Arts Learning
Arts Learning
The Loft will expand its writing conference offerings with two conferences serving community interests for which there is documented demand: Mystery, Crime and Thriller Writing (at the Loft) and For Writers 50 and Better (free, at a St Paul venue).
Judson Bemis Jr.: Actor, arts administrator, founder and principal of Clere Consulting. Secretary, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Marys University of Minnesota. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse: Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.; John Gunyou, City manager, Minnetonka.; Benjamin Klipfel: Board member, Minnesota State Arts Board. Executive Director, Alexandria Area Arts Association, Inc. Director and arts educator.; Ellen McInnis: Director of Twin Cities government relations, Wells Fargo. Member of Bottineau Boulevard Partnership. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Pamela Perri: Executive vice president, Builders Association of Minnesota.; Margaret Rapp: Former educator, Saint Paul Academy and Summit School. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Anton Treuer: Professor of Ojibwe, Bemidji State University.
Lawrence Benson: Multi-media/genre expressionist, author, publisher; Julie Deters: Visual arts teacher, Cloquet School District, Award-winning educator; Phyllis Doyle: Retired arts administrator; award-winning poet and fiction writer; Alison Good: Former commercial artist, educator and administrator; active community volunteer; Lori Janey: Board member of Minnesota Chinese Dance Theater; design engineer, Seagate Technology; Kimberly Meisten: Director of Community Engagement, VocalEssence; Education; Meghan Nodzon: Nonprofit arts organization development professional; Mary Reed: Craft artist, author and educator
Executive director Sue Gens (651) 215-1600
ACHF Arts Education
Engage 240 Minnesotans in two new creative writing conferences, providing economic and geographic access for underserved populations. Track participation, enrollment, and wait list for each conference; compare registrant names against constituent database to determine those new to the Loft; surveys participants about value of the experience; collect feedback about economic access.
As proposed, two unique conferences were offered to the general public: a Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Conference (April 27-28, 2013 at the Loft) and a Conference for Writers Aged 50 and Better (October 5-6, 2013). The latter was free to participants and held at TIES Conference Center in Saint Paul (1667 Snelling Avenue North), a new venue for Loft activities. Achievement was measured in terms of conference enrollment and interest (112 registrants for the Mystery conference, 123 registrants for the 50 and Better conference), and participant survey feedback about the quality of the experience. 2: Our conference for writers 50 and Better was offered free of charge, eliminating economic barriers for all 123 participants. TIES Conference Center and the Loft at Open Book are fully accessible facilities that meet or exceed ADA requirements. The Loft made improvements to ADA access this year, with assistive listening available in each classroom and automated doors to the Loft area and its library. 16 participants at the 50 and Better conference noted a disability in survey responses (including those with a hearing, mobility, vision, cognitive, and mental/emotional disability), the most for hearing, many of whom shared positive comments about the sound levels and audio services.
Other, local or private