Operating Support
Operating Support
Operating Support Year 2, FY2021
John White: writer, photographer, retired journalist; Georgette Jones: literature teacher, theatre actor/director/teacher; Anna Johanssen: fiber artist, art teacher, Remick Gallery board, president of Windom Women's Investment group, treasurer of Cottonwood County Animal Rescue, officer of Cotton Quilters; Kristen Kuipers: musician, private lesson and K-12 classroom music instructor, theater, writing, volunteer with Jackson Center for the Arts; Janet Olney: visual artist, Willmar Area Arts Council coordinator; Joyce Meyer: photographer, retired art teacher, Canby Arts Council; Michele Knife Sterner: theater (actor), SMSU Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Lisa Hill: musician, Crow River Singers, attorney; David KelseyBassett: visual artist, musician; Anne O'Keefe-Jackson: human resources director, bead and quill work; Brett Lehman: musician, social worker, Worthington City Band; Erica Volkir: performing arts, Director of Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB; Alison Nelson: art, music, and dance teacher, fundraiser for Kerkhoven Fire Department Auxiliary; Lynette Swenson: visual arts teacher, folk artist, Swift County Food Shelf advisory board; Claire Swanson: visual arts, arts teacher, Meander Art Crawl Committee. Carisa Clarke: graphic design/web development, arts volunteer, board member DAC of Murray County
Carisa Clarke, visual art, SMAC Board; Brett Lehman, music, SMAC Board; Steve Linstrom, writing, nonprofits; Jane Otto, arts admin; Janet Olney, visual art, arts admin, SMAC Board; Tammy Makram, arts admin.
ACHF Arts Access
Our top goal during the period funded by this grant will be to continue to introduce our organization to new customers through promotion and outreach. By making more people aware of what we do, we in turn hope to draw more people through our doors to buy tickets. We are confident we can keep our current patrons coming back, and likewise, believe newcomers to our building will be impressed enough to return in the future We constantly strive to make improvements to our productions, our publicity and our outreach into the area. We constantly query our patrons on what they like and where they feel we could have done better through surveys to random attendees at our productions. Results are analyzed throughout the year by our board of directors and our path forward is molded through these discussions.
Our main concern was surviving financially though being closed due to the pandemic and rebounding to draw our crowds back. We accomplished that. We did random surveys of our ticket buyers, asking for a 1-to-5 score on experience at the show, quality of production, being able to hear the actors, likelihood of recommending the Opera House to others, and likelihood of returning in the future. Overall scores averaged 4.5 with the lowest for being able to hear the actors at 4.1?room for improvement. We had a hugely successful season, with two productions nearly sold out.
Other,local or private