Arts and Cultural Heritage

Native Minnesotan, Leah Yellowbird, draws inspiration from traditional art forms of her ancestors while adding a modern voice to the imagery. Mary Plaster enjoyed annual Minneapolis MayDay festivals as a teenager and went on to advanced degrees in studio art and theatre. In 2008 she became an associate artist at HoBT, completed a summer apprenticeship with Bread and Puppet, co-curated a fall Duluth Arts Institute puppetry exhibition, and founded DASN. Her love of lighted sculptures and desire to incorporate them into DASN observances made her seek advice from artist, Andrew Kim. He trained in the 1990s with HoBT and then moved to the UK in 2006 to work with Welfare State International (1968-2006), which offered European traditions of street theatre, folk celebration, Carnival, and lighted procession. He teaches worldwide but is especially fond of MN. Patricia Canelake and Frank Sander are North Shore artists who founded Little Knife Sanctuary for purposes of wilderness-based artist retreats. Measurable outcomes will be obtained through written feedback requested from workshop leaders, artists, and the public. We'll count adult/youth attendance and participation at the Stoney Point procession. We'll assess audience/artist response from written feedback requested from master class leaders, workshop artists, and attending public. Social media will heighten communications and exposure by reaching worldwide online audiences using Mr. Kim's vast network. Response will be measured in numbers of likes, comments, and sharing. Networking and publicity will be achieved through Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and Messaging. Jay Gabler and Wyatt Buechner of Duluth News Tribune Northlandia will be contacted for media and newspaper articles. Documentation by photos and films will be shared through social media, print news, television broadcast and other forms of the press. Continued use and exposure for community events will be evidence of the sustainability and popularity of our giant illuminated moose.