Operating Support

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$35,635
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Northern Lights Music Festival, Inc.
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2022
End Date
June 2023
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Cook
Itasca
Koochiching
Lake
St. Louis
Cook
Itasca
Koochiching
Lake
St. Louis
Project Overview

Operating Support

Project Details

The Northern Lights Music Festival's mission is: 1) To present high quality musical events, student and professional, to the entire Iron Range from Grand Rapids to Ely, utilizing its beautiful and historic auditoriums and other historic spaces; 2) To patronize local businesses in the Iron Range small towns; 3) To create an environment for serious study of solo and chamber music for pre-college and collegiate students; 4) To provide employment to regional and Minnesota professional free-lance musicians; and 5) To provide musical and historical programming at B'nai Abraham Cultural Center.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Uri Camarena: business consultant; Michael Charron: arts educator and an arts and civic leader; Richard Cohen: attorney in private practice and a former state legislator; Emily Galusha: arts and civic leader, former arts administrator; Anthony Gardner: vice president, marketing and communications at CentraCare; Ken Martin, political strategist and campaign manager; Philip McKenzie: team lead with Denver Air, adjunct college faculty; Nichole Melton-Mitchell: healthcare administrator; Dobson West: retired attorney; Christina Widdess: nonprofit consultant; former arts administrator; Christina Woods: executive director, Duluth Art Institute

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Uri Camarena: business consultant; Michael Charron: arts educator and an arts and civic leader; Richard Cohen: attorney in private practice and a former state legislator; Emily Galusha: arts and civic leader, former arts administrator; Anthony Gardner: vice president, marketing and communications at CentraCare; Ken Martin, political strategist and campaign manager; Philip McKenzie: team lead with Denver Air, adjunct college faculty; Nichole Melton-Mitchell: healthcare administrator; Dobson West: retired attorney; Christina Widdess: nonprofit consultant; former arts administrator; Christina Woods: executive director, Duluth Art Institute

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2021, First Special Session, chapter 1, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2023 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$35,635
Other Funds Leveraged
$330,412
Direct expenses
$330,412
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
1
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

NLMF will double the number of Young Artists to create diverse social and artistic experiences in Range towns; and to increase local spending. The numbers of students will be compared to previous years. Spending of these students locally will be tracked by key merchants: restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores. Interactions with local youth and community groups will be tracked. 2: NLMF will continue to expand its services to children; and to tie its lecture series to musical programming. Twelve children's opera and chamber music performances will be presented in local auditoria and libraries; success will be measured by the children's surveys.Lectures on Northern Minnesota industry will be paired with singalongs of folk and industry songs

Measurable Outcome(s)

NLMF increased its student body by 30%; resulting in increased local spending. Student enrollment from 2021 to 2022 revealed an increase of 30%. Local merchants, primarily restaurants, shared their gross totals of income during our three-week residency in Aurora. They compared their gross with 2021. The average increase was 25%. 2: NLMF increased the number of library and student performances, from Ely to Hibbing and created a lecture series on local industry. NLMF compared names of those attending concerts with those attending lectures and found a distinctly different group of auditors for the lectures. New audiences experienced historic venues, and participated in sing-a-longs with Barbara Dever.

Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Barbara Baldrica, Matt Uhan, Mary Mulari, Gregg Allen, Erik Erie, Vicky Gornick, Ryan Bajan, Rita Taylor, Dean Gibson, Martin Zuponcic, Lynn King, Stephen Levchak, Mary Henschel
Project Manager
First Name
Veda
Last Name
Zuponcic
Organization Name
Northern Lights Music Festival, Inc.
Street Address
PO Box 147
City
Gilbert
State
MN
Zip Code
55741
Phone
(609) 922-2965
Email
zuponcic@yahoo.com
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