Operating Support
Operating Support
The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra brings to the Twin Cities community the power and pleasure of live orchestra concerts performed by professional musicians, free of charge. The goal is to provide the highest quality orchestral performances in outdoor public venues for the broadest possible audiences, with special emphasis on access for children, families, and seniors, at no charge to anyone.
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. Chair, 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. Officer-at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Rebecca Davis-Lee: Touring pianist, piano and music theory teacher. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse, Mayor of Red Wing, elected 2016. Former executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Secretary/Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies.; 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. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.
Michael Arturi: Universal Music Center founder and executive director; Dorothy Belstler: Executive director, Twin Cities Pride; Amy Braford Whittey: Business developer for the arts for HGA; Cheryl Kessler: Founder and principal evaluator, Blue Scarf Consulting, LLC; Colleen LeBlanc: Retired community educator; former Five Wings Regional Arts Council board member; William Miller: History professor at the College of Saint Scholastica, former MSAB board member; Jessica O'Brien: Community engagement manager, Region Nine Development Commission; Elizabeth Jane Olive: Retired nurse and transplant coordinator; community volunteer; costumer; Christi Schmitt: Program coordinator, Saint Paul Public Schools office of multilingual learning; Alexis Walstad, Co-executive director, Karen Organization of Minnesota
ACHF Arts Access
Audiences will increase their awareness of the value of orchestral music due to the quality, variety, and relaxed community setting of MPO concerts. Audience participation, engagement, and feedback will be collected and evaluated by through a paper and online qualitative survey. 2: 22,000+ Minnesotans will have expanded access to orchestral music because of MPO's free and accessible programs featuring friendly and expert curation. Each MPO concert will be evaluated by the quantitative tracking of attendance and demographics.
Outcome one was achieved; audiences were engaged with the music and aware of its value because of the quality, variety, and relaxed community setting. Paper surveys were used at performances, as well as personal observation of audience response. The online survey was available but did not receive many responses. 2: Outcome two was achieved: 21,000 people attended public performances at Lake Harriet, 1500 at Nicollet Island, and 300 in school outreach programs. Audiences were counted by a volunteer trained to look for demographics in addition to number of attendees. School services included attendance taken at each school visit.
Other, local or private