- SMAC Awards $48,115 to local organizations, schools & artists
- SMAC Grant Opportunity for Youth; Help us spread the word!
- Register: Arts Action Week
- Nobles & Pipestone County Arty Parties
- Save the Date: SMAC Artist Retreat!
- SMAC Biennial Plan Meeting
- SMAC seeks board members from 3 counties
- Save the Date: Intro to Civic Arts Public Session
- Other upcoming SMAC Grant Deadlines & Webinars
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SMAC Awards $48,115 to local organizations, schools and artists
The SMAC board voted on February 28 to award $5,000 in grant funds to two organizations, $8,000 to two schools and $35,115 to ten individual artists
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The following two organizations have been awarded SMAC Quick Support for Organizations grants. These grants provide organizations with up to $2,500 for activities such as planning for an Art Legacy project, strategic planning or board training, costs to apply for 501(c)(3) status, small equipment purchases, or small arts projects.
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The City of Madison was awarded $2,500 to purchase, transport and install a sculpture by artist Tim Adams, whom the city has previously worked with for public art, at their park on main street (called The Grand Park). The sculpture is titled, "The Sound of Color" and will compliment the large-scale mural going up on a nearby building facing the park, as well as the outdoor musical instruments the park plans to install. The application explained that the "Sound of Color" sculpture is made of steel, chimes, and a Lexan center that turns in the wind.
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2B CONTINUED of Glencoe has been awarded $2,500 to partner with Suicide Survivors Club to provide a Trauma Transformed Through Art & Narrative workshop and a Story Portrait workshop at their annual Training Day on June 14, 2023 at the Glencoe City Center. Both workshops train participants in the art of using collage work, journaling, and freeform creative arts to express difficult emotions, trauma, grief, and loss. These workshops are facilitated by Art Therapist Kris Frykman, and led by Rebecca Anderson.
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The following two schools have been awarded SMAC Arts in the Schools grants. These grants provide public schools with up to $4,000 for projects such as artist residencies, arts field trips, juried student art exhibits, etc.
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Dawson-Boyd Schools were awarded $4,000 for an artist residency with folk musician Ross Sutter. Sutter will spend one week at Stevens Elementary School in Dawson in early May of 2023 to teach fourth grade students how to build and play a one-string dulcimer. In this residency, Ross will introduce students to a simple instrument that incorporates not only music skills, but also science and math skills. After the dulcimers are built, the students will learn to play several simple tunes. The students will also share what they've learned with other grades, community members, and family members by recording their music and performance, as well as a live performance at the end of the residency.
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Lincoln Elementary in Ivanhoe was awarded $4,000 for a music residency with artist Mick LaBriola. The name of the program is "Rhythm Roots" and students in grades K-6 will learn basic techniques of different percussion instruments, learn rhythms, arrange rhythms to create an ensemble and ultimately create a performance piece. The schedule will include percussion lessons with each K-6 classroom and a performance for parents and community members. Students will not pay any participation fees and the residency will be accessible to all students in the K-6 grades.
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The following artist was awarded a SMAC Artist Equity grant. These grants provide up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic career.
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Ferman Woodberry of Jackson was awarded $3,982 for taking a photography course on "Mastering your DSLR" through MPS Community Education as well as upgrading his photography equipment. Ferman said he hopes to complete a series of 30 to 50 photographs for this project, depicting his love of Brownstones, rural theatres, and junk yards as subject matter.
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Photography by Ferman Woodberry. |
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The following eight artists were awarded SMAC Artist Growth grants. These grants provide up to $4,000 to artists at any career stage for projects that will advance their skills and artistic career.
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Rachel Kepler of Montevideo was awarded $4,000 to purchase equipment and supplies to increase and grow her pottery skills. Rachel plans to show and sell the artworks created during the grant period.
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Heather J. King of New London has been awarded $4,000 to produce a theatre-to-podcast partnership between the New London Little Theatre with herself as the writer and podcaster. The applicant said, "The purpose of this project would be to safely showcase the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ rural community members through interview-style storytelling." This podcast series will appear as an off-shoot of Heather’s current podcast, Hearty. Funds will be used to produce and make a professional podcast series entitled "Big Talk Small Town" that would be open to the public.
