Art Project

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Rhythm of the River
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
May 2019
End Date
September 2019
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Jackson
Cottonwood
Nobles
Rock
Murray
Lyon
Lincoln
Lake
Martin
Blue Earth
Nicollet
Brown
Stearns
Jackson
Cottonwood
Nobles
Rock
Murray
Lyon
Lincoln
Lake
Martin
Blue Earth
Nicollet
Brown
Stearns
Project Overview

Art Project

Project Details

Rhythm of the River Music Festival.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

John White: writer, photographer, retired journalist; Georgette Jones: literature teacher, theatre actor, director, teacher; Anna Johanssen: fiber artist, art teacher, Remick Gallery board, president of Windom Women’s Investment group, treasurer of Cottonwood County Animal Rescue, officer of Cotton Quilters; Kristen Kuipers: musician, private lesson and K-12 classroom music instructor, theater, writing, volunteer with Jackson Center for the Arts; Janet Olney: visual artist, Willmar Area Arts Council coordinator; Joyce Meyer: photographer, retired art teacher, Canby Arts Council; Michele Knife Sterner: theater actor, Southwest Minnesota State University Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Lisa Hill: musician, Crow River Singers, attorney; Emily Petersen: visual artist, art teacher; David KelseyBassett: visual artist, musician; Anne O’Keefe-Jackson: human resources director, bead and quill work; Scott Wessels: theater actor, director, writing, media, communications, board member for Green Earth Players; Brett Lehman: musician, social worker, 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.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Kathy Fransen: music, arts administration; Jeff Iverson: music, theater, education; Janet Olney: visual art, arts administration, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council board; Teresa Peterson: writing; Don Sherman: visual art; John White: visual art, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council board; Tom Wirt: visual art, arts administration.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact

Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Nicole DeBoer (507) 537-1471

Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2017 Regular Session, chapter 91, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$16,138
Direct expenses
$23,138
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.00
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Rhythm of the River has maintained several goals since its inception in 2006. Some of these goals include providing a community event that offers a variety of music and art genres. Rhythm of the River strives to expose festival goers to new music, singer/songwriters, and styles of music, theatre and dance, while giving artists an opportunity to share, display and showcase their material. The committee is in the process of re-designing the corporate sponsorship levels, that will individualize the donation packages from each company. We will be able to measure the increase of financial support from businesses compared to 2018. Charging festival admission is a significant change for the festival. The attendance and response will be tracked for evaluation and will perhaps be a better measure than last year, as the other variable connected to the admission charge was the change in location. For the purposes of the final report, the following goals will be tracked and measured in 2019: 1. Track the number of first-time attendees in 2019. 2. Reduce waste during the event by selling stainless steel commemorative glasses and water bottles that can be used for all beverages. 3. Charge admission through daily and weekend pass fees. 4. Supporting high-quality, age-appropriate arts education for residents of all ages to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts. Written evaluation tools will be distributed to sponsors to assess their input on the festival and utilize their comments for growth and improvement of the festival. Written evaluation tools will be handed out by volunteers during the festival. After the event, evaluations will be sent to the organizations who collaborated on the festival, including but not limited to; Fort Belmont, Jackson Center for the Arts, Prairie Ecology Bus Center, Big Buddies, and the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. 1. Random surveys that are distributed throughout the festival will track 1st time attendees. Food and Art vendors will also be surveyed to track population served. 2. The number of stainless-steel cups sold will be recorded. Beverage vendors will be asked how many plastic cups they used, as compared to previous years. Garbage cans and bins will be observed for overflow and content of cups. 3. Festival goers will be surveyed as to their level of satisfaction with the admission charge in 2019. Records will indicate if the admission charge affected the number of attendees. 4. Multigenerational participation will be observed and recorded through surveys, volunteer input, and photography.

Measurable Outcome(s)

From our online survey, the following statistics were tabulated: 14% of attendees were at Rhythm of the River for the first time. 93% of those surveyed stated that they enjoyed the music. 93% stated that they want to attend another RotR. 97% of respondees felt that the event is family-friendly. 67% of the surveyed used a sustainable drinking glass. Comments from onsite paper surveys included: GREAT FESTIVAL. Tix prices are very reasonable. Good Show. Keep up this wonderful festival. Music was great. Don't mind admission, but the price jump was a lot and prevented people from just checking it out. Love the musical diversity!

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved most of the proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Hanna Rossow, Mike Schwartz, Anja Carlson, Paul Jones, Patty Vidana, Kathy Fransen, Bridget Kolander-Gilbert, Deb Isaacson, Gayle Handevidt More, Toni Hazen, Angie Crees, Michelle Sheepstra
Project Manager
First Name
Hanna
Last Name
Rossow
Organization Name
Rhythm of the River
Street Address
PO Box 84
City
Jackson
State
MN
Zip Code
56143
Phone
(507) 847-2589
Email
rhythmoftheriver@yahoo.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

509 W Main St, PO Box 55
Marshall, Minnesota 56258 

Phone
Phone Manager: Nicole DeBoer
(507) 537-1471
Email the Agency