Creative Support for Individuals-Round 2
Creative Support for Individuals-Round 2
Alexander will produce Minnesota's Queer Elders: A Cultural Exploration in Portraiture, spotlighting lives of the LGBTQIA+ generation who exploded from the closet, so future generations can live their identities freely, through elegant, expressive oil painted portraits.
Uri Camarena: business consultant; Michael Charron: arts educator and an arts and civic leader; Richard Cohen: attorney in private practice and a 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 and campaign manager; Philip McKenzie: team lead with Denver Air, adjunct college faculty; Nichole Melton-Mitchell: healthcare administrator; Dobson West: retired attorney; Christina Widdess: nonprofit consultant; former arts administrator; Christina Woods: executive director, Duluth Art Institute
Brooks Becker: Becker is the director of finance of the Hennepin Theatre Trust, where he has worked five years. In this role, he has developed many grant budgets with an arts focus (many from the Minnesota State Arts Board) and has also done the required financial reporting on these grants. Prior to working at Hennepin Theatre Trust, Becker administered grants in his role of accountant at Neighborhood House. Becker has a BA in political science from St. Olaf College, an MBA from St. Thomas University, and a teaching license from Hamline.; Jamee Larson: Jamee Larson is a creative writing instructor at North Dakota State University, where she also runs teen summer creative writing camps for young writers throughout Minnesota and North Dakota. She received her MFA degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and has volunteered her time and talents to creative activities and social justice efforts throughout the community. ; Patricia Lindeman: Lindeman is a respected school administrator who has led parochial, charter, and public school teams for 22 years. For the last two years, she has served as grant writer and coordinator of federal and state programs for the Russel Tyler Ruthton School District. She acquired her bachelor's degree in elementary education from St. Cloud State University and both her master's and Ed. S degrees from the University of St. Thomas. She completed her graduate work by obtaining her superintendent's license from the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Her volunteer work includes being on the Safe Routes to School task force in Tyler.; Katie Pease: Pease originally came to Minnesota from Oregon for college and is a proud graduate of St. Catherine University, with a BA in English and studio art. After working in a variety of fields, including extensive time spent supporting persons living with physical and developmental disabilities, Pease's passion for social justice led her to making the decision to serve with the AmeriCorps and relocate to northern Minnesota. Pease now serves in a variety of roles for multiple nonprofits in the Duluth area.; Cole Williams: Williams is a writer from the Twin Cities area. She volunteers with the Midwest Book Awards, Poetry Out Loud, Women's Prison Book Project, and The MN State Arts Board Grants. She also serves as the co-Vice President of the South Washington Watershed District and on the Cottage Grove Park Commission. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Augsburg University and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Minnesota.
ACHF Arts Access
Spotlight the growing, evolving culture of Minnesota's LGBTQIA+ elders with at least four large-scale portraits evocative of their daily lives. Measured visitor attendance of the gallery opening reception for these works in response to advertisement and promotion by the artist and gallery will demonstrate increased awareness of the lives of LGBTQIA+ elders in Minnesota.
At least 450 people have observed the creative process and the completed portraits. Direct observation of attending public visitors to Driftless Art Academy.