Arts and Cultural Heritage
Arts and Cultural Heritage
They will host a Multicultural Fiesta in St. James with ethnic food, craft vendors, children's activities, community information tables, and ethnic music and dance performers. Funds will be used for artist fees, publicity, equipment rental, and supplies.
Tom Davis Barna: writer, director, producer and actor, has created many theatrical and musical productions, staged readings, and published works as a children's author; Carolyn Borgen: musician and string bass instructor and board member of the New Ulm Figure Skating Club; Justin Ek: visual artist known for his murals, paintings, and work with area youth, and founder of the Mankato Day of the Dead Celebration and the Mankato Art Crawl; 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: Web Editor at University of Minnesota Extension, former Education Coordinator at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and a board member for the Martin County Area Foundation and Fairmont Community Education; Moni Harper: musician with the Fairmont City Band, the Trimont Centennial Band, and the bugler for Fairmont VFW and Legion Honor Guard, and has served on the Boards for Fairmont Opera House and Civic Summer Theatre; Michael Looft: City Administrator for Winthrop and is an integral part of the Bavarian Blast music festival, New Ulm; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher at Le Sueur Henderson schools and 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; Sandy Sunde: retired Language Arts teacher and high school musical director, member of Uniting Cultures Community Theater Board and CAPP-Comprehensive Arts Planning Program; Dave Wahl: singer, actor, and former musician, and an active board member of the Springfield Community Theatre; Mark Wamma: Music Director and Operations Director for Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra, teaches violin and viola, and a founding member of the Two Rivers Community Orchestra and River Valley String Quartet.
Tom Davis Barna: writer, director, producer and actor, has created many theatrical and musical productions, staged readings, and published works as a children's author; Carolyn Borgen: musician and string bass instructor and board member of the New Ulm Figure Skating Club; Justin Ek: visual artist known for his murals, paintings, and work with area youth, and founder of the Mankato Day of the Dead Celebration and the Mankato Art Crawl; 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: Web Editor at University of Minnesota Extension, former Education Coordinator at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and a board member for the Martin County Area Foundation and Fairmont Community Education; Moni Harper: musician with the Fairmont City Band, the Trimont Centennial Band, and the bugler for Fairmont VFW and Legion Honor Guard, and has served on the Boards for Fairmont Opera House and Civic Summer Theatre; Michael Looft: City Administrator for Winthrop and is an integral part of the Bavarian Blast music festival, New Ulm; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher at Le Sueur Henderson schools and 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; Sandy Sunde: retired Language Arts teacher and high school musical director, member of Uniting Cultures Community Theater Board and CAPP-Comprehensive Arts Planning Program; Dave Wahl: singer, actor, and former musician, and an active board member of the Springfield Community Theatre; Mark Wamma: Music Director and Operations Director for Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra, teaches violin and viola, and a founding member of the Two Rivers Community Orchestra and River Valley String Quartet.
ACHF Cultural Heritage
Minnesotans who participate in arts festivals and folk and traditional activities increases. A committee of Uniting Cultures members will create a survey for participants to complete on site, as well as an online survey. We will enlist the services of other community members such as high school National Honor Society students to conduct the survey on site. Those responses, as well as the online survey results will be tabulated by the committee. Survey responses will inform our evaluation of the 2024 Multicultural Fiesta as we continue to make improvements for the event's sustainability as a community cultural festival.