Artist Initiative

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Christopher E. Griffith
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
Completed
Start Date
January 2019
End Date
December 2019
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Hennepin
Hennepin
Project Overview

Artist Initiative

Project Details

Griffith will explore new ground in his work as a puppetry artist by weaving traditional Cherokee tales and research with personal narrative and family history into three storytelling performances for family audiences.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Secretary/Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse: Mayor of Red Wing, elected 2016. Former executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Philip McKenzie, Oboe and English horn player; adjunct oboe faculty, NDSU; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen: Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts; coordinator, First Stage Gallery; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies.; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund.; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Jeffrey Bleam: Associate professor of costume design and directing, Saint Cloud State University; Julia Gay: Actor, dancer, playwright, and comedian; Rachel Haider: Performing arts manager, Northfield Arts Guild; founder and director, Purple Door Youth Theater program; Paul Herwig: Coartistic director, Off-Leash Area; Arts Board grantee; Rebecca Meyer-Larson: Theater arts, language arts and speech communications teacher, Moorhead High School; William Nour: Playwright; Arts Board grantee; Fathimath Eliza Rasheed: Multidisciplinary performance artist; director of school theater program; Arts Board grantee; Benjamin Thietje: Cofounder and coartistic director of DalekoArts in New Prague

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2017 Regular Session, chapter 91, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$955
Direct expenses
$10,955
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Puppetry artist Chris Griffith will gain new skills, weaving Cherokee history, legends and his own family lineage into storytelling performances. I will rate my comfort and confidence in storytelling on a 5-point scale at the beginning and end of the project. After each performance, I will ask audiences to respond to four questions on post-it notes to get a sense of my story's impact.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Puppetry artist Chris Griffith will gain new skills, weaving Cherokee history, legends and his own family lineage into performances. I will rate my comfort and confidence on a 5-point scale at the beginning and end of the project. After each performance, I will ask audiences for feedback to get a sense of my story's impact.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Project Manager
First Name
Christopher
Last Name
Griffith
Organization Name
Christopher E. Griffith
State
MN
Phone
(612) 724-1435x 1
Email
chris@zpuppets.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

Griggs Midway Building, Suite 304,
540 Fairview Avenue North,
St. Paul, MN 55104

Phone
(651) 539-2650 or toll-free (800) 866-2787
Email the Agency