Art Project Grant
Art Project Grant
Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade, a non-motorized, site-specific, outdoor parade performance on May 12, 2019, in celebration of the annual smelt run on Lake Superior.
Adam Guggemos: graphic designer, art events promoter; Michelle Ronning: jewelry designer and maker; Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Moira Villiard: visual artist, Cultural Programming Coordinator at American Indian Community Housing Organization; Jeanne Doty: Retired Associate Professor UMD Music, pianist; Amber Burns: choreographer, dancer, actor, middle school art teacher; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, and former Children's Theatre employee; Tammy Mattonen: visual artists, co-founder of Crescendo Youth Orchestra; Kayla Schubert: Native American craft artist, writer, employee at MacRostie Art Center; Ariana Daniel: mixed media artist, arts instructor; Emily Fasbender: student liaison, visual artist
Michelle Ronning: jewelry designer and maker; Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Jeanne Doty: Retired Associate Professor UMD Music, pianist; Amber Burns: choreographer, dancer, actor, middle school art teacher; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, and former Children's Theatre employee; Kayla Schubert: Native American craft artist, writer, employee at MacRostie Art Center; Ariana Daniel: mixed media artist, arts instructor
ACHF Arts Access ACHF Arts Education ACHF Cultural Heritage
Magic Smelt is building on past success to carry on the Smelt Parade as a proud local tradition. We wish to coordinate a fanciful procession to accompany our giant Smelt Queen puppet on the Lakewalk. This will be a visual and musical spectacle, celebrating the extraordinary phenomenon of the smelt run. We will offer free workshops prior to the event, both in a visible public location and in area schools. We wish for the workshops and parade to be creative parties. This is a local event, with hundreds of Duluthians celebrating with local pride. The key to our success will be to engage students, families, and a diverse community of volunteer participants. We intend to recruit perhaps 100 costumed and masked performers and puppeteers. Additionally, we expect to attract another couple of hundred spectators. Our parade is intrinsically a community event. People will come if they enjoy themselves. We make it easy for people to participate at their own level. We have worked with girl scouts making crowns and rod puppets, dads on stilts, and grandmas sewing costumes. We will continue to engage citizens of all ages.
This was our 8th annual Smelt Run Parade. Our workshops began April 28 at a new location this year, in Lincoln Park, 1832 West Superior St. In terms of access and visibility, this was our best location ever. See attached workshop flier). We recruited approximately 60 masqueraders and puppeteers at the workshops. Some were repeat participants, and many were newcomers. In addition, anyone and everyone is invited to dress up in silver. Year after year, more and more individuals and families are creating costumes at home. Parade day, May 13, presented lovely weather and approximately 450 people joined our procession on the Lakewalk. We began in front of the Maritime Visitors Center, beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge, with puppet and mask theater presenting a fanciful introduction to the Kingdom of Smelt. The Duluth News Tribune (May 13. see attachments) featured front page photos of Magic Smelt masqueraders and delighted faces in the audience. Other stops along the parade route included Endion Station and the atrium at Gichi-Ode Akiing (Lake Place Park). Throughout the event, the Brass Messengers Brass Band provided lively dance music. The parade concluded with a smelt fry and party at Zeitgeist Arts Cafe. Magic Smelt presented a history of smelt cranky show, "El Mundo", and a new, short, animated film, "Devil Boy", in the theater. There are several partners and sponsors whose support helped make this year's event a success. These include the Park Point Community Club, the Army Corps of Engineers, Duluth Parks and Recreation, Zeitgeist Arts Café, Hoops Brewing, Bent Paddle, Whole Foods Co-op, Global Village, Endion Staion, and the Greater Downtown Council. As intended, our final event was a visual and musical spectacle, celebrating the extraordinary phenomenon of the annual smelt run. The key to our success was to attract and engage students, families, and a diverse community of volunteer participants.
Other,local or private