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Craig Lindsay of Marshall was awarded $3,390 to produce his third album of original music. Craig writes and composes all his own music, as well as performing all of the instruments (keyboards, bass, guitar, lead and backing vocals, digital drum programming), but for this project he will also be hiring a local artist for additional backing vocals. Most of the content for the album is already written, but final arrangements, rehearsals, and recording will be done during the grant period. Craig said, "My artistic vision is to produce a collection of songs in the classic rock genre that are lyrically meaningful, musically interesting, and will deliver an overall sound that is clearly identifiable as my own."
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Julia Redner of Echo has been awarded $3,993 to create a massive visual artwork, spanning 5 canvases of 4 by 6 feet each for a 6 by 20 foot finished artwork. Julia explained that this artwork will be a "floating landscape" that will allow her to show the extent of her fine line work and thoroughly develop a color scheme with depth.
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Cheryl Voorhees of Appleton was awarded $4,000 to attend classes, have one-on-one mentor sessions, and to purchase professional watercolor supplies, all assisting her leaning a new medium. Cheryl has experience in mixed media painting and calligraphy. Pictured right: Still life by Cheryl Voorhees, watercolor and pastel on pastel paper.
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Andrew Webster of Hutchinson has been awarded $4,000 to finish construction on a wood/soda-fired kiln at his home studio. Funds will go towards purchasing building materials from a local potter, some of which are gently used and discounted. In addition to Andrew using the kiln to grow his own artistic practice, he plans to give back to the community by partnering with local art center, Hutchinson Center for the Arts, to offer small pottery classes, which would culminate in a firings at his home studio where students can learn about the wood/soda-fired process. He also plans to invite other potters and ceramic artists to participate in firings at his home studio. Pictured right: Wood-Soda fired mugs by Andrew Webster.
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Anne Wedler of Marshall was awarded $2,750 to expand her artistic cyanotypes into large-scale artworks, after previously doing a body of work in small and medium scale cyanotypes. Anne said she plans on creating at least 12 new drawings over the span of a few months to create 12 new cyanotypes in a months time. Anne creates cyanotypes by a process involving photographing her drawings, editing in photoshop, printing negatives on transparency paper and applying to paper coated with light-sensitive material that is then exposed to the sun to create the final cyanotype image. Pictured right: Moon cyanotype by Anne Wedler.
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Sima Amid Wewetzer of Marshall has been awarded $4,000 to work on a series of mixed-media acrylic paintings using a new technique she's created involving painting on clear plastic and removing the paint from the plastic once it's dried to apply it to a large painting, arranging the elements together on the final artwork. Sima said she is inspired by the revolution happening in her home country of Iran, focusing on freedom, especially women's freedom, and that will be the central theme of her new series. Pictured right: Mixed media acrylic painting by Sima Amid Wewetzer.
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The following artist was awarded a SMAC Quick Support for Artists grant. These grants provide artists with up to $1,000 for activities such as purchasing supplies, attending classes, and small artist-led community projects. |
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Jared Wosmek of Spicer was awarded $1,000 to purchase equipment to aid in creating his stone sculptures. The applicant explained that he has been working with hammers, chisels, and files but the tools are limiting for his visions. Purchasing a portable electric air-compressor will allow the artist to be more efficient, complete more intricate designs, work with more diverse materials, and be safer for the artist to use.
Pictured: “Beautiful Oblivion” Alabaster (Black Walnut Base)
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Upcoming Grant Opportunity: Art Study for Youth Grant Program |
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SMAC would like to pass on information for a grant opportunity for students interested in pursuing the arts! Please help us spread the word before the application deadline on March 29th. |
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Art Study Opportunity for Youth Grants provide up to $500 to allow young artists entering grades 5 – 12 (from the 18 counties of Southwest Minnesota that SMAC serves) to attend an enrichment camp or specialty study. Costs for standard weekly lessons (such as piano or voice lessons) are allowed for students who qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program.
**Because of this years fundraising efforts, SMAC can give out more of these grants this year than ever before!!**
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These funds can be use for arts related camps, but students can also apply to set up sessions with an arts mentor as well. The grant can pay for student travel expenses within Minnesota, supplies, and instructor fees, etc. and applies to all the arts: visual, dance, theatre, literature, music etc.
Important dates for this grant:
- Request staff draft review of application by March 15, 2023 (not required)
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Application Deadline: March 29, 2023 (by 4:30 pm)
- Panel Review: April 18, 2023
- Board Action: April 25, 2023
- Earliest project start date: May 1, 2023
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Pictured: Pottery by Ketcie Ulferts after receiving an Art Study Opportunity for Youth grant last year.
