Quick Start Opportunity Grants

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$293
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
John Zasada
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
Completed
Start Date
October 2014
End Date
October 2014
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Itasca
Cass
Beltrami
Hubbard
Itasca
Cass
Beltrami
Hubbard
Project Overview
Quick Start Opportunity Grants
Project Details
I will provide 12 hours of art instruction to primarily students in grades 7-12, supported by their families and community members in the Deer River / Itasca County area on how to make Birch paper stars and other ornaments using Basswood twine decorated with wooden beads. All materials are hand harvested, indigenous to this Northern Minnesota area. The goal is to teach a minimum of 25 adults and 30 children under the age of 18 as participants to make a minimum of 55 ornaments of 6 or larger that will be transported to Washington, DC in late November for the Tree-to-DC project.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Erling Ellison: jewelry designer and creator, speech coach and judge, director of Garrison Art Fair; Ken Bloom: Director of Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota-Duluth; Janeen Carey: vocalist, retired Hibbing Community College librarian and information media specialist; Kate Fitzgerald: Program Director North Shore Music Association, writer; Peter Pestalozzi: furniture maker, wood worker; Catherine Meier: website designer, printmaker, drawer, animator; David Beard: Assistant Professor of University of Minnesota-Duluth writing studies; Mark King: actor, theater reviewer, musician; Adam Guggemos: graphic designer, art events promoter; Michelle Ronning: jewelry designer and maker; Ashley Leek: student of Art Education at University of Minnesota-Duluth, ceramic artist, art educator; John Gregor: photographer, art educator, community art advocate; Ann Russ: music performer, community song leader, choir director, workshop leader, past director and founder of North Shore Music Association Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Dana Mattice: Development and Communications Director of The Art Institute Duluth.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Kate Fitzgerald: Program Director North Shore Music Association, writer; John Gregor: photographer, art educator, community art advocate; Peter Pestalozzi: furniture maker, wood worker; Mark King: actor, theater reviewer, musician; Dana Mattice: Development and Communications Director of The Art Institute Duluth; Adam Guggemos: graphic designer, art events promoter; Erling Ellison: jewelry designer and creator, speech coach and judge, director of Garrison Art Fair.
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Robert DeArmond (218) 722-0952
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2013, Chapter 137, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access ACHF Cultural Heritage

2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$293
Other Funds Leveraged
$457
Direct expenses
$750
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

My personal goal is to make baskets that utilize only those materials that I can harvest sustainably from northern forests without synthetic materials such as glue and plastic. This project is one avenue to reach as many people who are willing to learn about the trees its process to provide sustainability to the environment and the people who live here. The focus of this project is to teach 25 adults and 30 children how to weave birch paper stars. Our current unofficial number of attendees consist of 9 adults and 18 students, so far. Cumulative, our goal is to create a minimum of 55 stars to donate to the Tree-to-DC project. Through this art project, I am hoping to develop the skills of individuals who will continue this art form.This project is already being publicized throughout the state, and nationally. We will evaluate this project by accumulating participant surveys, newspaper articles, and any other publicity we receive on our art work we produce. We will gauge the level of participation at the event by counting the number of participants, gauge the level of understanding of the education received by participants at the event, including quality of the products they produce and the quality of the education they receive, number of art pieces produced (whether we met our quantitative goals or not), measure the level of satisfaction realized by the participants / audience, and ask if they plan to create more of the art form and if they will participate in future similar art events, including comments and suggestions for future art lessons and events in which they would participate.

Measurable Outcome(s)

The original projection of attendees was 9 adults and 18 students, and the goal was 25 adults and 30 youth. Actual attendees was 12 youth and 16 adults; half of our goal. Although we did not meet the attendee goal, we met our goal for the number of stars made = 55 total and we accomplished that amount.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Project Manager
First Name
John
Last Name
Zasada
Organization Name
John Zasada
State
MN
Phone
(218) 326-4909
Email
emiliezasada@me.com
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

424 West Superior Street, Suite 104
Duluth, MN 55802

Phone
Project Manager: Rebecca Graves
218-722-0952
Email the Agency