Art Project Grant

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,794
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Itasca Orchestra and Strings Program
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
November 2014
End Date
May 2015
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Itasca
St. Louis
Carlton
Aitkin
Itasca
St. Louis
Carlton
Aitkin
Project Overview
Art Project Grant
Project Details
The Itasca Symphony Orchestra will perform three concerts: the first with guest artist Alexander Sandor, who will perform Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pytor Tchaikovsky on November 22, 2014; the second with guest artist Aleks Tengesdal, who will perform the Cello Concerto in B minor by Antonín Dvorák on February 21, 2015; the third with guest artist tenor Bill Bastian, who will perform a work yet to be decided upon on May 16, 2015. All concerts will begin at 7:30 pm, with the November concert at the Reif Center, and, due to a major renovation at the Reif, the February and May concerts will take place at the Saint Joseph’s Church in Grand Rapids.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Erling Ellison: jewelry designer and creator, speech coach and judge, director of Garrison Art Fair; Ken Bloom: Director of Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota-Duluth; Janeen Carey: vocalist, retired Hibbing Community College librarian and information media specialist; Kate Fitzgerald: Program Director North Shore Music Association, writer; Peter Pestalozzi: furniture maker, wood worker; Catherine Meier: website designer, printmaker, drawer, animator; David Beard: Assistant Professor of University of Minnesota-Duluth writing studies; Mark King: actor, theater reviewer, musician; Adam Guggemos: graphic designer, art events promoter; Michelle Ronning: jewelry designer and maker; Ashley Leek: student of Art Education at University of Minnesota-Duluth, ceramic artist, art educator; John Gregor: photographer, art educator, community art advocate; Ann Russ: music performer, community song leader, choir director, workshop leader, past director and founder of North Shore Music Association Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Dana Mattice: Development and Communications Director of The Art Institute Duluth.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Erling Ellison: jewelry designer and creator, speech coach and judge, director of Garrison Art Fair; Ken Bloom: Director of Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota-Duluth; Janeen Carey: vocalist, retired Hibbing Community College librarian and information media specialist; Kate Fitzgerald: Program Director North Shore Music Association, writer; Peter Pestalozzi: furniture maker, wood worker; David Beard: Assistant Professor of University of Minnesota-Duluth writing studies; Mark King: actor, theater reviewer, musician; Adam Guggemos: graphic designer, art events promoter; John Gregor: photographer, art educator, community art advocate; Ann Russ: music performer, community song leader, choir director, workshop leader, past director and founder of North Shore Music Association; Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Dana Mattice: Development and Communications Director of The Art Institute Duluth.
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Robert DeArmond (218) 722-0952
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2013, Chapter 137, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access ACHF Arts Education ACHF Cultural Heritage

2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,794
Other Funds Leveraged
$19,302
Direct expenses
$22,096
Administration costs
$940
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The artistic goals are to perform orchestral music to the highest possible standard for a community orchestra. Artistic success means selecting music that utilizes the strengths of the orchestra and hiring professionals to fill in where parts are needed. The goal is to provide local musicians with the opportunity to learn new works, perform for an audience and accompany a high quality soloist. Additionally, the goal is to provide local audience members with three high quality listening experiences that will expose them to a variety of composers, featuring different instruments and a fun concert experience.The local musicians will have the opportunity to evaluate their learning experience through a post-concert survey. The local audience will also have the opportunity to evaluate their concert experience through a survey. The information collected will be used by the Itasca Orchestra and Strings Program to inform programming decisions.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Our first proposed outcome for the orchestra musicians was to ask the musicians if they were challenged by the performance experience and to assess the quality of the orchestras playing. According to post-concert surveys completed by our Itasca Symphony Orchestra members, the majority of all Symphony members felt they were challenged by our performances and that the Itasca Symphony Orchestra did succeed in performing to the highest standards possible for a community orchestra. Surveys showed our musicians had the opportunity to perform works that they had never had the opportunity to perform. Surveys also showed our musicians were very enthusiastic about their opportunity to play with the Itasca Symphony Orchestra. The second proposed outcome was to expose our Itasca County audience to the talent and versatility of the featured performer and the symphony orchestra. The audience surveys were all very positive, and always are fun to review after each concert. This year our program listed the professions for each one of our musicians. This information was included to highlight that our musicians our volunteers and all have mostly non-music related jobs in our communityùour audience wrote in many favorable comments indicating this information was really interesting to see.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Kristen Anderson, Dave Kooda, Shannon Benolken, Tom Nelson, Brad Johnson, Heather Krueger, Mary LaPlant, Jerry Ophoven, Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak, Christa Berg, Cheryl Lewis
Project Manager
First Name
Tara
Last Name
Makinen
Organization Name
Itasca Orchestra and Strings Program
Street Address
720 Conifer Dr PO Box 140
City
Grand Rapids
State
MN
Zip Code
55744
Phone
(218) 327-5781
Email
tara@itascaorchestra.org
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


332 West Superior Street, Suite 204
Duluth, MN 55802

Phone
Project Manager: Rebecca Graves
(218) 722-0952
Email the Agency