Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Minnesota State University-Mankato AKA Good Thunder Reading Series
Recipient Type
Public College/University
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2022
End Date
March 2023
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Martin
Nicollet
Sibley
Waseca
Watonwan
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Martin
Nicollet
Sibley
Waseca
Watonwan
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

They will have six to eight authors for the 40th Good Thunder Reading Series. Funds will be used for Métis author, Toni Jensen, March 2023. Her books include “Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land” and the short story collection “From the Hilltop.”

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Carolyn Borgen: musician and string bass instructor and board member of the New Ulm Figure Skating Club; 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

Carolyn Borgen: musician and string bass instructor and board member of the New Ulm Figure Skating Club; 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
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact

Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, Inc., Cindy Lewer (507) 833-8721

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
$4,240
Direct expenses
$12,240
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. The evaluation method used to measure the goals and outcomes of this project will be a survey distributed to all attendees at each event. The Good Thunder Director will create the survey; it will be distributed and tabulated with assistance from graduate

Measurable Outcome(s)

The evaluation plan we used this year was qualitative rather than quantitative. We received not only more substantive answers, but more of them in total. It would appear that our members had been waiting to tell us their thoughts. Based on survey results, we are adding a show to the 2023 season. We are weighting the rehearsal pressure more towards the front of the season to ease the end of the season stresses, and we are tightening up our communication policies.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Robin Becker, Geoff Herbach, Chris McCormick, Michael Torres
Project Manager
First Name
Chris
Last Name
McCormick
Organization Name
Minnesota State University-Mankato AKA Good Thunder Reading Series
Street Address
230 Armstrong Hall
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56001
Phone
(507) 389-5144
Email
goodthunder@mnsu.edu
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