Arts Activities Support

Weavers Guild of Minnesota proposed in our application that 40-50 classes would be offered. We far exceeded this, offering 90 classes, 83% of which were held; this was more classes than in any class series. There were 657 registrations total with 495 unique students. 100% of students would take another class from their instructor, and 99% told us the class met their expectation. The Weavers Guild of Minnesota has been preserving and advancing the arts of weaving, spinning, and dyeing for 76 years; our Winter/Spring 2016 Class Series continued this tradition. Through these classes, Weavers Guild of Minnesota accomplished the four goals detailed in our application. Goal 1: Celebrate and respect all individuals from beginners to seasoned artists and craftspersons. We offered many classes for beginners; all had at least five students in the class and most were completely full with ten students. Specifically, there were six floor loom weaving, six portable weaving, three spinning, three dyeing, and twenty-five one-day experience classes. This was a notable increase over the previous year. Weavers Guild of Minnesota also supported our advanced artists. Many of our intermediate and advanced weavers took more than one class. While most repeat students took two or three courses, two students took seven classes. These two students were able to significantly develop as artists because of this intensive study. Goal 2: Promote innovative, art-based uses of fiber. Innovation is vital to ensure these arts remain relevant and vibrant. Weavers Guild of Minnesota offered several classes specifically to address innovative uses of fiber, two examples are: Spin a Picture in which students used paintings or photographs to inspire color palette and spinning strategies to create unique art yarn that captured a moment in time, and Mixed Media and Sustainability, in which students explored using found materials and generating minimal waste during the weaving process. Goal 3: Provide a rich, positive environment that inspires lifelong learning in a non-competitive environment, nurturing a multi-generational community. We had two new instructors during the Winter/Spring Class Series, both of whom are under 30 years old. We also had four advanced students start as classroom assistants to gain teaching experience. Additionally, our particularly advanced courses were attended by several students who had not taken classes at the Weavers Guild for over five years. These individuals are active members and study group participants, and by taking advanced courses in Winter/Spring, they were able to continue developing their artistic skills. Goal 4: Provide opportunities for individuals to learn from teaching artists about the creative process and artistic expression. All Weavers Guild of Minnesota classes present weaving, spinning, and dyeing as artistic disciplines. However, as with many mediums, foundational classes focus more on technical knowledge. Design and creative process become a greater focus in intermediate and advanced courses. One third of our classes offered in Winter/Spring 2016 provided the opportunity to explore such topics with experienced teaching artists. For program evaluation, we asked if students had broadened their artistic skills in these classes and if Weavers Guild of Minnesota was a supportive resource, but only about 25% of students provided answers to these questions. We plan to revise our survey to obtain the information we need. Members of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota community share a passion for weaving, spinning, and/or dyeing. Weavers Guild of Minnesota is the main resource for community members located in the Twin Cities and wider metropolitan area, and also for those from other Minnesota communities that do not have a local weaving, spinning, or dyeing resource. We know that our Winter/Spring 2016 Class Series was particularly successful because a dramatic participation increase was observed. There were 657 class registrations, which was double that in the same period in 2015. Of these registrations, 47% were Weavers Guild of Minnesota members and 53% were non-members. Regarding non-member students specifically, we had triple the registrations as compared to the same period in 2015. We attribute this increase to our successful marketing and outreach efforts. By demonstrating at diverse venues such as Twin Cities Pride, Mini Maker Faire, and the Minnesota State Fair, as well as an increased social media presence, more potential students were reached. While there were 657 class registrations, there were only 495 unique students because many took more than one class. This, paired with qualitative stories, clearly show that our members are taking multiple classes and advancing through the curriculum. While we are successfully broadening our community through increased non-member registrations, we are still supporting our core membership of artists and craftpersons. Our core membership has historically been at least 50% individuals who are 55 and older, and female. We are proud to provide a safe and creative space for these individuals, especially since this demographic remains largely under-served by arts education organizations. We also value welcoming new members to our community. Two years ago, we had only five members under 30. Now, we have nearly sixty total, and some individuals in this group are on the Board of Directors. It is far more difficult to measure our success in creating classes to attract more individuals of diverse gender identification, race and cultural backgrounds. We do not currently collect data on these identifiers, but in the future, we hope to implement a way to gather and analyze this information in a respectful and meaningful way. Finally, Weavers Guild of Minnesota continues to strive to offer a rich array of classes for all budgets. Our on-site classes range in cost from $17 to $350, but through our partnerships with Dakota County Library Adults Programming, Weavers Guild of Minnesota is able to offer free classes at several locations. The Education Committee and Board of Directors are committed to developing a scholarship program in the near future to further address any economic obstacles to participation.