Operating Support

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$34,002
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Open Eye Figure Theatre AKA Open Eye Theatre
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2019
End Date
June 2020
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Anoka
Carver
Cass
Dakota
Fillmore
Goodhue
Hennepin
Ramsey
Scott
Washington
Anoka
Carver
Cass
Dakota
Fillmore
Goodhue
Hennepin
Ramsey
Scott
Washington
Project Overview

Operating Support

Project Details

Open Eye Figure Theatre creates original image driven theater animating the inanimate on an intimate scale, building community by advancing adventurous, artist driven programming.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Secretary/Treasurer, 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. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Philip McKenzie, Oboe and English horn player; adjunct oboe faculty, NDSU; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen: Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts; coordinator, First Stage Gallery; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies.; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund.; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Secretary/Treasurer, 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. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen, Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts; coordinator, First Stage Gallery; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies.; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund.; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2019 First Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2020 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$34,002
Other Funds Leveraged
$367,628
Direct expenses
$367,628
Administration costs
$9,181
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Open Eye's 20th season will include a puppet cabaret, three mainstage works, an artist residency, a summer puppetry series and the Driveway Tour. All production have audience and artists surveys as well as post-show debrief where conversations are held on the quality of the experience. To remain affordable, all Open Eye productions reserve 10% of the tickets to Pay-as-able. 2: Open Eye will be prepared to move into the next three years smoothly transitioning into new leadership and increasing its capacity to support artists. The Board of Directors, an outside consultant, and participation of staff, will develop and approve a new 3-yr strategic plan with oversight by the Board and benchmarks to make sure the plan is implemented on schedule.

Measurable Outcome(s)

We were meeting and exceeding our outcomes for the grant period until Covid shutdown, which cancelled one mainstage show and the Driveway Tour. CRM data tracking artist and audience participants, social media analytics, state and county metrics, and qualitative feedback from attendee and participant surveys (written/verbal/online). 2: Despite Covid shutdown, the new strategic plan has been written and approved by the Board. Benchmarks and measurable goals are included in the Strategic Plan, which will be regularly reviewed by Board and Staff to ensure timely implementation.

Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Keith Lester, Charlie Vanek, Daniel Pinkerton, John Buttolph, Amy Warner, Craig Harris, Elizabeth Lincoln, Susan Schaefer, Wanda Ponto, Jean Abbott, Virginia Sutton
Project Manager
First Name
Susan
Last Name
Haas
Organization Name
Open Eye Figure Theatre
Street Address
506 24th St E
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Zip Code
55404-3732
Phone
(612) 874-6338
Email
susan.haas@openeyetheatre.org
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