Art Project Grant

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$5,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
March 2013
End Date
September 2013
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Nobles
Martin
Redwood
Cottonwood
Jackson
Murray
Steele
Hennepin
Nobles
Martin
Redwood
Cottonwood
Jackson
Murray
Steele
Hennepin
Project Overview
Art Project Grant
Project Details
Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Deb Larson: visual artist, president of Big Stone County Arts Council; Jane Link: visual artist, board member of Milan Village Arts School, and Milan Community Education, and Greater Milan Initiative; Marilee Strom: musician, former art teacher, business owner; Kathy Fransen: musician, certified clinical musician, founder and coordinator of Rhythm of the River music/art festival; Randy Meyer; visual artist and farmer, former art teacher; Kate Aydin: retired educator, multidisciplinary curriculum developer, board member of Lincoln County Pioneer Museum; Paula Nemes: musician, librarian, former coordinator of the Marshall Area Fine Arts Council, Vice President of Marshall Area Stage Company; Tom Wirt: artist, owner of Clay Coyote Gallery, founding member and president of Hutchinson Center for the Arts, past member of Hutchinson Public Arts Commission; Susan Marco: writer, High School English and creative writing teacher; Kelly Muldoon: graphic artist, board member of Prairie Music Association and Prairie Oasis Players, former clogger; Ellen Copperud: retired language arts teacher, theatre director; Dan Wahl: visual artist, musician, participant in community theater productions, adjunct English instructor at Southwest Minnesota State University; Emily Olson; musician, writing instructor; Tamara Isfeld: visual artist, art teacher for Renville County West Schools, Arts Meander planning committee, board member at Granite Arts Council and Renville Friends of the Arts; Cindy Reverts: visual artist, treasurer of Rock County Fine Arts Association, board member for Council for Arts in Humanities in Rock County, Art Rocks planning committee; Sydney Massee: visual artist, quilter, behind the scenes assistant in theatre productions, board member of Lac qui Parle Valley School District; Audrey Fuller: writer, arts advocate, tribal planner, grant writer.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Mark Bosveld: directed high school plays, musicals and community theater, former board member of Friends of the Orchestra, board member of Prairie Dance Alliance; Craig Edwards: potter, past board member for Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council, founder of New London Art Center, member of Kaleidoscope Artist Cooperative; Roberta Trooien: musician, professor, author; Jean Replinger: professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, professional musician, editor, board member for the Marshall Area Fine Arts Council; Beth Habicht: artist, retired orchestra teacher, member of the Great Plains String Quartet, steering committee and founding member of Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra; Christa Otteson: arts advocate, regional coordinator Minnesota Council for NonprofitsÆ central region; Kathy Fransen: musician, certified clinical musician, founder and coordinator of Rhythm of the River music/art festival; Randy Meyer; visual artist and farmer, former art teacher.
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact
Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Greta Murray (507) 537-1471
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2011, First Special Session, chapter 6, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$5,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$5,686
Direct expenses
$10,686
Administration costs
$0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra goals will continue to include becoming a diverse, volunteer symphony orchestra providing high quality challenging musical experiences, while providing the opportunity for life-long musical learning and educating, as well as entertaining family audiences and promoting artistic enrichment throughout the region. The Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra will preserve the rich repertoire and cultural history of orchestra in the region and throughout the state.The symphony orchestra will attract string, woodwind, brass and percussion musicians of all ages and diverse cultural backgrounds to fulfill the musical requirements of the traditional symphonic repertoire. The orchestra concert will target young students and families throughout the region. Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra members and their concert attendees will be inspired by the work of incredible citizens who become the artists. Over 500 people will be involved either as musicians, volunteers, or attendees, becoming aware of the ability of the arts to raise spirits, and inspire dreams for all ages and backgrounds, as well as, stimulating the economic growth of Worthington and the surrounding areas. A video survey will be completed by members of the audience both before and after the concert. Surveys will be distributed to the symphony orchestra musicians during rehearsals and also to the concert audience participants. The survey will include information related to satisfaction, age, cultural identity, geographic location of attendees, and knowledge of the music presented. One month after the final concert, the Great Plains String Quartet Leadership Team will meet and summarize the information contained in the survey and use that information to impact further orchestral events. This activity is important to the community because it is part of the Worthington Area Orchestra’s purpose to raise awareness of orchestral and other performing arts. The Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra will be inclusive and accessible, considering economic, geographic, and physical accessibility, as well as cultural, racial, ethnic, age and gender. This project has the potential to connect a wide range of aspiring artists with their communities and the surrounding areas.

Measurable Outcome(s)

The audience and support base for Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra has grown as reflected in the Spring Concert. The addition of new players from new communities has the added benefit of expanding the audience as evidenced by the five new zip codes listed among the 25 written audience evaluations. First time attendees were present from central South Dakota, central Minnesota, northwest Iowa, the Twin Cities, Sioux Falls, Louisville, KY and more. Overall attendance has grown. Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra witnessed the growth in sponsorship support over its short life of three years. Four new community sponsors were secured for the Spring Concert. All sponsors were represented in the audience and hopefully will return for future concerts. When people attend the Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra concerts at Memorial Auditorium they not only are attending a concert, a percentage of them will purchase gas, groceries, gifts and eat at local restaurants, thus leaving an economic impact on Worthington. Another great example of the arts building economic development in communities. More musicians than last year, 50 in all, performed for the spring 2013 concert. Performers ranged in age from 14 to 80 plus, lived in 16 different zip codes in two states and represented a variety of occupations. These numbers and diversity are a new-found strength of the organization, bringing a richness to the ensemble and building a bond that united the players. One Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra musician stated, I LOVE playing in Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra! It feeds my musical soul. In pursuit of Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra’s mission to provide opportunity for area musicians to perform in the setting of a symphony orchestra in 2013 Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra has enabled a total of 85 area string, woodwind, brass and percussion players to perform as an orchestra. Communicated through the players, they indicate their knowledge of orchestral music growing, their technical skills are improving and they are being challenged by the musical literature.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Margaret Hurlbut-Vosburgh, Candace Joens, Mary Batcheller, Cindy Elsing, Dan Johnson, Arlen Foss, Judy Johnson, Marcia Liapis, Janene Winters
Project Manager
First Name
Karen
Last Name
Pfeiffer
Organization Name
Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra
Street Address
1210 Elmwood Ave
City
Worthington
State
MN
Zip Code
56187
Phone
(507) 372-7418
Email
Karenpfeifer351@gmail.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