Operating Support

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$34,708
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Theater Mu, Inc. AKA Mu Performing Arts
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2012
End Date
June 2013
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Anoka
Blue Earth
Carver
Cass
Chisago
Dakota
Goodhue
Hennepin
Le Sueur
McLeod
Morrison
Nicollet
Nobles
Olmsted
Ramsey
Rice
St. Louis
Scott
Sherburne
Washington
Anoka
Blue Earth
Carver
Cass
Chisago
Dakota
Goodhue
Hennepin
Le Sueur
McLeod
Morrison
Nicollet
Nobles
Olmsted
Ramsey
Rice
St. Louis
Scott
Sherburne
Washington
Project Overview
Operating Support
Project Details
General operating support
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Judson Bemis Jr., Actor, arts administrator, founder and principal of Clere Consulting. Secretary, Minnesota State Arts Board.; 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.; Michael Charron, Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse, Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.; John Gunyou, City manager, Minnetonka.; Benjamin Klipfel, Board member, Minnesota State Arts Board. Executive Director, Alexandria Area Arts Association, Inc. Director and arts educator.; Ellen McInnis, Director of Twin Cities government relations, Wells Fargo. Member of Bottineau Boulevard Partnership. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Pamela Perri, Executive vice president, Builders Association of Minnesota.; Margaret Rapp, Former educator, Saint Paul Academy and Summit School. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe, Bemidji State University.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Lawrence Burnett: Choral director and professor of music, Carleton College.; Sunny Chanthanouvong: Executive director, Lao Assistance Center. Policy Fellow, Humphrey School. Board member, St Paul Foundation, Asian/American Health Coalition, Harrison Neighborhood Association. Member, MN Compulsive Gambling Advisory Committee, Civil Rights Commission.; Nolita Christensen: Marketing and operations consultant, Great North Show Providers.; Brian Jose: Executive director of fine arts programming, College of St Benedict/St John's University.; Jerry Lopez: Executive director, Ce Tempoxcalli.; Jennifer Penzkover: Coordinator, Saint Cloud Arts Commission.; Andrea Specht: Executive director, Bloomington Theatre and Art Center.; Sarah Stauder: Executive director, Rochester Art Center.
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2011, First Special Session, chapter 6, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$34,708
Other Funds Leveraged
$664,868
Direct expenses
$699,576
Administration costs
$34,708
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.5
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

To produce four mainstage productions that support our mission to produce great performances born of the arts, equality, and justice from the heart of the Asian American experience. Measureable outcomes include the successful production of three fully-staged theatrical productions and one taiko drumming concert, with reviews and/or press for each production in major local media such as the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and Minnesota Public Radio. Evaluation includes the successful production of each show, audience satisfaction, and critical reviews. A successful production includes a strong production team, marketing plan, and artistic team; presentation of all scheduled performances; and reaching audience number goals. Audience surveys are gathered at each performance to collect opinions on and satisfaction with our mainstage productions. We also archive copies of all reviews in the press, including the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, City Pages, and arts blogs such as Minnesota Public Radio's State of the Arts and How Was The Show. Mu Performing Arts leadership staff, board, and core artistic group review results of all feedback to determine the direction of future programming. 2: To continue serving the community through our outreach programs. Measurable outcomes include reaching 50,000 community members across the state of Minnesota through our mainstage and outreach programs; reaching 200 underserved students and youth through our Stories program; hosting four community forums to discuss issues of social justice as explored in each of our mainstage productions; and holding six talkbacks after our theater productions to engage our audience in active discussion about the production themes. Our evaluation plan includes tracking participants, number of forums and talk backs, number of programs held, and audience metrics. In addition, we collect evaluations after each educational outreach program, including surveys from partner staff/teachers, youth participants, and teaching artists as applicable.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Mu Performing Arts successfully produced four mainstage productions that supported our mission to produce great performances born of arts, equality, and justice from the heart of the Asian American experience, including one taiko concert and three theater productions. (Mu Daiko at The Cowles Center, The Tiger Among Us, Yellow Fever, and The Mikado in collaboration with Skylark Opera) . Each of these events shared a unique piece of Minnesota's rich cultural diversity and community identity through the arts. Mu Performing Arts is the only organization of its size in the Twin Cities producing work that celebrates and focuses on the Asian American experience. Through our storytelling, audience perceptions of Asian Americans are changed and barriers are broken down. Without Mu Performing Arts, Asian American representation in the arts in Minnesota would be greatly reduced. 2: Mu Performing Arts seeks to share the Asian American experience with Minnesotans of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities through our mainstage productions and educational outreach programs. In fiscal year 2013, we: 1) reached 282 underserved youth through our Stories program (82 residency participants and 200 youth audience members); 2) held four community forums for each mainstage production; 3) conducted five post-show talk backs and four pre-show talk backs; 4) held 90 educational outreach programs in Minnesota for over 21,000 people. We did not achieve our goal to reach 50,000 people across Minnesota in fiscal year 2013, reaching a total of 27,617 people. Whereas the number of community outreach performances is relatively similar to past years, the number of people gathered at those events was more intimate. The Mikado, our collaboration with Skylark Opera had four performances instead of our usual eleven. The production sold out before we opened and was very well received by audiences and critics.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other

Recipient Board Members
Gregory Anderson, Jeff Chen, Don Eitel, Reme Grefalda, Michael Hu, Sundraya Kase, Dan Le, Dorothy Mollien, Kari Ruth, Rick Shiomi, Kaimay Yuen Terry, Tom Thao, Paji Vitoff, Stuart Weeldreyer, Atlee Wong
Source of Additional Funds

local or private

Project Manager
First Name
Sara
Last Name
Ochs
Organization Name
Theater Mu, Inc. AKA Mu Performing Arts
Street Address
275 E 4th St Ste 496
City
St Paul
State
MN
Zip Code
55101-1682
Phone
(612) 789-1012
Email
sara@muperformingarts.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