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Monthly SMAC grants have been reinstated
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SMAC awards $28,732 to local artist, schools, and arts organizations
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Upcoming grant deadlines & workshops
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Meet SMAC's new board members
Pictured: A moment from SMAC's current exhibiting artist, Olga Krasovska's, virtual artist reception and artist talk, which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/nqqB78TyzbI
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**SMAC's Monthly Arts Organization Grants Are BACK!**
SMAC recently received our final budget numbers for the year and they look surprisingly positive: we will see a 14.02% reduction in our Arts & Cultural Heritage funding this year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). We expected a much larger budget reduction, but with these new certainties were are able to reinstate our monthly grants opportunities for arts organizations.
Monthly Arts Organization grants are on a first-come, first served monthly deadline until all funds have been expended. Deadline is the 1st of each month, 4:30 pm, January-April 2021. Earliest project start date is the first day of the following month after board action.
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SMAC Awards $28,732 to local artist, schools and arts organizations
The SMAC board met virtually on November 24, 2020 and awarded a total of $28,732 in grant funds for one individual artist, five schools, and six arts organizations within our region.
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Autumn Cavender-Wilson of Granite Falls was awarded $4,000 from SMAC's Artist Equity grant program. These grants provide up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic careers.
- Cavender-Wilson plans to work on a project she calls "Wowicakekage-Dakota Art Encoded", which will be an art research project "exploring the application of traditional Dakota art and design into digital and virtual spaces." Cavender-Wilson says the digital component is particularly important during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it is difficult to meet and pass on or discuss knowledge in person: "Using digital mediums, I will explore ways to adapt and augment Indigenous knowledge into the current socio-cultural experience...I’ll explore the ways in which encoded designs have developed and adapted across the traditional mediums that I work in (for example changing designs from quillwork to beadwork, and from buffalo robes to star quilts). This project will be the beginning of an exploration into the methodologies, teachings, and cosmology of traditional Dakota art, and will attempt to adapt and translate these into digital mediums."
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The following five schools were awarded SMAC Arts in the Schools grants. These grants provide funds 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 $2,500 (field trips, juried exhibits, or prepackaged theater) or $4,000 (artist residencies).
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Dawson-Boyd Schools in Dawson has been awarded $3,772 for an artist residency with Folk musician Ross Sutter. Sutter will spend one week at Stevens Elementary School in Dawson to teach fourth grade students to build and play a one-string dulcimer. In this residency, Sutter will introduce students to a simple instrument that will incorporate not only music skills, but also science and math skills. The process of building a dulcimer requires understanding the science of sound and how the construction of the dulcimer influences its sound by the placement of all the elements. After the dulcimers are built, the students will learn to play several simple tunes. The fourth graders will also share what they've learned with other grades by recording their music and making it available at the end of the residency. The residency is planned for after mid-March and has a contingency plan if Stevens Elementary moves to distance learning.
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Lakeview Public School in Cottonwood was awarded $4,000 for a Ross Sutter artist residency as well. Sutter will come to Lakeview Elementary to help students in the fifth grade build and learn to play a one-stringed dulcimer in late February. Sutter will teach the students the basics of how to strum and create notes on the dulcimer. The applicant said, "because the dulcimer is an instrument the students created, there is more ownership and responsibility than with the regular classroom instruments." There will be no fee for students to participate in this project; all funds will be used to cover the cost of materials and Sutter's time/expenses. Because of Covid-19 and all the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, the applicant said they are unsure the students will have the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience, like in years past. In the event of this, their contingency plan is to hold a virtual dulcimer performance via livestream.
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RTR (Russell, Tyler, Ruthton) School District in Tyler has been awarded $3,960 for a virtual music residency. The Minnesota Percussion Trio will work with the RTR Elementary School. The applicant said, "the Trio specializes in both conventional and non-conventional percussion instruments that can display musical sounds that are often surprising." The residency will take place in January and February. Each student will view concert lessons and then then have a 60-minute live session with a member of the trio. During the live sessions, there will be audience interaction, percussion practice, and time for questions. At the end of the residency, the students will perform for each other in their classrooms. In addition to their regular music curriculum, residency materials will be available to the students for one month so students can practice with the videos and refer back to them. Access to the residency will also be shared with parents, community members, and other stakeholders through watching the online performances/lessons.
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Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) 's music department in Marshall was awarded $4,000 for Flutist Oliver Nelson Jr. to complete a residency with the SMSU Jazz Ensemble that will include rehearsal time and two performances with the Jazz Ensemble. It will also include clinics with the bands at Springfield High School and Marshall High School (with the performances at those schools in the evening). The community will be invited to attend rehearsals, clinics, and performances free of charge. The applicant also intends to record the performance and make it available on the SMSU YouTube page. In the event that live performances and school visits would not be possible, the applicant said they would be prepared to do a single recorded concert that could be made available via YouTube for public viewing. They would share that information with all bands in the region and set up virtual workshops with the artist and the two high school programs so those students could still benefit from focused time with Dr. Nelson.