Thank you for supporting the arts!
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In the Gallery: Andrew & Molly Rivera "Marigolds & Thistle" |
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Please help SMAC welcome our next gallery artists, the duo of Andrew & Molly Rivera of Hutchinson, both ceramicists. Andrew received a Quick Support for Artists grant and an Advanced Artist Fellowship grant, both in 2022. Molly received a Quick Support for Artists grant in 2022. The Rivera's said that the "Marigolds & Thistle" exhibit is a celebration of lived experience, heritage, identity, and personal narrative. The title is a reference to the flowers that symbolize each artist as individuals, and the process of self-discovery as they transition through seasons of life.
The SMAC gallery is open weekdays 9 am to 12 pm and 1-4 pm. If you would like to view the exhibit outside of these times, please email info@swmnarts.org.
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Mad Hatters who will be providing live music at the in-person reception: Lee Kanten and Georgette Jones. |
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Events
In-person Artist Reception Thursday,
March 9th 5-7 pm
at SMAC's new location: 509 West Main Street, Downtown Marshall.
Virtual Reception & Artist Talk Thursday, April 6th at 5:30 pm on Zoom
Meeting ID: 849 1376 6476
Passcode: 415122
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Andrew Rivera
This body of work is representative of my Mexican heritage and personal culture. My work is inspired by pre-columbian forms, 19th century Mexican printmakers, and personal experience. I reference pre-columbian forms as a connection to my ancestors and to bring to light a deeply misunderstood aspect of history. Printmakers like Jose Guadalupe Posada and Manuel Manilla were a very important aspect of Mexican history. They used imagery to inform a largely illiterate population and helped propel the Mexican revolution. My use of skeleton imagery is rooted in my culture, a reference to these pivotal printmakers, and a caricaturization of death. Mexican culture looks at death very differently than American culture. Death is recognized and embraced by Mexico but feared and not spoken of in the United States. I have struggled with anxiety related to death and this work functions to connect myself and others with Mexican ideals surrounding it. My experience as a Mexican American has informed my work. With this background, food and family are valued highly. My forms are inspired by history, but also by the food and experiences shared in a contemporary setting.
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Molly Rivera
My work explores the objects that adorn our homes and carry meaning through the stories, experiences, and memories that they evoke. The forms I create are inspired by the items that surround us in our everyday life as well as family heirlooms - the objects that are passed down through generations. Much of my imagery stems from my daily lived experiences - the flowers that come up in my garden in Spring or the critters that run past my screen door every morning as the sun rises. I am also inspired by the imagery and history of folktales. Much like our familial objects, folktales were passed down through generations and celebrated day-to-day experiences of humanity. When form and imagery combine, my work highlights the ways we imbue our personal objects with meaning to preserve our stories and memories, informing our personal narratives.
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Please let us know of any accommodations needed for you to enjoy any of our events, virtual or in-person: info@swmnarts.org. Visit SMAC's Access Page for more information and resources. |
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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.
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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Arts Action Week & Arts Rally Day at the Capitol |
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Did you know you can take part in Arts Action Week virtually or in-person? Choose what's best for you, but be sure to register!
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Schedule
ONLINE kick-off event will be on March 20 at 10:00 AM!
IN-PERSON rally for the arts on March 21 from 2:30 pm at the MN Capitol in the L'Etoile du Nord Vault Room
ONLINE & IN-PERSON Legislative Meetings with your elected officials throughout the week.
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SMAC staff will be attending the in-person rally on March 21st, as well as in-person meetings with our regions representatives. And we want YOU to join us!! SMAC can help coordinate carpooling or van rental-please contact us with your interest. We can also reimburse mileage where practical for arts advocates in our region to travel to our capital.
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Nobles County Arty Party, Thursday March 2nd |
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Weather held us back a bit but we have rescheduled our Nobles County Arty Party for Thursday, March 2nd! We will be at the Memorial Auditorium in Worthington from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. You will be able to enjoy LIVE music from SMAC 2022 Prairie Disciple, Melanie Loy and the Great Plains String Quartet (pictured right)! Quartet includes: Melanie Loy, Beth Habicht, Sue Simonson and Morgan Rukstales will be filling in for Karen Pfeifer. |
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Other highlights include:
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Round Lake Winery and Lupita's will both be providing appetizers, courtesy of SMAC!
- Drawing for a fantastic gift basket with show tickets for Worthington Memorial Auditorium of Performing Arts, cheeses and even a special treat from the Round Lake Vineyards!
