Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Project GEM
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
September 2021
End Date
June 2022
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Le Sueur
Nicollet
Sibley
Blue Earth
Brown
Le Sueur
Nicollet
Sibley
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

The Growth, Experience and Motivation Project will provide arts education programming to at risk youth, ages 6-19, that include art, music, creative writing, and drama. Funds will be used for artist fees, travel expenses, salaries, and supplies.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: musician and 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; Julie Forderer: retired elementary and special education teacher at United South Central Public School, Wells, choreographer for school musicals and community theater events; 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; Karen Krause: 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: 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: past Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Bethany Steffl: Principal, music, art, and choir teacher at St. Raphael School, Springfield, Board Member of the Springfield Community Theater, and a jewelry artist.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: musician and 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; Julie Forderer: retired elementary and special education teacher at United South Central Public School, Wells, choreographer for school musicals and community theater events; 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; Karen Krause: 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: 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: past Executive Director for the Mankato Ballet Company and past board member of Merely Players Community Theater and Creative Play Place; Dana Sikkila: visual artist and the Executive Director of the 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Bethany Steffl: Principal, music, art, and choir teacher at St. Raphael School, Springfield, Board Member of the Springfield Community Theater, and a jewelry artist.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2021, First Special Session, chapter 1, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2022 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$30,780
Direct expenses
$38,780
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

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. The number of Minnesotans who are engaged in arts education and learning opportunities increases. The quality and types of arts education and learning opportunities in our region, and the organizations or venues that offer them increases. Real or perceived barriers to arts learning are identified and addressed. The variety and number of festivals and traditional arts activities in our region/state increases. Our evaluation methods includes questionnaires for all participants in the program. Some of the surveys include ratings and also narrative. That would include, all site staff, team leaders, interns, volunteers and speakers. The team leaders will be in charge of handing out the surveys to youth in the after school art programs. The intern will tabulate the results of the evaluations. Team leaders are required to complete year end outcome measurements to evaluate the youth we served throughout the school year. Another part of our method is using stories of success that our team leaders submit to our board when they have competed their teaching contract. The outcome matrix grid results gives a more accurate reading on the students and how we are making an impact.

Measurable Outcome(s)

We created a survey and learned helpful information. 79% were repeat attendees and 20% were new. 60% of attendees heard about the concerts through email and 40% by word of mouth. 65%of attendees were over 65, 27% ages 41-64, 4% ages 25-40, and 4% were ages 19-24. 98% of attendees were very satisfied. It is great to have the reinforcement that our events are scheduled at effective times. We need to put more of an effort into attracting more new, younger audience members. Perhaps our radio and direct mail marketing is not as effective as we had hoped. Newspaper advertising was more effective than we had guessed.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Alice De Yonge, Jed Highum, Kelli Kottke, Ferdinand Mabeya, Jason Oren, Patricia Radford, Katie Reisenbigler, Stephanie Taylor, Sarah Tetsloff, Jeanne Zwart
Project Manager
First Name
Alice
Last Name
De Yonge
Organization Name
Project GEM
Street Address
631 320th Ave
City
Pemberton
State
MN
Zip Code
56078
Phone
(507) 726-6047
Email
projectgem94@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
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