Artist Initiative

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Elizabeth K. Thoni AKA Elle Thoni
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
Completed
Start Date
January 2019
End Date
December 2019
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Hennepin
Hennepin
Project Overview

Artist Initiative

Project Details

Thoni will expand her playwriting practice into public space through the research and development of QUEEN B, a new play set in community gardens that invites audiences into a resilient future inspired by honeybees.

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.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Secretary/Treasurer, 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. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Philip McKenzie, Oboe and English horn player; adjunct oboe faculty, NDSU; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen: Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts; coordinator, First Stage Gallery; 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

Jeffrey Bleam: Associate professor of costume design and directing, Saint Cloud State University; Julia Gay: Actor, dancer, playwright, and comedian; Rachel Haider: Performing arts manager, Northfield Arts Guild; founder and director, Purple Door Youth Theater program; Paul Herwig: Coartistic director, Off-Leash Area; Arts Board grantee; Rebecca Meyer-Larson: Theater arts, language arts and speech communications teacher, Moorhead High School; William Nour: Playwright; Arts Board grantee; Fathimath Eliza Rasheed: Multidisciplinary performance artist; director of school theater program; Arts Board grantee; Benjamin Thietje: Cofounder and coartistic director of DalekoArts in New Prague

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2017 Regular Session, chapter 91, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$2,470
Direct expenses
$12,470
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Elle Thoni will expand and deepen her rehearsal-based playwriting process through the research/development of QUEEN B. I will revise and expand the process model I tailored for my 2017-2018 Puppet Lab Fellowship by conducting a nine month workshop-creation process with actors and musician, this time with an emphasis on my primary art of playwriting. 2: Elle Thoni will acquire new skills in engagement through learning how to site work in non-conventional outdoor spaces with community partners. I will take time to research/develop relationships with prospective partners under the mentorship of Scotty Reynolds, with whom I will have bi-monthly phone or in-person meetings.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Elle Thoni will expand and deepen her rehearsal-based playwriting process through the research and development of QUEEN B. Elle Thoni deepened her playwriting process, working with an originating cast of actors in the months leading up to the final showing. Additionally, Elle was able to spend significant time with composer Dameun Strange and learn from his process. 2: Elle Thoni will acquire new skills in engagement through learning how to site work in non-conventional outdoor spaces with community partners. Under the mentorship with Scotty Reynolds and the close partnership of Tamales y Bicicletas Urban Farm, Elle learned how to navigate an outdoor rehearsal process that respected the community gardeners, neighbors, and the garden itself.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Project Manager
First Name
Elizabeth
Last Name
Thoni
Organization Name
Elizabeth K. Thoni AKA Elle Thoni
State
MN
Phone
(507) 421-2673
Email
elle.thoni@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