Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2021 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$11,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Mankato Symphony Orchestra Association, Inc. AKA Mankato Symphony Orchestra
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
March 2021
End Date
November 2021
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Nicollet
Rice
Sibley
Waseca
Watonwan
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Le Sueur
Nicollet
Rice
Sibley
Waseca
Watonwan
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

They will present their Symphonic Series Concert ?National Monuments?, in a celebration of our country and its rich heritage of music in the fall of 2021. Funds will be used for artist and conductor fees.

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
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact

Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, Brenda Byron (507) 833-8721

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
$11,000
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. 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. Director of Operations will oversee the project evaluation. The plan is to use volunteers to distribute a survey at the performances, along with programs, and collect them at the end of the performance. The surveys will be tabulated to determine any trends or changes in participation. In addition to surveys, we find valuable information through talking to participants. We can talk with participants and ask questions about their experience to determine if goals are being met. We also analyze unsolicited feedback-thank you letters, phone calls, and posts on social media often provide a lot of information about a powerful concert experience.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Our survey was online rather than paper. This has become our new method of evaluating since it is the safer, post-pandemic option. We also received many verbal words of support. One patron sent this note: I want to thank you again for meeting with me to discuss MSO. I came away from our lunch with the feeling that MSO has strong leadership and for that I am very gratified. I think MSO has a very bright future.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved Proposed Outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Shannon Beal, Viktoria Davis, Nataliya Danylkova, Jennifer Faust, Ben Findley, Sarah Houle, Marcia Jagodzinske, David Knopick, Jared Koch, Andrew McNamara, Christopher Paul, Stephanie Thorpe, Melinda Wedzina
Project Manager
First Name
Bethel
Last Name
Balge
Organization Name
Mankato Symphony Orchestra Association, Inc. AKA Mankato Symphony Orchestra
Street Address
PO Box 645
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56002-0645
Phone
(507) 625-8880
Email
bbalge@mankatosymphony.org
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