Arts Project Support

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Mizna
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
April 2020
End Date
April 2021
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Ramsey
Ramsey
Project Overview

Arts Project Support

Project Details

Publishing Mizna: Prose, Poetry, and Art Exploring Arab America

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Lynne Bertalmio: Retired Director Stillwater Public Library; Cristeta Boarini: 826 MSP Program Director; Craig Dunn: Arts Accessibility Consultant; Tricia Heuring: Public Functionary Executive Director; Alejandra Iannone: Sparkle Theatricals Creative Co-Director; Wu Chen Khoo: Technical Tools of the Trade Stage Technical Designer and Director; Wendy Lane: Retired Human Resources Professional; Alejandra Pelinka: City of Bloomington Director of Creative Placemaking; Tommy Sar: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Coordinator of Community Programs; Lue Vang: McKnight Foundation Accountant; Donna Saul Millen: TPT-Twin Cities PBS Events Director; Christal Moose: Native Pride Productions Inc Manager; Adaobi Okolue: Twin Cities Media Alliance Executive Director; Andrea Sjogren: Hopkins Community Education Adult and Youth Programs Coordinator; Deanna StandingCloud: New Native Theatre; Sara Wilson: Gislason and Hunter LLP Attorney; Robyn Cline: City of Savage Economic Development Commissioner

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Abby Frank Taylor: General Administration, Artistic, Organizational Development/Planning; Alneida Madrigal: Youth Programming, Organizational Development, General Administration; Emma Marlar: Artistic, Technical Production, Education; Hannah Smith: Community Service / Development, Equity (DEI) Specialist, Organizational Development; Keliyah Perkins: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, General Management/ Administration/ Support, Program Development; Loren Niemi: General Management / Administration, Artistic, Organizational Development / Planning.

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
$10,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$31,000
Direct expenses
$41,000
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

30% of readers and audience members will be exposed for the first time to contemporary Arab American literature. Since 2012, Mizna's subscribers have increased by 54%. We aim for an increase of 20% over the next year, focused on regaining author subscriptions and reaching new readers in New York and Los Angeles. We aim to increase attendance at our Saint Paul journal releases by 10% (130 at a Feb '19 release to 143). We also aim to increase the authors who submit their work with us by 20%. We will continue to measure our increase in social media followers. In taking the journal online, we will share a web-based survey with subscribers to help shape what the site will be and evaluate the site with a survey afterward. We will distribute surveys at the two release events. Will seek writer feedback on the publication process and feedback from the Writing Group on their goals. Documentation: Publish two issues; capture photos and audio of readings.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Despite the global pandemic, we were able to achieve our artistic goals. We published the two planned themed issues of Mizna, the Queer + Trans Voices issue and the Comix issue. Each had thoughtful, caring, and in-depth guest editing by artists who are experts in their fields, award-winning novelist and writer Zeyn Joukhadar for the QT issue and award-winning comics artist Leila Abdelrazaq for the Comix issue.?

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Abir Abukhadra, Ziad Amra, Nahid Khan, Dipankar Mukherjee, Rabi'h Nahas, Jna Shelomith
Project Manager
First Name
Lana
Last Name
Barkawi
Organization Name
Mizna
Street Address
2446 University Ave W Ste 115
City
St Paul
State
MN
Zip Code
55114
Phone
(612) 788-6920
Email
lana@mizna.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

PO Box 14106
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114 

Phone
Project Manager: Kathy Mouacheupao
651-645-0402
Email the Agency