Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Mankato Children's Chorus
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
September 2020
End Date
April 2021
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Martin
Nicollet
Sibley
Waseca
Watonwan
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Martin
Nicollet
Sibley
Waseca
Watonwan
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

They will have two virtual options. One is connection-focused programming. Two will be a virtual choir with practice and recordings. The fall concert will be pre-recorded with in-person in the spring. Funds will be used for salaries and video production.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

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.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

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.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2019 First Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$0
Direct expenses
$0
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.00
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The number of Minnesotans who are able to participate in the arts increases. The quality, types and number of arts opportunities in our region, and the organizations or venues that offer them increases. The number of Minnesotans who are engaged in arts education and learning opportunities increases. We will conduct a survey following the end of each Virtual Choir session. This survey will be provided online to all participants and posted in tandem with links to our session performances. If we are able to hold live, in-person performances in the spring, we will distribute paper copies at the event. The Communications Coordinator will be responsible for creating, distributing and tabulating results.

Measurable Outcome(s)

We used two primary forms of input to determine our population outreach: electronic surveys sent to participants, and Facebook views/interactions. Our Communications Coordinator created the form and tabulated the results. Our Artistic Director distributed the survey to all participants via email following their participation. Some highlights include 21% of participants had never experienced an MCC activity before, and unsolicited donations from previous Friends of MCC continued and included multiple donations in memory of a former supporter. Opinions differed regarding the level of in-person precautions; one reported feeling precautions were excessive while another reported feeling safer with MCC than at school. None of the in-person respondents felt unsafe. One takeaway from our surveys and social media comments indicates we may have been able to have more participants if we had loosened Covid precautions. We felt confident that students who did participate, did so safely, and this was of utmost importance.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved Most of the Proposed Outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Ryan Ashland, Kristin Baty, Danielle Elker, Robin Hughes, Mindy Marcus, Wesley Marcus, Jessica Possin, Andrew Reeves, Jennifer Reeves, Leah Ries, Jonathan Shevy, Mathew Strum, Allysa Thormodson
Project Manager
First Name
Matthew
Last Name
Strum
Organization Name
Mankato Children's Chorus
Street Address
PO Box 3482 ?
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56002
Phone
(507) 525-6677
Email
Matthew.Strum@rasmussen.edu
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

105 22nd Avenue NE, Suite A
Waseca, MN 56093

Phone
Project Manager: Anna Pollock
507-833-8721
Email the Agency
Location

105 22nd Avenue NE, Suite A
Waseca, MN 56093

Phone
Project Manager: Anna Pollock
507-833-8721
Email the Agency