Arts and Cultural Heritage, Arts Project

2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount

$8,000

Fund Source

Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

Recipient

Minnesota State University-Mankato AKA Good Thunder Reading Series

Recipient Type

State Government

Status

Completed

Start Date

October 2015

End Date

June 2016

Activity Type

Grants/Contracts

Counties Affected

Blue Earth

Brown

Faribault

Le Sueur

Martin

Nicollet

Waseca

Watonwan

Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage, Arts Project

Project Details

Present their 34th annual season of monthly readings and workshops in 2015-16 by nine authors for students and the public. Three of the nine writers are based in Minnesota.

Competitive Grant Making Body

Board Members and Qualifications

Jessica Barens: Waseca Community Education Advisory Council member; Denice Evers: retired teacher, volunteer with Springfield Community Theater; Diane Harms: singer with Saint Peter Choral Society and Minnesota Valley Chorale; Charles Luedtke: retired college Professor of Music, member of the American Guild of Organists Sioux Trails Chapter; Joe McCabe: Saint James City Manager, volunteer with Saint James Community Theater; Randy Mediger: retired principal and teacher, charter member of LeSueur Community Theater; Lauren Shoemaker: music instructor at Saint Peter Public Schools; Dana Sikkila: visual artist, Executive Director of 410 Project Gallery, Mankato; Carol Soma: retired Language Arts teacher, volunteer with Kee Civic Theatre; Bonnie Taplin: member of Red Rock Center for the Arts; Dennis Van Moorlehem: retired teacher, volunteer for Sibley County Fair Board and community festivals; Gina Wenger: Professor of Art at Minnesota State University-Mankato; Greg Wilkins: visual artist, Director of Student Activities at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Conflict of Interest Disclosed

Project Details: 2016 Fiscal Year

Legal Citation / Subdivision

Laws of Minnesota 2015 Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3

Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount

$8,000

Other Funds Leveraged

$67,850

Direct expenses

$75,850

Administration costs

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. Real or perceived barriers to arts participation and arts access are identified and addressed. They will use outcome-based evaluation that includes paper and online surveys and interviews. The surveys for workshops, craft talks, and school/community visits will ask attendees to rate the increase in their understanding of the writing process. Surveys for readings will ask attendees to rate the increase in their awareness of literature’s scope. All of the surveys will collect data about audience demographics; enabling them to measure the number of Minnesotans who have received a high quality arts experience that otherwise would not have been available to them. All surveys will provide space for comments on our strengths and areas of improvement.

Measurable Outcome(s)

The number of Minnesotans who were able to participate in the arts increased. Real or perceived barriers to arts participation and arts access were identified and addressed.

Description of Funds

Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members

Matt Sewell, Jacque Arnold, Wilbur Frink, Jorge Evans, Jennifer Veltsos, Richard Stratta

Project Manager

Diana

Joseph

Minnesota State University-Mankato AKA Good Thunder Reading Series

230 Armstrong Hall

Mankato

56001