown Crookston offers art workshops and classes a few times a month, in addition to selling art and handcrafted items by regional and other artists. A couple of the upcoming classes include: Trey Everett will lead a workshop focused on Healing Through Art.

⇢ Befriending Your Shadow on Tuesday, April 25, 6-8 PM. $25: Reach out to Sista's Corner or Trey to sign up.

-->March 23 ~ Courtney Olson Artist $35 Painting Flowers

Sistas Corner, 121 N Main St, Downtown Crookston, Open Thursday/Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm

Please join Courtney Olson at Andy Hall's Sweetlight Gallery Downtown Crookston for an opening reception of 'Flowers That Dance'

Thursday May 4 | 5-8pm

Free & Open to the public (all ages welcome)

Northwoods Writer's Conference is June 20-25 in Bemidji. They are accepting applications for the workshops, in-person and virtual auditor tracks, and a new Virtual Writers Group. This year's faculty is Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Hybrid Poetry & Prose), Ross Gay (Poetry), Keetje Kuipers (Poetry), Lia Purpura (Creative Nonfiction), Will Weaver (Fiction), and Diane Wilson (Memoir to Fiction). And, Heid E. Erdrich and Sun Yung Shin are visiting writers. https://www.northwoodswriters.org/.

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Northwest Minnesota Arts Council

is on the Radio!

Tune in on Tuesdays

at 3:05pm to

Pioneer 90.1FM

as Ron West talks Art

with our latest guest!

Would you like to be featured on our radio program?

Email Kristin Eggerling

The podcast of the interviews on our website. This is a great way to promote your art! Listen here!

Visit our Website