Project Grant - Round 1

1. Through this art-based project, the Saint Cloud Downtown Alliance Foundation (Downtown Alliance Foundation) strengthened the business and educational infrastructure of Saint Cloud’s downtown area. 2. Artist Dan Mondloch painted 8 pictures featuring downtown architecture as well as created a prototype of an exterior mounted plaque featuring one of these paintings and a written summary of its historical significance. 3. By assisting Dan in exhibiting these at local art events, the Downtown Alliance Foundation connected with funders and raised $1200 to help fund this project. 4. The Downtown Alliance Foundation used the $1200 in funds raised to pay for administrative and publicity costs incurred during this project. 5. By assisting in selecting the 8 buildings to be depicted in paintings and providing written summaries of their historical and architectural significance, the Historical Preservation Commission of Saint Cloud contributed to a project that builds upon their previous efforts to recognize and protect buildings or sites that reflect significant elements of the City’s cultural, social, economic, political, visual, or architectural history. 6. Artist Dan Mondloch educated art show audiences and gathered essential feedback from them at 5 art based events. This feedback was essential to the research and development component of this project grant. 7. Audiences provided a clear ranking of buildings depicted in the paintings. This is an outcome of the research and development for a public art project. 8. Audiences have greater appreciation for downtown architecture, place higher importance on preserving the buildings for future generations, feel more connected to their community by learning about their shared history, plan to use downtown as a destination more frequently in the future, and overall have increased awareness about the architecturally and historically significant buildings in downtown St Cloud. Creation and exhibition of these paintings connected a wider audience of people to the important stories and cultural history that these buildings represent. 9. After viewing these paintings and responding to research and development letters of inquiry, the owners of the buildings depicted signed agreements for permanent exterior installation of plaques featuring their building and a summary of its historical significance, thereby acknowledging the value in incorporating art into their property. This plaque model symbolizes the potential for historic architecture to be the common thread among businesses and provides education to the diverse population that visits downtown. 10. Evidence of research and development for a public art project including a list of the top 4 ranking buildings of Saint Cloud's downtown, locations for traveling exhibition, and permanent interior installation permission.1. We will have evidence that our efforts toward strengthening the business and educational infrastructure of downtown are complete when the prototype of the plaque for historic buildings is created and shared with local building owners and met with positive response and interest. By the end of January 2013, Dan will email Downtown Alliance Foundation photos and notes from individual meetings with business owners where he shared the prototype. 2. Digital files of completed paintings emailed from Dan to Downtown Alliance Foundation by November 9th will verify that the paintings are completed. A digital photo of Dan showing an exterior plaque prototype to a building owner will demonstrate that the plaque was both created and shared with building owners. 3. By the 2nd week of January, Downtown Alliance Foundation banking receipts will show $1200 deposited into their account as a result of individuals or companies sponsoring each of the 8 paintings at $150 each. 4. Downtown Alliance Foundation’s February budget statement, produced by February 1st, indicates that the $1200 deposited was allocated for administrative and publicity costs.