Arts and Cultural Heritage
Arts and Cultural Heritage
They will sponsor the Singing Hills Chorus for people with Alzheimer?s disease or other dementias, their care partners, and volunteers. The Fall session is virtual and Spring in-person. Funds will be used for staff fees, publicity, rentals, and music.
Steve Davis: member of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota State University/Community Orchestra, volunteer for Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra and New Ulm Suzuki School of Music; Kristie Gaalswyk-Pomerenke: Martin County 4-H Coordinator, former Education Coordinator at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and a board member for the Martin County Area Foundation and Fairmont Community Education; Diana Joseph: author and College Professor of Creative Writing and Humanities at Minnesota State University, Mankato, active with Open Arts Minnesota and LitReach; Teresa Konechne: interdisciplinary media artist, co-founder of Henderson CAN (Community. Art. Nature.) and founder of Wicked Questions, a non-profit about art and conversation on climate and change; Karen Krause: a visual artist, retired school counselor and art teacher, and a member and instructor at the Waseca Art Center; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher for community art camps in St. Peter and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts; Liz Miller: a visual artist and college Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Larry Pint: board member of the Minnesota Association of Community Theaters, member of American Association of Community Theater and New Prague Arts Council, and past board member for Curtain Call Theatre; Rita Rassbach: recent interim Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: a visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Carol Soma: retired Language Arts teacher and volunteer with the Kee Civic Theatre; Bethany Steffl: Principal, music, art, and choir teacher at St. Raphael School, Springfield, Board Member of the Springfield Community Theater, and a jewelry artist; Ginny Walters: a literary artist and Associate Director of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Steve Davis: member of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota State University/Community Orchestra, volunteer for Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra and New Ulm Suzuki School of Music; Kristie Gaalswyk-Pomerenke: Martin County 4-H Coordinator, former Education Coordinator at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and a board member for the Martin County Area Foundation and Fairmont Community Education; Diana Joseph: author and College Professor of Creative Writing and Humanities at Minnesota State University, Mankato, active with Open Arts Minnesota and LitReach; Teresa Konechne: interdisciplinary media artist, co-founder of Henderson CAN (Community. Art. Nature.) and founder of Wicked Questions, a non-profit about art and conversation on climate and change; Karen Krause: a visual artist, retired school counselor and art teacher, and a member and instructor at the Waseca Art Center; April Malphurs: glass artist and art teacher for community art camps in St. Peter and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts; Liz Miller: a visual artist and college Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato; Larry Pint: board member of the Minnesota Association of Community Theaters, member of American Association of Community Theater and New Prague Arts Council, and past board member for Curtain Call Theatre; Rita Rassbach: recent interim Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: a visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Carol Soma: retired Language Arts teacher and volunteer with the Kee Civic Theatre; Bethany Steffl: Principal, music, art, and choir teacher at St. Raphael School, Springfield, Board Member of the Springfield Community Theater, and a jewelry artist; Ginny Walters: a literary artist and Associate Director of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
ACHF Arts Access
Real or perceived barriers to arts participation and arts access are identified and addressed. New relationships with members of groups that have traditionally been underserved by the arts or by the applicant organization are built. We will continue our research with members of the Singing Hills Chorus. Surveys developed and used last year will continue to be used. These pre- and post-surveys were specifically designed for the three types of members in the chorus: People living with AD/OAD, care partners and volunteers. New and returning chorus members will be invited to participate in the on-going study, each session. We believe it is important to survey returning members to explore the experiences of chorus participants, including those with AD/OAD, which are progressive diseases. Chorus members will complete surveys at the beginning and ending of each 16-week chorus session. Surveys will be administered virtually or via phone if we are not able to meet in person.
The evaluation plan was conducted by the same team. They used email and phone calls to conduct the survey due to Covid-19. They added questions related to Covid-19. The findings about the virtual vs. in-person environment match what we heard and observed over the fall and spring seasons. A few GVI choruses are considering a hybrid model in the fall, we are not. We believe the original model is the best for our audience. It also would requires additional equipment, staff and time to facilitate. We will use Zoom if we have poor weather conditions. Of note, were the reflections of the volunteers. Their role has changed but they are critical to the success of the program. We shared this a couple of times over the fall and spring season but it does show the need to continue to communicate their value especially if their role is a bit different due to social distancing.
Other,local or private