Folk and Traditional Arts

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,825
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Suchitra N. Sairam AKA Suchi Sairam
Recipient Type
Individual
Status
Completed
Start Date
January 2017
End Date
December 2017
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Hennepin
Ramsey
Hennepin
Ramsey
Project Overview

Folk and Traditional Arts

Project Details

Suchitra Sairam will present a dance informance series to share aspects of Bharatanatyam South Indian classical dance. Audiences will experience the art form through performance, demonstration, and participation in informal and intimate settings.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Member of the Smithsonian National Board. Former chair of the board, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Officer at Large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary?s University of Minnesota. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Rebecca Davis-Lee: Touring pianist, piano and music theory teacher. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse, Former executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Secretary/Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; David Glenn: Ceramic artist. former executive director of the Minnesota Project.; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board; Janice Sivertson: Gallery owner and visual artist; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Rae French: International programs and study abroad coordinator, University of Minnesota Crookston; Karen Goulet: Artist, coordinator of the Gizhiigin Arts Accelerator program of the White Earth Nation; Sarah Larsson: Outreach and development director at the Somali Museum of Minnesota; Sowah Mensah: Ethnomusicologist, composer, and master drummer; music professor at Macalester and St. Thomas; Jeffrey Meyer: Music professor at Concordia College, Moorhead; leader of study abroad trips; Angela Robins: Woodworker and boat builder; Arts Board grantee; Mai Vang: Founder of Hmong Museum; collections manager at Minnesota Museum of American Art

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2015 Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Cultural Heritage

2017 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,825
Other Funds Leveraged
$5,125
Direct expenses
$11,950
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.00
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Create opportunities for Minnesotans to see Indian classical dance in informal settings to facilitate discussion and understanding. The project outcome will be evaluated through carefully designed written and oral surveys, given at each informance, with analysis after each event and aggregation at the end of the project. 2: Apprenticeship for my students on how to present, communicate and connect with audiences of varying familiarity with the art, beyond only performance. The project outcome will be evaluated through observed audience engagement with the students, audience surveys of the students' performances, and surveys of the students on their experience.

Measurable Outcome(s)

We presented Indian classical dance in informal setting with mixed audiences (>50% of the audience had not seen Indian dance before). We documented questions asked at each Informance and provided a brief electronic survey for all audience members. More than 40% response rate for the surveys. More than 70% of those new to the art expressed interest in seeing more performances. 2: Student apprentices learned how to plan and prepare content for Informances, and learned how to respond to audience questions about their art form. Responses to audience surveys included the maturity of the apprentices and their authentic responses to questions. Apprentices wrote reflections after each Informance, highlighting what they learned and what they will incorporate into their practice.

Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Project Manager
First Name
Suchitra
Last Name
Sairam
Organization Name
Suchitra Sairam AKA Suchi Sairam
State
MN
Phone
(651) 398-2012
Email
suchi@alum.mit.edu
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