Artist Initiative

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Alan M. Gerlach
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
Completed
Start Date
April 2015
End Date
June 2016
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Cass
Dakota
Hennepin
Otter Tail
Ramsey
Todd
Wright
Cass
Dakota
Hennepin
Otter Tail
Ramsey
Todd
Wright
Project Overview
Artist Initiative
Project Details
Gerlach will expand his practice, creating new visual narratives from fragments of histories of Minnesota industry. Working in sculpture, photography, and film, he will mount his first local solo exhibition at a Minneapolis gallery. As part of this project, he plans to build at least one room-sized pinhole camera to make exposures of four by eight feet, or wider.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Rebecca Davis-Lee: Touring pianist, piano and music theory teacher; Wendy Dayton: Arts and community leader and philanthropist.; Sean Dowse, Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; David Glenn: Executive director of the Minnesota Project, ceramic artist; Ellen McInnis: Director of Twin Cities government relations, Wells Fargo. Member of Bottineau Boulevard Partnership. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies; Janice Sivertson: Gallery owner and visual artist
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Marion Angelica: Ceramic artist, former director of Metropolitan Regional Arts Council; Brian Frink: Visual artist, professor of painting and drawing, chair, art department, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Maren Kloppmann: Ceramic sculptor; Qian Liu: Ceramics and sculpture artist; Stephen Shaskan: Author, illustrator and Loft Literary Center teaching artist; Don Sherman: Artist, educator, photographer, mentors program coordinator, Southwest Minnesota State University College
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact
Executive director Sue Gens (651) 215-1600
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2013, Chapter 137, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$0
Direct expenses
$10,000
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The artist will present new work that engages with fragments of Minnesota's history at an exhibition open to the public. The outcome will be a successful solo exhibition at a Minneapolis gallery. Success will be indicated by community attendance and engagement with the work. 2: The artist will learn new photographic and filmmaking processes and techniques through time spent in experimentation. The artist will have gained new knowledge and techniques to employ a more varied and thorough approach in his multidisciplinary practice.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Gerlach presented a public solo exhibition at The White Page Gallery in Minneapolis consisting of new sculptures and photographic work that engage Minnesota's history. Success of this project outcome was evaluated by public attendance at the exhibition and public engagement with the work created. The gallery was crowded throughout the opening reception and continued drawing people throughout the duration of the exhibition. It was one of the best-attended shows in the Gallery's series as evaluated by one of the Gallery directors. The artist received lots of feedback detailing a variety of ways in which others had engaged with the work at the exhibition and beyond. 2: Through experimentation, Gerlach expanded his practice to include new sculpture, filmmaking and photographic processes, techniques, and materials. In this grant project Gerlach experimented with and employed new techniques and materials in sculpture, filmmaking and photography. The work in the resulting exhibition demonstrates the development and expansion of his practice during this project. Gerlach's experimentation and learning happened in a variety of ways, both inside the studio and out, and his ability in and understanding of new techniques and materials demonstrates this outcome.

Description of Funds
Project Manager
First Name
Alan
Last Name
Gerlach
Organization Name
Alan M. Gerlach
State
MN
Phone
(612) 723-3932
Email
alan.d.gerlach@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