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Art Activity! You can take part in kicking off a community painting! This activity is sponsored by the Worthington Arts Commission. The original mural was created by community members during the annual Regatta around 2008, as a collaborative project with artist’s, Nick and Nicole Fischer. Sadly, a windstorm in 2021, blew the mural over and it was beyond repair. After neighbors and citizens continued to ask when the mural would go back up, the arts commission approved to redo the mural, repainting the design that was so well liked by the community. Pictured below: Left is the old mural, right is the template for the new mural.
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As always, there will be networking opportunities and SMAC staff will be available to answer questions, listen to the arts needs in the community, and share who SMAC is and what we can do for the arts in Southwest Minnesota!
We look forward to p(ART)ying with you!
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Pipestone County Arty Party, Wednesday April 19th |
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Join SMAC, area artists, arts organizations and general art-loving public together for a networking event in Pipestone County! The event will go from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Hiawatha Lodge. This is a free event (aside from cash bar option) catered by the Hatfield Roadhouse! Arts entertainment to be determined, but no matter what, this will be an awesome opportunity to network with local arts supporters! More details to come
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Pictured: Inside the Hiawatha Lodge.
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It's that time of year again! Join SMAC and artists from across Southwest Minnesota for 1 & 1/2 days of networking and arts inspiration for our annual Artist Retreat on May 5th & 6th! Workshop sessions are being created to appeal to artists of many disciplines. The retreat will once again be held at Danebod Folk School in Tyler, MN for a “get-away” learning atmosphere. Overnight accommodations will be available, but not required; you can choose to come for one or both days! Friday evening we'll have an arts performance that will be free and open to the public! More details will be coming soon, be sure to watch for updates through our emails, social media ( Facebook & Instagram) and our website. |
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SMAC Biennial Plan Public Meeting |
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Live public virtual presentation Monday, March 27 at 7 pm, Via Zoom : Presenting SMAC's FY24-25 Biennial programming and strategic focus
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, (SMAC) as the state’s designated regional arts council serving the following MN counties: Big Stone , Chippewa, Cottonwood • Jackson • Kandiyohi • Lac qui Parle • Lincoln • Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Swift, and Yellow Medicine, will present their draft two-year plan for grant programs, priorities and services to be delivered in fiscal years 24-25 beginning July 1, 2023.
Join us to learn how SMAC plans to invest the arts funding entrusted to us and the way in which it returns to your communities through our needs driven programming.
A public meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 27 via Zoom at 7 pm central time.
Please email info@swmnarts.org to register for the meeting and receive information to join.
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SMAC is seeking representatives from four counties to serve on our board of directors: Kandiyohi, McLeod and Yellow Medicine
Do you live or work in one of these counties? Do you want to volunteer in a meaning way? Are you interested in helping your community? Are you passionate about arts awareness & funding and where & how those funds are distributed?
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SMAC's Board of Directors currently has three vacant board seats. We are seeking a representative from each of the counties listed above to serve. The Board meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday evening at the SMAC office in Marshall or on Zoom 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.
Other opportunities include serving on several grant panels a year to evaluate applications, attending a yearly board retreat in January, learning opportunities and trainings on Access, Equity, Inclusion & Diversity and more!
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In February, SMAC staff and multiple board members attended the annual Cultures on the Prairie conference in Marshall at Southwest Minnesota State University. This conference lets attendees experience the stories, history, and cultures throughout southwest Minnesota by listening and interacting with panels that discuss views from members in our communities surrounding daily interactions, work dynamics and opportunities, and experiences for students. The panels highlight challenges, successes, and opportunities as they relate to panelists specific cultures. This event provides attendees and participants with new insights when working with, hiring, and serving all people of southwest Minnesota! Table talk discussions were also provided on topics surrounding diversity and race. This is a wonderful event for broadening understanding and communication for SMAC staff, board and panel members, as well as networking with a rich variety of community members! |
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INTRO TO CIVIC ARTS PUBLIC SESSION
5-hour session with lunch included | 10am - 3pm on Wednesday, May 10th | Location TBD
Department of Public Transformation (DoPT), in partnership with Southwest Minnesota Regional Arts Council, will offer an Introduction to Civic Arts Workshop and Networking Event for artists and municipalities interested in learning more about the role of artists working in the civic realm in rural communities. This workshop will include an introduction to Civic Arts Presentation by DoPT staff, feature a conversation with a guest Civic Artist, an opportunity to workshop civic arts ideas for your community, access to a Civic Arts Resource Hub and time to network with other folks in the region interested in civic arts.
