Emergency Working Artist Project Grant FY21
Emergency Working Artist Project Grant FY21
Workshop on Wheels: Funding will support Serenity Schoonover: 1) develop the art education project, "Workshop on Wheels" Curriculum, and 2) purchase a kiln for future workshops in underserved art communities.
Tara Makinen: former-Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Tammy Mattonen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, visual artist, co-founder of Crescendo Youth Orchestra; Kathy Neff: musician, Director, Fine Arts Academy at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; Ron Piercy: jeweler, gallery owner; Emily Swanson: arts administrator at Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community; Kris Nelson: artist, teacher; Roxann Berglund: musician; Bill Payne: Professor of Theater at the University of Minnesota-Duluth
Tara Makinen: former-Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Kris Nelson: artist, teacher; Classie Dudley: ARAC Equity Fellow; Christine Marcotte: writer
ACHF Arts Education
Funding from this grant will invest in my life as a Working Artist, and as a Teaching Artist. 1. I will create ceramic pieces for 6 workshop lessons, and develop the art education project "Workshop on Wheels" Curriculum. Workshop curriculum will involve beginning to end instruction teaching porcelain ceramic construction of small jewelry art pieces and petite houseware items (bowls, wall decor, bone plates, espresso cups). Projects in real time can also be geared to fit student design interests. They are given design agency. The theme for this curriculum is "Place and Space," in regards to community students moving from the personal to the communal, in regards to art design and self-expression through 3-d ceramic forms. 2. I will purchase and utilize a portable Skutt KM Firebox 8x6 kiln for creation of demo pieces as I create the art education project curriculum, "Workshop on Wheels," and in addition, utilize the portability of the kiln in future, pop-up style, art workshops. I have received four ARAC grants since 2018. You can be confident that I will execute this project because my track record shows a faithful and consistent trajectory of following through on doing what I say I will do. To complete my proposed project, "Workshop on Wheels," I will follow my outlined timetable, a work tool that has always been vital to my creative process. A timetable is the foundation with which artists and makers rely upon to actualize their ideas. My Dec- February timetable for kiln purchase, ceramic work, research and writing of my art education project, "Workshop on Wheels" will guide my proposal into artistic, educational product. In 2020, I was scheduled to run pop-up art workshops in underserved communities in Grand Marais, Int'l Falls and at the Damiano Center, but locations closed due to COVD. This art education project will equip me to again reach out to bring ceramic art access to underserved art communities. I will know that I'm successful by a completed curriculum development manuscript, "Workshop on Wheels." I will take January and Feb. 2021 to create and develop this curriculum, approximately 50 hours. I will know I'm successful by the corresponding production of ceramic jewelry art pieces and small housewares for use as demos for future workshop classes. I will be successful by the use of my own portable kiln for the curriculum development, and, in preparation for future pop-up workshops. I will know if I'm successful by researching in spring 2021 the availability of pop-up, art workshop space availability in underserved art communities in Duluth, such as Harbor Highlands and Morgan park (both community centers at this time are closed and inoperable due to COVD).
My activities addressed and achieved the artistic goals proposed in my project. 1) I completed a ceramics workshop curriculum, based around demos created. I did not use my own kiln, due to the change in price, but will soon receive a decision regarding add'l funding to afford the purchase of a larger kiln (from a CERF/GetReadyGrant on May 10). The alternative path regarding the purchase of a kiln was influenced by the COVD effects on the market, and a consult with Duluth Art Institute Ceramics Director (a former Ex. Dir. of ARAC). 2) I believe I have achieved success because the positive response from DAI regarding my curriculum is an enormous affirmation. As an emerging teaching artist, I look forward to partnering with DAI in November-December 2021, with the curriculum that I created through an Emergency Working Artist Grant from ARAC. I am hopeful that I can move on workshops in other locales in Duluth, as well, as COVD restraints relax.