Oral Histories of Intellectual and Cultural Leaders of Minnesota (2000-2012)

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,974
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Regents of the University of Minnesota (Institute for Advanced Study)
Recipient Type
Public College/University
Status
Completed
Start Date
March 2013
End Date
June 2014
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Statewide
Statewide
Project Overview
To document in 20 interviews the history of Minnesota's arts and cultural leaders.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Minnesota Historical Society Governing Board: William R. Stoeri, President Missy S. Thompson, Vice President Ruth Huss, Vice President D. Stephen Elliott, Secretary Dean M. Nelson, Treasurer Suzanne Blue Brenda J. Child Robert Bruininks Judith S. Corson D. Stephen Elliott Phyllis Rawls Goff William D. Green David R. Hakensen Ruth S. Huss Martha Kaemmer Dennis L. Lamkin David M. Larson Charles Mahar Dean M. Nelson Elizabeth M. Nordlie Dennis Nguyen Peter R. Reis Hussein Samatar Simon Stevens Susan Kenny Stevens William R. Stoeri Karen Wilson Thissen Missy Staples Thompson Eleanor Winston Ex-Officio: Mark Dayton, Governor Yvonne Prattner Solon Lieutenant Governor Mark Ritchie, Secretary of State Lori Swanson, Attorney General Rebecca Otto, State Auditor
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Historic Resources Advisory Committee Mark Peterson, Winona (Chair) - Executive Director, Winona County Historical Society - Governor's appointee to Minnesota Sesquicentennial and Minnesota Humanities Commissions - Qualified in history, historic preservation and history museum administration Leanne Brown, Eden Prairie - Director of Development, Carver County Library/Library Foundation - Formerly, Executive Director, Carver County Historical Society - Qualified in history, project management and museum studies Jack Byers, Minneapolis - Manager, Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development Department (CPED) - Manages CPED's Preservation and Design Section - Qualified in historic preservation, architecture, urban geography and planning Tamara Edevold, Bagley - Executive Director, Clearwater County Historical Society - Active in Minnesota's Historic Northwest, regional historical organization - Qualified in history, archaeology, anthropology and history museum administration Ram Gada, Eden Prairie - Engineer - Active in the documentation of Minnesota's East Indian community - State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB), former member - Qualified in engineering, energy consulting and grants administration William Latady, Tower - Bois Forte Deputy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer - Curator, Bois Forte Heritage Museum - Qualified in archaeology, anthropology, historic preservation and history museum administration Benjamin Vander Kooi, Luverne - Attorney practicing as Vander Kooi Law Offices, P.A., in Luverne, MN - Active in Vote Yes! Campaign - Past chair, MN State Arts Board - Advisor, National Trust for Historic Preservation - Qualified in historic preservation, nonprofit and grants administration Brenda Child, Minneapolis - Chair, Department of American Indian Studies, University of Minnesota - Enrolled member, Red Lake Nation - Qualified in history, American Studies and American Indian Studies Nicole Foss, Bemidji - Executive Director, Beltrami County Historical Society, Bemidji, MN - Qualified in anthropology, historical archaeology, library and museum fields Kris Kiesling, Roseville - Director of Archives and Special Collections at University of MN Libraries - State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) member - Qualified in library and archives, digital services and history Jan Louwagie, Marshall - Coordinator, Southwest Minnesota Regional Research Center, Southwest Minnesota State University - Founding member of Society for the Study of Local and Regional History - Former member of State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) - Qualified in history and archival administration Ann Meline, Saint Cloud - Deputy Director, Stearns History Museum, St. Cloud - Formerly Assistant Director/Public Programs managing Exhibits, Collections and Education Departments - Former grant reviewer for Institute of Museum and Library Services - Qualified in history, nonprofit and museum administration Peter Reis, White Bear Lake - President, White Bear Lake Area Historical Society - Chair, Minnesota Historical Society's Grants Review Committee - Qualified in history and nonprofit and grants administration William Stoeri, Minneapolis - Ex-officio member (president of the MHS Board) Missy Staples Thompson, Saint Paul - Ex-officio member (treasurer of the MHS Board)
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota for 2011 Chapter 6, Article 4, Subdivision 5, Statewide Historic and Cultural Grants.
Appropriation Language

Statewide Historic and Cultural Grants. $5,250,000 the first year and $5,250,000 the second year are for history programs and projects operated or conducted by or through local, county, regional, or other historical or cultural organizations; or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources.

2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$6,974
Direct expenses
$6,974
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.01
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The interviews were completed and broadcast on cable TV. Cable broadcasts and word of mouth publicity about the project have inspired the Northeast Library Friends group to plan a page celebrating Northeast writers, as a prelude to a larger documentation of Northeast artists. The initial gathering session for that project has been tentatively scheduled for Dec. 5, 2014. Because most of the interviews have not yet been uploaded to the project website, we do not yet have viewing and download data. However, based on the popularity of the Southwest Minnesota Food Stories page, we anticipate a significant response to these interviews in the near future.

IAS hosted two public programs featuring discussions about interviews with two Twin Cities artists, exploring their creative process. These will serve as a model for 2014-15 programs featuring interviews from this collection. Peter Shea reports that people who were interviewed have recommended other plausible interview candidates, and those people will be interviewed in the course of regular Bat of Minerva production and added to the archive. A Duluth interviewee is interested in collaborating on

an extensive project to document Duluth area writers and artists; together they will seek funding from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. We are also in discussions with several colleagues about a project to digitize the original Northern Lights interviews, which would preserve them and make them more readily accessible.

Long-term goals are achievable, based on past experience with publicity, especially editing Wikipedia articles (a very successful policy in the past) and getting word of our project out to MN high school and college teachers in the relevant fields: history, English, visual arts.

Recipient Board Members
Linda Cohen, David Larson, Clyde Allen, Richard Beeson, Laura Brod, Thomas Devine, John Frobenius, Verona Hung, Dean Johnson, David McMillan, Maureen Ramirez, Patricia Simmons
Project Manager
First Name
Ann
Last Name
Waltner
Organization Name
Regents of the University of Minnesota (Institute for Advanced Study)
Street Address
450 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street Southeast
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Zip Code
55455
Phone
612-626-5054
Administered By
Administered by
Location

345 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-259-3000