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Yellow Medicine East schools in Granite Falls has been awarded $4,000 for a residency with artist Olga Krasovska. Krasovska will take the students through the processes to learn how to crease, bend, fold, and manipulate paper to create 3D forms. The students will learn to develop concepts of sculpture, like the study of light and shapes to create highlights and shadows. The core group will be students in grades 9-12 but student in grades 6-8 will get to see what the high school students are creating and will watch a demonstration by Krasovska. Krasovska will assist the students in building a collaborative sculpture to display at the K.K. Berge Gallery in downtown Granite Falls. All activities will also be supervised and assisted by classroom art teacher Tamara Isfeld. This residency will stretch between January and March.
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The following five Arts Organizations were awarded a total of $5,000 for our Going Virtual: Equipment, Technology & Training Grants. These grants provide 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.
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AMP (Arts & Mentoring Project) of Pipestone was awarded $1,000 to purchase a Zoom video camera, a 6 channel handheld Zoom audio recorder, and data storage for future recording, virtual, and streaming capabilities. This equipment will be used to film students for virtual recitals and upcoming projects and performances.
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Big Stone Arts Council of Ortonville was awarded $1,000 to purchase a Zoom pro account and multiple high-speed drives to store and backup virtual content being created to accommodate the health of their arts organization during the pandemic. Examples provided by the council of types of projects, both current and potential, for storing on these devices are: Individual Member of the Month videos (showcasing member profiles and interviews), Music on Main jam sessions, Mystery Theatre Radio Show, and art classes. The applicant said "all of these will serve to highlight the work, training, and influences of our collective and help us attract new members."
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The Crow River Players of New London have been awarded $1,000 to support The New London's Little Theatre's Online Open Mic project. The organization plans to open the stage to the community for a virtual open mic show that will stream online in real-time. This will be the first of a monthly series held at the theatre beginning February 12. The applicant explained, "to improve the picture quality of our livestream the funds from this grant would go toward the purchase of a high definition video recorder and a video mixer/switcher which will allow us to work with multiple video feeds."
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The Marshall Area Stage Company (MASC) was awarded $1,000 to purchase a high quality video camera and related accessories to film rehearsals, promotions, and performances to share with their audience via Facebook, YouTube and other virtual outlets. The applicant explained, "A member of our committee for this project will be writing up a simple instruction guide that can be kept with the camera kit, and can offer instruction and support to those using it. As with other MASC equipment, it may be possible to loan this kit to other arts organizations or to be the videographer for other area productions."
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The Pipestone Performing Arts Center (PPAC) has been awarded $1,000 to purchase data storage and a piano microphone to support their virtual performance series. The applicant said "being able to make quality recordings and filming of community musicians, artists, performers and releasing the finished videos online and on public-access television for the community to view is keeping the lifeline of the PPAC. Continuing with these virtual performances allows us to continue bringing the arts to the people of our community and keeping local artists active while adhering to coronavirus restrictions and safety guidelines."
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We have given out a total of six Going Virtual Grants, and we still have funds designated for six more!
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In the Gallery: Olga Krasovska
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Next in the Gallery: Dakota Community Artist-in-Residence
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Starting January 14 through February 26 the SMAC Gallery is proud to present the three works of art from this project. The gallery will exhibit Fern Cloud's traditional painting on deer hide (pictured left), blacksmith artist Talon Cavender-Wilson's series of three metal bowls, and Lisa Nez's infant-sized moccasins showcasing her traditional knowledge and artistic beading talents.
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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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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.
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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. **View Grant Webinar here**
**Monthly Arts Organization Grants Are BACK!**
Applications Due January 1, February 1, March 1, April 1, 4:30 pm, 2021. Monthly Arts Organization grants are on a first-come, first served monthly deadline until all funds have been expended. Deadline is the 1st of each month, 4:30 pm, January-April 2021. Earliest project start date is the first day of the following month after board action.
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Arts Organization Development grants provide arts organization in the SMAC region with up to $2,500 in matching funds to increase their long-term stability and capacity through organizational development and management projects. **Click here to view a recording of our November 18, 2020 webinar.**
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Arts Organization Start Up grants provide arts organizations with at least two years of programming up to $2,000 to develop articles of incorporation, by-laws, and apply for their 501(c)(3) status. **Click here to view a recording of our November 18, 2020 webinar.**
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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. **Grantwriting Webinar: December 15, 5:30-6:30 pm. Register here!**
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Provides arts organizations with up to $10,000 in matching funds for the purchase of equipment items and facilities improvements that will strengthen the organization’s capacity to serve the arts needs of the SMAC region. No cash match required this year. **Grantwriting Webinar: January 5, Noon-1 pm. Register here!**
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Provides organizations in the SMAC region with up to $20,000 to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts through large-scale projects that will leave an arts legacy in Southwest Minnesota. No cash match required this year. **Grantwriting Webinar: January 21, 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. **Grantwriting Webinar: February 11, Noon-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.
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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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Provides arts organizations with up to $10,000 in matching funds for the purchase of equipment items and facilities improvements that will strengthen the organization’s capacity to serve the arts needs of the SMAC region. No cash match required this year. **Grantwriting Webinar: January 5, 12-1 pm. Register here!**
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Art Legacy Project Planning grants provide organizations with up to $2,500 to plan for a specific large-scale project or activity that will create or advance a strong arts legacy in Minnesota.
