Art Project
Art Project
2017 RiverSong Music Festival
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 teacher, visual arts, Tyler Arts Council, Southwest Minnesota Weaver's Guild; Michele Knife Sterner: theatre actor, Southwest Minnesota State University Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Tom Wirt: artist, owner of Clay Coyote Gallery, Hutchinson Center for the Arts, past member of Hutchinson Public Arts Commission; Joyce Aakre: visual arts, writing, Discover Dassel committee, Board member for Litchfield Community Education, Exhibit committee for Dassel Area Historical Society; Kelly Muldoon: graphic artist, Prairie Music Association, Prairie Oasis Players; Dan Wahl: writer, visual artist, director, adjunct English instructor at Southwest Minnesota State University; 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; Reggie Gorter: vocalist, theatre, voice and dance teacher; Dana Johnson: producer/filmmaker; Claire Swanson: visual arts, arts teacher, Meander Art Crawl Committee.
Joyce Aakre: visual arts, writing, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Board; Ron Porep: Arts administration; Ruth Ascher: arts administration; Sheila Tabaka: Theatre; Cheryl Avenel-Navara: Arts appreciator; John Voit: Music, theatre; Joyce Meyer: visual arts, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Board.
Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Nicole DeBoer (507) 537-1471
ACHF Arts Access
RiverSong has two main goals for 2017. One 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. Our 2017 evaluation will include three key methods including on-site/survey feedback, committee debriefs, and a comprehensive organizational assessment. Chair/coordinator Amber Munoz will design and implement the surveys and steering committee debrief. We will contract and work closely with Christa Otteson of Vela Strategy to design and implement the comprehensive evaluation plan. Stakeholders, including artists, will be involved through surveys and focus groups. RiverSong became a 501(c)(3) in 2015. Our evaluation results will help us navigate this new independence and guide festival direction and decisions. It 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.
Surveys were sent out and compiled with information needed to reinforce our current plan and provide feedback on areas of improvement. We confirmed that our plan of bringing in the bigger name combined with our marketing plan is contributing to our financial sustainability. We invested in consultants to help build strength in our volunteers and board.
Other, local or private