Art Project
Art Project
RiverSong Music Festival 2018.
John White: writer, photographer, retired journalist; Georgette Jones: literature teacher, theatre actor, director, teacher; Marilee Strom: musician, former art teacher, business owner; Kathy Fransen: musician, theatre, Rhythm of the River coordinator; Janet Olney: visual artist, Willmar Area Arts Council coordinator; Joyce Meyer: photographer, retired art teacher, Canby Arts Council; Pam Blake: retired art educator, visual artist, Tyler Arts Council, Lincoln County Art Fair, Southwest Minnesota Weaver's Guild; Michele Knife Sterner: theatre actor, SMSU Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Lisa Hill: musician, Crow River Singers, attorney; Joyce Aakre: visual arts, writing, Discover Dassel committee, Board member for Litchfield Community Education, Exhibit committee for Dassel Area Historical Society; Emily Petersen: visual artist, art teacher; David KelseyBassett: visual artist, musician; Anne O'Keefe-Jackson: human resources director, bead and quill work; Cindy Reverts: visual artist, Rock County Fine Arts Association treasurer, Council for Arts in Humanities in Rock County; Brett Lehman: Worthington International Festival, Worthington City Band, Worthington Concert Association; Erica Volkir: performing arts, Director of Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB; Claire Swanson: visual arts, arts teacher, Meander Art Crawl Committee.
Cheri Buzzeo: theatre, arts admin; Mary Gillespie: visual art, chamber; Dusan Milanovic, theatre; Kaia Nowatzki: visual art; Tom Wirt: visual art, arts/community boards; Brett Lehman: music, SMAC Board; Janet Olney: visual art, arts admin, SMAC Board.
Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Nicole DeBoer (507) 537-1471
ACHF Arts Access
RiverSong has three main goals for 2018. Our first goal is for RiverSong volunteers to develop skills, capacity and become better equipped to sustain the festival, so that our Minnesota community is strengthened and enriched by this arts festival. Our second goal is to give Minnesotans a meaningful arts experiences through festivals and grow our attendance to 3,000 to provide increased financial security. Our goals connect to organizational sustainability by offering high-quality arts experiences. Having strong, skilled volunteers and a growing audience will ensure we have the human and financial resources to continue this festival for years to come. We continue to work with Vela Strategy to build our board members strengths which will then help to build our other volunteers and our long-term strategies. Our third goal is to develop stronger fundraising skills, both in the ask and in developing specific plans for key sponsors. An on-site comment box will allow audience feedback. In 2017 we designed an intern position to collect direct feedback during the festival and that same intern has already committed to returning this year. E-mail surveys will be sent to performers, volunteers, sponsors, and fans with questions specific to each group. RiverSong has worked with a consultant to create measurements and tools to guide future direction and build overall volunteer capacity. We will design and implement internal and external interviews that will help us better understand what our volunteers need to be successful. These will also be used to build a new multi-year strategic plan focused on leadership and volunteer development, succession planning, and financial security to make RiverSong a sustainable festival. We also will be able to evaluate our success in our fundraising plans by comparing year-to-year results.
Surveys were sent out and compiled with information needed to reinforce our current plan and provide feedback on areas of improvement. We showed a loss of approximately $10,000 but have plans for 2019 as to how we can make up the loss and still make us a better festival overall. We invested in consultants to help build strength in our volunteers, board, fundraising, and marketing.
Other,local or private