Rural and Community Art Project Grant
Rural and Community Art Project Grant
2018 Snow Sculpture Symposium
Janeen Carey: vocalist, retired Hibbing Community College librarian and information media specialist; Adam Guggemos: graphic designer, art events promoter; Michelle Ronning: jewelry designer and maker; Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Moira Villiard: visual artist; Jeanne Doty: Retired Associate Professor of Music at University of Minnesota-Duluth, pianist; Amber Burns: choreographer, dancer, actor, middle school art teacher; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, former Children's Theatre employee; Tammy Mattonen: visual artist, co-founder of Crescendo Youth Orchestra; Quentin Stille: student liaison, College Music Director at KUMD.
Janeen Carey: vocalist, retired Hibbing Community College librarian and information media specialist; Duane Barnhart: watercolor painter, cartoonist; Mary McReynolds: arts administrator at Lyric Center for the Arts; Chris Marcotte: retired social worker, historian, writer; Maria Brown: art instructor and program coordinator at CHOICE, unlimited!; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, former Children's Theatre employee.
ACHF Arts Access ACHF Arts Education ACHF Cultural Heritage
The primary goal of the project is to create an engaging arts experience for participants and the general public. A secondary goal is to expand our participants' artistic skills. These are the measurable short-range outcomes: To maintain or increase artist participation, to engage the public in the artists' work, to create an atmosphere for collaboration and teamwork, and to be family-friendly. These are the longer-range outcomes: To provide rewarding experiences for audiences and increase appreciation for the arts, to provide participants with opportunities for personal growth as artists, and to draw visitors to Ely to strengthen the local winter tourism industry. The first outcome will be met if we have 40 or more participating artists and 14 or more snow sculptures in the park. The degree of engagement with the public is easily observed by Ely Winter Festival board members who will be in the park throughout the time when the carving is taking place. We will sponsor several group meals that are attended by artists and board members, and we will solicit feedback from artists informally at those events. Additionally, we will evaluate our success by soliciting feedback from other arts organizations (e.g., Northern Lakes Arts Association, Ely ArtWalk), the business community, and the general public. The first board meeting following the completion of the Festival is always open to the public for the express purpose of evaluation. We obtain lodging tax information from the Chamber of Commerce. Because lodging taxes are collected monthly, not weekly, it can be difficult to sort out the impact of the Festival itself, but year-over-year trends indicate a long-range positive impact.
Measurable short-range outcomes: • To maintain or increase artist participation • To engage the public in the artists’ work • To create an atmosphere for collaboration and teamwork • To be family-friendly Longer–range outcomes: • To provide rewarding experiences for audiences and increase appreciation for the arts • To provide participants with opportunities for personal growth as artists • To draw visitors to Ely to strengthen the local winter tourism industry Short-term outcomes were clearly met. Artist participation increased from 40 to 53, and the number of sculptures grew from 14 to 20. A longtime carver told us, “One of my favorite parts is to interact with people from other parts of the state, or the country for that matter, who have never experienced these before.” Another carver said, “Each team is friendly, and the symposium atmosphere encourages us to all collaborate and help each other reach our artistic goals. I am always heartened by how much different teams look out for each other; whether it's to borrow a tool, or to help lift heavy snow blocks. The non-competitive atmosphere fosters a seriously creative community.” She went on to say, “I am not only a sculptor, but a mom. From the coordinators to the layout of the event itself, I always feel welcome to have my family with me. The snow parks’ layout is conducive to kids and families viewing the work up close and interacting with the artists.” Long-range outcomes have not been measured yet.
Other, local or private