Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Merely Players Community Theatre, Inc. AKA Merely Players
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
September 2019
End Date
June 2020
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Nicollet
Le Sueur
Martin
Sibley
Watonwan
Waseca
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Nicollet
Le Sueur
Martin
Sibley
Watonwan
Waseca
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

They will present the plays “Annie” in Nov. 2019 and “Rex’s Exs” in May 2020 at the Lincoln Community Center. “Jesus Christ Super Star” will be held at the Kato Ballroom, March 2020. Funds will used for artist fees, publicity, and production expenses.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: member of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota State University/Community Orchestra, volunteer for Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra and New Ulm Suzuki School of Music; Denice Evers: retired teacher and volunteer with the Springfield Community Theater; Kristie Gaalswyk-Pomerenke: Martin County 4-H Coordinator, former Education Coordinator at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and a board member for the Martin County Area Foundation and Fairmont Community Education; Teresa Konechne: interdisciplinary media artist, co-founder of Henderson CAN (Community. Art. Nature.) and founder of Wicked Questions, a non-profit about art and conversation on climate and change; Karen Krause: a visual artist, retired school counselor and art teacher, and a member and instructor at the Waseca Art Center; Margie Larson: a visual artist and retired coordinator in the International Students Office at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Charles Luedtke: retired college Professor of Music, New Ulm and member of the Sioux Trails Chapter, American Guild of Organists; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher for community art camps in St. Peter and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts; Randy Mediger: retired principal and teacher and charter member of LeSueur Community Theater; Liz Miller: a visual artist and college Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Rita Rassbach: recent interim Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: a visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Carol Soma: retired Language Arts teacher and volunteer with the Kee Civic Theatre.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: member of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota State University/Community Orchestra, volunteer for Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra and New Ulm Suzuki School of Music; Denice Evers: retired teacher and volunteer with the Springfield Community Theater; Kristie Gaalswyk-Pomerenke: Martin County 4-H Coordinator, former Education Coordinator at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and a board member for the Martin County Area Foundation and Fairmont Community Education; Teresa Konechne: interdisciplinary media artist, co-founder of Henderson CAN (Community. Art. Nature.) and founder of Wicked Questions, a non-profit about art and conversation on climate and change; Karen Krause: a visual artist, retired school counselor and art teacher, and a member and instructor at the Waseca Art Center; Margie Larson: a visual artist and retired coordinator in the International Students Office at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Charles Luedtke: retired college Professor of Music, New Ulm and member of the Sioux Trails Chapter, American Guild of Organists; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher for community art camps in St. Peter and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts; Randy Mediger: retired principal and teacher and charter member of LeSueur Community Theater; Liz Miller: a visual artist and college Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Rita Rassbach: recent interim Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: a visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Carol Soma: retired Language Arts teacher and volunteer with the Kee Civic Theatre.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2019 First Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$130,375
Direct expenses
$137,375
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.00
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The number of Minnesotans who are able to participate in the arts increases. The quality, types and number of arts opportunities in our region, and the organizations or venues that offer them increases. New relationships with members of groups that have traditionally been underserved by the arts or by the applicant organization are built. Audience members, production cast and crew, and Board and staff members (if in attendance) will complete our survey. The General Manager will distribute and compile the results that will be presented in written form to the Board and the final report for this grant. Ticket sales reports will be generated for each production and compared to the previous season to determine changes in attendance. Volunteers will be tracked and all volunteers learning a new skill will be noted in an excel form. Depending on the production and audience, specific questions may be added.

Measurable Outcome(s)

No changes were made to our methods however, the state wide shutdown has limited our access to the box office where most of our records and paper surveys were stored after the last production. The surveys continue to be an amazing source to get feedback from our volunteers and patrons. We are continuing to try to find a balance between paper and digital to get the most feedback possible.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved Most of the Proposed Outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Gina Andersen, Justin Danielson, Maggie Maes, Sarah Tezloff
Project Manager
First Name
Susan
Last Name
Olson
Organization Name
Merely Players Community Theatre
Street Address
110 Fulton St PO Box 3637
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56001
Phone
(507) 388-5483
Email
info@merelyplayersmn.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
Location

105 22nd Avenue NE, Suite A
Waseca, MN 56093

Phone
Project Manager: Anna Pollock
507-833-8721
Email the Agency
Location

105 22nd Avenue NE, Suite A
Waseca, MN 56093

Phone
Project Manager: Anna Pollock
507-833-8721
Email the Agency