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including descriptions of the grants and funding amounts, deadlines, earliest project start dates, and webinar dates
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Upcoming Grant Deadlines
Application Deadline: 1st of the month August 2022 through May 2023 by 4:40 pm Request staff to review application before submission: One week before application deadline. Earliest project start date: 1st day of the following month (after submission).
These deadlines apply to:
Application Deadline: March 22 by 4:30 pm
Request staff to review application before submission: March 8, 2023
Earliest project start date: May 1, 2023
Application Deadline: March 29 by 4:30 pm
Request staff to review application before submission: March 15, 2023
Earliest project start date: May 1, 2023
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Nomination Deadline: April 15, 2023 by 4:30 pm
*Special Award* Prairie Disciple Award for $1,000: This award provides awareness and recognition of one individual per year from southwest Minnesota, whose activities and involvement have substantially contributed to the arts over an extended period of time. The accomplishments of arts advocates working in the region are often not widely known or appreciated. In recognizing these individuals publicly, the awards will raise the profile of the arts in their community and throughout the SMAC region. Nominations require letters of recognition from community members and peers. Start your nomination today!
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Virtual SMAC Grants Q&A Sessions for Fiscal Year 2023
(July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023)
Join us for a virtual Grants Q&A Session to get questions answered about any of our grant programs. Upcoming dates include:
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including descriptions of the grants and funding amounts, deadlines, earliest project start dates, and webinar dates
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Other options for Grant Assistance
SW MN Arts Council grants administrator Caroline Koska is available to meet with you by phone, web conference or in person to answer your questions on grant eligibility and using the application system or to review a draft of your application. Schedule a time with Caroline Koska.
Every month on the 2nd Tuesday of the month we hold "Open Office Hours" for grant support. The office hours are from 10 am to 2 pm and the next one will be Tuesday, March 14th. 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.
Call 800-622-5284 or email us info@swmnarts.org with your questions. Please let us know of any accommodations needed for you to attend any of our events, virtual or in-person. View SMAC's Access page for more information.
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Would you like to help SMAC review and score grant applications?
The SMAC Board of Directors continually 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. Being a grant panelist is a positive way to strengthen your grantwriting skills by understanding the process as a whole. It's also a great way to learn and support what exciting projects are happening in rural SW MN! Panelists are compensated $75 for a panel. More details on being a SMAC panelist
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For more opportunities and resources be sure to check out our latest news posts (updated DAILY!) on SMAC's website
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Looking for arts events to attend? 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!
Have something that's not an event, but an arts opportunity, like a RFP or call for local artists? We'll add it to our news posts! Send us those, too! |
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Lets work together to create a robust arts calendar for our region!! |
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Memberships
From January 31 to February 24, 2023
Contributors: Department of Public Transformation, Granite Falls • RiverSong Music Festival, Hutchinson • Adrienne Herbert, Lakefield • Laura Deleski, Willmar •
Supporters: Joyce Meyer, Canby • Morgan Baum, Hutchinson • Robert Dorlac, Marshall • Dr. Erine Kline, Marshall • Business, Arts & Recreation Center, Windom •
Sustainers: Diane Ladner, Granite Falls •
Benefactors: Swift County Commission, Benson • David Pederson & Peggy Crosby, Dawson • Pipestone County Commission, Pipestone • Redwood County Commission, Redwood Falls •
Other Donations: Kris Shelstad, Madison • Joyce Tofte, Marshall •
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Would you like to become a contributing member of SMAC or make a donation?
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS!
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2023 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
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Big Stone - Judy Beckman
Jackson - Gillian Singler
Lincoln - Mark Wilmes
Meeker - Darlene Kotelnicki
Pipestone - Erica Volkir
Rock - Shawn Kinsinger
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Chippewa - Maggie Fuller
Lyon - Dr. Erin Kline
Murray - Jessica Welu
Redwood - David KelseyBassett
Swift - Pending
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Cottonwood - Anna Johannsen
Lac qui Parle - Kristine Shelstad
Nobles - Cheryl Avenel-Navara
Renville - Kylie Rieke
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Executive Director - Nicole DeBoer
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Grants & Financial Administrator - Caroline Koska
Accessibility & Marketing Coordinator - 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.
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