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Art Legacy Project grants provides organizations in the SMAC region with up to $20,000 to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts through large-scale projects that will leave an arts legacy in Southwest Minnesota. No cash match required in fiscal year 2021.
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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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SMAC Welcomes Four New Board Members; Two Board Members retire
At the end of September the SMAC board approved a new board representative for Meeker County! This board position had been vacant for many months and we are so pleased to welcome Darlene Kotelnicki of Litchfield as our Meeker County Board Representative. Kotelnicki has served as board chair and secretary for numerous boards, including the Greater Litchfield Opera House, the Litchfield Public Library, Litchfield Public Schools, Litchfield Community Theatre and more! When asked why she was interested in serving on the SMAC board she said, "I feel we need to promote the arts in Litchfield and Meeker County. I am willing to work to do this. There is much that can be done in our county."
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For Big Stone County, John White of Ortonville will be retiring at the end of December after serving on our board for two full terms (three years each) and the partial term he filled when starting on our board.
Please help us thank John White (pictured right) for his time and dedication to Big Stone County through supporting and promoting the arts there and in our whole region for the maximum amount of terms with our board!
Help us welcome Janine Teske as the new Big Stone County representative for our board:
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Janine Teske of Clinton is a grateful patron of the arts since being involved at Willmar Community College and The Barn Theatre in Willmar in the early 80s and at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. She was also involved in college choir and was a member of the long standing women’s singing group “Showstoppers” in the Twin Cities before returning to Clinton to live. As a former Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley School Board member and other organizations in Big Stone County, she enjoys seeing the opportunities that SMAC has been able to help support.
For Murray County, Carisa Clarke of Slayton has served as the representative for her county for a partial term. We thank her for her time with our organization! The SMAC board will be welcoming Jessica Welu of Slayton as the new Murray County representative starting in January!
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Jessica Welu has been a member of the Minnesota Valley Chorale, the Southwest Minnesota State University Choirs and the Al Opland Singers of Pipestone. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a focus in poetry from the Minnesota State University in Mankato and also taught creative writing there as a Teaching Assistant. Welu also brings her knowledge working with boards and board member responsibilities through her work at Southwest Regional Development Commission, as well as her understanding of the development work within the southwest region and communities. When asked why she was interested in a board position with SMAC, she said "Art has the ability of helping to create more vibrant communities, helps to build connections, and helps attract tourism and development--as an RDC staff, these are areas that drive my work, but art is also something I'm personally passionate about. As a creative writer and art enthusiast, I would like to see arts opportunities grow in the region. I believe that art is a community need and I want to be an advocate for the growth of arts opportunities in the region."
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For Nobles County, Brett Lehman of Worthington will be retiring at the end of December after serving our board for two full terms (3 years each).
Please help us thank Brett Lehman (pictured left) for his time and dedication to Nobles County through supporting and promoting the arts there and in our whole region for the maximum amount of terms with our board!
Help us welcome Cheryl Avenel-Navara of Worthington as the new Worthington county representative for our board! Avenel-Navara is a retired educator from Higher Education and currently substitutes in Middle and High School classes in all disciplines. She said she is not an artist herself, but is a strong advocate for arts and artists of all disciplines and a dedicated consumer of art. She is the current chair of the Worthington Public Arts Commission and has served as a grant writer and committee member for the Worthington International Festival Committee, as well as been a grant review panelist for SMAC on many occasions. When asked why she was interested in serving on the SMAC board she replied that she had spoken to the past board representative for Nobles county about the responsibilities of being a board member and thought she could "bring a consumer's perspective" to the board and that she's interested in promoting the arts in Worthington and Nobles county and "making art available to all of our communities".
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SMAC is still seeking representatives from Lac qui Parle County and McLeod County to serve on it’s Board of Directors. We thank Lauren Carlson (formerly of Dawson) for serving as our Lac qui Parle representative for a partial term before moving and Greg Jodzio of Hutchinson for serving on two partial term as our McLeod representative.
If you live or work in Lac qui Parle or McLeod county and are interested in a position on our board here are some details: 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, please go to www.swmnarts.org/about/become-a-board-member/
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Once you logon to our online grants portal from our website, you'll see the Google Translate option in the upper left corner of the "Dashboard", the first screen that will come up after you logon.
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Memberships
From October 24 to November 25, 2020
Contributors: Tammy Makram • Linda Wing, Slayton •
Supporters: Brett Lehman, Worthington • Bill & Tina Richards, Walnut Grove • Cheryl Hanson, Windom •
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And a very special Thank you to our Give to the Max Day Doners!
Anonymous Donors • Luanne Fondell, Dawson • Elizabeth McAfee, Lakeville • Andrea Fox Jensen, Litchfield • Ross Anderson, Marshall • Cassandra Bruns, Marshall • Michael Burnette, Marshall • Deb & Craig Maki, Marshall • Marilyn Leach, Marshall • Michele Knife Sterner, Marshall • Judi Bohm, Milan • John White, Ortonville •
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!
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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
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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