Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
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 2021
End Date
June 2022
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Martin
Nicollet
Sibley
Watonwan
Waseca
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Martin
Nicollet
Sibley
Watonwan
Waseca
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

They will present their 2021-2022 season of performances including ?Rocky Horror Picture Show?, ?Rex's Ex's?, ?Matilda?, and ?The Spider's Web?. Funds will used for artist fees, publicity, and production expenses.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: musician and 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; Julie Forderer: retired elementary and special education teacher at United South Central Public School, Wells, choreographer for school musicals and community theater events; 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; Diana Joseph: author and College Professor of Creative Writing and Humanities at Minnesota State University, Mankato, active with Open Arts Minnesota and LitReach; Karen Krause: visual artist, retired school counselor and art teacher, and a member and instructor at the Waseca Art Center; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher for community art camps in St. Peter and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts; Liz Miller: visual artist and College Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Larry Pint: board member of the Minnesota Association of Community Theaters, member of American Association of Community Theater and New Prague Arts Council, and past board member for Curtain Call Theatre; Rita Rassbach: past Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Bethany Steffl: Principal, music, art, and choir teacher at St. Raphael School, Springfield, Board Member of the Springfield Community Theater, and a jewelry artist.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: musician and 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; Julie Forderer: retired elementary and special education teacher at United South Central Public School, Wells, choreographer for school musicals and community theater events; 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; Diana Joseph: author and College Professor of Creative Writing and Humanities at Minnesota State University, Mankato, active with Open Arts Minnesota and LitReach; Karen Krause: visual artist, retired school counselor and art teacher, and a member and instructor at the Waseca Art Center; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher for community art camps in St. Peter and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts; Liz Miller: visual artist and College Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Larry Pint: board member of the Minnesota Association of Community Theaters, member of American Association of Community Theater and New Prague Arts Council, and past board member for Curtain Call Theatre; Rita Rassbach: past Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Bethany Steffl: Principal, music, art, and choir teacher at St. Raphael School, Springfield, Board Member of the Springfield Community Theater, and a jewelry artist.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2021, First Special Session, chapter 1, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$35,930
Direct expenses
$43,930
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
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. The variety and number of festivals and traditional arts activities in our region/state increases. Audience members, production cast and crew, and Board and staff members will complete our survey. The General Manager will distribute and compile the results that will be presented in written form to the Board. 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.

Measurable Outcome(s)

We used survey monkey and asked students to evaluate each trip. It worked well for collecting data for goals.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Gina Anderson, Justin Danielson, Murphy Grotewold, Laura Jans, Maggie Maes, Sarah Olson, Sarah Tetzloff
Project Manager
First Name
Susan
Last Name
Olson
Organization Name
Merely Players Community Theatre, Inc AKA Merely Players
Street Address
PO Box 11
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56002
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