Artist Initiative

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Taja Ann. Will AKA Taja Will
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
Completed
Start Date
January 2018
End Date
December 2018
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Hennepin
Ramsey
Hennepin
Ramsey
Project Overview

Artist Initiative

Project Details

Choreographer Taja Will presents Gospels of Oblivion, Fall 2018.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Member of the Smithsonian National Board. Former chair of the board, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Officer at -Large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Rebecca Davis-Lee: Touring pianist, piano and music theory teacher. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse, Mayor of Red Wing, elected 2016. Former executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Secretary/Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies.; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Ramona Jacobs: Owner and director of Fergus Falls School of Dance; Heather Klopchin: Associate professor and chair of St Olaf College dance department; Sachiko Nishiuchi: Flamenco dancer and instructor; Arts Board grantee; Akiko Ostlund: Dancer, performing artist, poet, puppeteer, and activist; Naimah Petigny: Dancer; PhD candidate in feminist studies at the U of M; Michele Rusinko: Professor and chair of department of theater and dance, Gustavus Adolphus College; April Sellers: Dancer, choreographer; artistic director of The April Sellers Dance Collective; Linda Shapiro: Founder and former artistic codirector of New Dance Ensemble, director of New Dance Laboratory, and faculty member, department of theatre and dance, University of Minnesota; freelance writer; Chitra Vairavan: Dancer and choreographer; founding member of Ananya Dance Theatre

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact

Executive director Sue Gens (651) 215-1600

Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2017 Regular Session, chapter 91, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2018 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$3,370
Direct expenses
$13,370
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

I will produce my own work; refining my skill set to do so. I will create documents; promotional timeline and materials, contracts, detailed schedules, connections with designers and potential promotional outlets and practices for production week. 2: I will present, Gospels of Oblivion as an evening length work with a talk back to follow. We will observe the promotional strategy in motion and take count of total audience members during the run and engage with those who chose to attend our talk- back.

Measurable Outcome(s)

In the presentation of Gospels of Oblivion, I developed my production manager skillset. I created artist contracts, and autonomous promotional/marketing strategy and managed the materials, created schedules, managed personnel communication, and prioritized on-site production week needs. 2: In May 2018 Gospels of Oblivion ran for seven performances at the Southern Theater. An artist discussion happened after the first two performances and was a moderated by Arwen Wilder (HIJACK) with me in conversation with choreographer Carl Flink.

Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Project Manager
First Name
Taja
Last Name
Will
Organization Name
Taja A. Will
State
MN
Phone
(763) 706-7726
Email
tajawill@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