Art Project
Art Project
Worthington International Festival 2022
Cheryl Avenel-Navara: education, Worthington Public Arts Commission chair, SW MN Opportunity council; Judy Beckman: vocal music, Big Stone Arts Council, Big Stone County Historical Society, Big Stone Lake Area Chamber of Commerce CEO; Cheri Buzzeo: theater, music, The Barn Theatre administration, Willmar Main St participant; Jessica Welu: writing, music, SW Regional Development Commission; Anna Johannsen: fiber artist, art teacher, Remick Gallery board, president of Windom Women's Investment group, treasurer of Cottonwood County Animal Rescue, officer of Cotton Quilters; Georgette Jones: literature teacher, theatre actor/director/teacher; David KelseyBassett: visual artist, musician, Hinterland Art Crawl board; Shawn Kinsinger: theater director, actor, musician, Palace Theatre executive director, Green Earth Players vice president, Luverne Street Music board member, Luverne High School Theater artistic director; Darlene Kotelnicki: theater, city council, library board. Cheryl Avenel Navara: education, Worthington Public Arts Commission chair, SW MN Opportunity Council volunteer; Alison Nelson: art, music, and dance teacher, KMS Community Ed director, Kerkhoven Fire Department Auxiliary fundraiser; Anne O'Keefe-Jackson: human resources director, bead and quill work; Michele Huggins: Granite Area Arts Council treasurer and volunteer, member of the Artisan Grain Collaborative, founding member of ACHALA; Betsy Pardick: musician, actor, Dept. of Public Transformation committees; Kristine Shelstad: visual arts, Madison Mercantile art gallery, Madison Arts Council, Lac qui Parle Players; VFW; Michele Knife Sterner: theater (actor), SMSU Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Erica Volkir: performing arts, Pipestone Performing Arts Center board, Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB director; Mark Wilmes: Lake Benton Opera House board president, actor/director, musician, reporter;
Cat Abbott Meier, visual art; Ashlyn Cox, visual art; Bob Dorlac visual art; Anna Johannsen, fiber arts, SMAC board; Paula Nemes, theater, music; Zachary Ploeger, music, theater; Sheila Tabaka, theater
ACHF Cultural Heritage
It is important that we understand who our neighbors are and their special contributions to the community. The Festival gives all residents of the region an opportunity to celebrate these artistic contributions, create pride among the cultural groups for what they offer, and educate all of us in a way that we can enjoy. Families celebrate the pride they feel in their own culture and enjoy learning more about the other cultures that exist around them. This project helps to grow our organization by bringing members of all the ethnic groups living in our community together. From these contacts we can attract and recruit new members to the Festival committee. Evidence of this is in the new leaders we see emerging from the diverse population and assuming roles on the International Festival Committee and other community events. To evaluate how well we have met our stated project outcomes a survey translated into English and Spanish will be handed out by volunteers during the Festival. Questions will include: number of participants who interacted with someone from a culture other than their own, the number of people who learned something new about another culture other than their own, and the number of people who felt they are more comfortable interacting with someone of a different culture from their experience at the Festival. Questions asked to artists will include whether they had a positive experience after performing at the Festival and also if performing at the Festival had a positive impact on their artistry.
Audiences in our rural location were able to learn about the artists and their methodologies through gallery talks and didactic materials in the gallery. Each art talk was recorded and broadcast on our local television station and on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Becoming more familiar with the artists and their processes expanded the audience's understanding of others' experiences and increased capacity for empathy. Educational experiences and personal discussions with the artists inspired further engagement with the arts. The artists increased their professional visibility, reached new audiences, and had the ability to create new work. It is vital for artists within our region specifically, as there are few opportunities for them to showcase their work locally.
Other,local or private