Creative Individuals-Round 2

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Nisa R. Fiin
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
In Progress
Start Date
April 2024
End Date
March 2025
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Scott
Scott
Project Overview

Creative Individuals-Round 2

Project Details

Fiin will photograph abandoned farmsteads and collaborate with rural residents to curate historical narratives for an exhibition sharing the stories of Minnesota family farms. She will present these narratives and photographs in greater Minnesota gallerie

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Uri Camarena: business consultant; Michael Charron: arts educator, arts and civic leader; Richard Cohen: attorney in private practice, former state legislator; Emily Galusha: arts and civic leader, former arts administrator; Anthony Gardner: vice president, marketing and communications at CentraCare; Ken Martin, political strategist, campaign manager; Philip McKenzie: adjunct college faculty; Michele Sterner: higher education administrator; Dobson West: retired attorney; Christina Woods: executive director, Duluth Art Institute

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Lynne Beck: A former secondary French and English teacher, Beck transitioned to working in nonprofit fundraising, first as development director for COMPAS and currently as an independent development consultant, specializing in grant writing. Her clients include Park Square Theatre, Artaria String Quartet, Public Art Saint Paul, and Oratorio Society of Minnesota. She frequently serves on grant review panels for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and Minnesota State Arts Board, is on arts boards of directors (Schubert Club, Friends of the SPCO, International Cello Institute, Twin Cities Opera Guild), and serves as clerk of session at North Presbyterian Church. Beck has a bachelor of arts degree in French and education from Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA), and a master of arts degree in gifted and talented education from the University of St. Thomas (Saint Paul).; Alexandra Bodnarchuk: Bodnarchuk is a Carpatho-Rusyn American choreographer based in Minneapolis, who makes works for the stage and screen. She is a 2022 and 2020 Jerome Hill artist fellow finalist (Jerome Foundation) and a 2021 Ann and Weston Hicks choreography fellow at Jacob?s Pillow. She is studied in Western, Central, and Eastern European, Balkan, and Ghanain folk dance traditions. Her most recent work, evening length duet Rock, Paper, Scissors, was presented at The Southern Theater in March 2023. She holds a BFA in dance performance and choreography from Ohio University.; Lana Holmer: Holmer is a Minnesota State University Moorhead graduate and has made creating art into a career. She has worked with several mediums including photography, woodworking, painting, drawing, sculpting, jewelry making, hair design, and graphic design. Like many others, Holmer recognized artistic ability from a young age and was able to foster that interest through the 4-H program. Excelling in photography, she decided to pursue that field and made it into a successful eighteen-year career as a full-time portrait photographer, winning several national awards for portraiture. Her entrepreneurial spirit compelled her to pursue more avenues for creativity during that time. She discovered passion for crafting leather jewelry, making and selling wood art, as well as returning to school to become a professional hairstylist. Her time studying art in college has aided in all those creative outlets. From color theory to art history, the tools and education she received in the art program play an enormous role in her success in the many art avenues she is passionate about.; Adam Johnson: Johnson is a painter who lives and works in Minneapolis. He earned his BFA at the University of Georgia and a MFA from the University of Minnesota. He was an adjunct art faculty member at the University of Minnesota from 2006-2012. Johnson was a Minnesota State Arts Board grant recipient in 2003 and exhibits his work throughout the Twin Cities and beyond.; Katie Marshall: Marshall is the executive director at MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, where she works at the intersection of art and community development. She has a BA from Hamline University and has served as a board member for Itasca Orchestra and Strings Program and Grand Rapids Arts.; Eva Mulloy: Mulloy balances her time working in marketing and childcare, with a particular interest in the role of art in child development and healing arts. Mulloy has worked previously as a toddler teacher at a nature and arts based Waldorf School, a small press book publicist, and a college art gallerist at Gallery ABBA. Recently, Mulloy worked as a costume designer with Spiral Theater. She graduated from Beloit College in 2018 with degrees in creative writing and psychology.; Jennifer Tuder: Tuder currently works as a human resources and office assistant at New Wave Home Healthcare. She is a former professor of performance studies and theater at St. Cloud State University. She holds a PhD in speech communication (Southern Illinois University) and a BA in theater (University of Northern Iowa). Currently, she serves as board president for the North Suburban Center for the Arts.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota, 2023 regular session, chapter 40, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2024 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$10,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$0
Direct expenses
$10,000
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Fiin will preserve stories of past family farms, collaborating with rural residents and exhibit a new photo series in outstate gallery exhibitions. Project evaluation will be based on producing and mounting a new photo series in outstate exhibitions and feedback from rural participants directly involved in collaboration and story collecting, as well as engagement from exhibition attendees.

Project Manager
First Name
Nisa
Last Name
Fiin
Organization Name
Nisa R. Fiin
State
MN
Phone
(651) 528-0964
Email
nisafiin@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