Quick Support for Artists
Quick Support for Artists
Kindred Spirits and Friends - Bringing live music to the renovated historic Minneota Opera Hall
Cheryl Avenel-Navara: education, Worthington Public Arts Commission chair, SW MN Opportunity council; Judy Beckman: vocal music, Big Stone Arts Council, Big Stone County Historical Society, Big Stone Lake Area Chamber of Commerce CEO; Cheri Buzzeo: theater, music, The Barn Theatre administration, Willmar Main St participant; Jessica Welu: writing, music, SW Regional Development Commission; Anna Johannsen: fiber artist, art teacher, Remick Gallery board, president of Windom Women's Investment group, treasurer of Cottonwood County Animal Rescue, officer of Cotton Quilters; Georgette Jones: literature teacher, theatre actor/director/teacher; David KelseyBassett: visual artist, musician, Hinterland Art Crawl board; Shawn Kinsinger: theater director, actor, musician, Palace Theatre executive director, Green Earth Players vice president, Luverne Street Music board member, Luverne High School Theater artistic director; Darlene Kotelnicki: theater, city council, library board; Alison Nelson: art, music, and dance teacher, KMS Community Ed director, Kerkhoven Fire Department Auxiliary fundraiser; Michele Huggins: Granite Area Arts Council treasurer and volunteer, member of the Artisan Grain Collaborative, founding member of ACHALA; Betsy Pardick: musician, actor, Dept. of Public Transformation committees; Kristine Shelstad: visual arts, Madison Mercantile art gallery, Madison Arts Council, Lac qui Parle Players; VFW; Gillian Singler, MN West Community and Technical College chair of Humanities and English instructor, Creative Healing Space volunteer, writer, theater director; Michele Knife Sterner: theater (actor), SMSU Associate director for Access Opportunity Success program; Erica Volkir: performing arts, Pipestone Performing Arts Center board, Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB director; Mark Wilmes: Lake Benton Opera House board president, actor/director, musician, reporter;
Reggie Gorter, music, theater; Stephen Kingsbury, music; Shawn Kinsinger, theater, SMAC board; John Larson, visual art; Joyce Meyer, visual art; Kristine Shelstad, visual art, SMAC board; Jessica Welu, writing, music, SMAC board;
Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Nicole DeBoer (507) 537-1471
ACHF Arts Access
I plan on using what I will learn from this project to create more opportunities for live music venues. . I want to find ways for the arts to open doors and connect our communities in the midst of forces that want to keep us from finding common ground. Some of the practical skills that I will learn related to writing ads, prioritizing a limited budget and reaching out to find others who will show up to support live music will be used again. Historically the arts have also been a way to open the door to be honest about challenges we face, as well as inspiring tremendous potential to bring positive change. I will connect with more people in my community, whether it is asking them to come to the event or to utilize their services to get this event off ground. I will keep track of contacts who demonstrate a receptiveness to revitalizing live music and other forms of art in their communities.
With this opportunity I have been able to concentrate on my work in a way I have not been able to do in my life. It's difficult to call a pandemic a blessing, but with me, during the pandemic I was able to put time into my art that I also had not been able to do before. I had been the secretary at Nobles County Art Center since 2018 and was able to leave that job in 2021 and invest all my time doing my artwork. I was able to study without distraction, and apply what I learned. I was lucky to be able to devote time to creating and it kept my mind occupied during a very dismal time. Although there weren't many who attended the opening reception, there was a flow of people coming through the Art Center to view my art since the opening. There is a guest register at the Nobles County Art Center that is there for people to sign and comment on the show. I had three and a half pages of positive comments on my work. Words used included ?Good show!", ?Excellent", ?Incredible things!", ?Fantastic". These comments have given me motivation to move forward with confidence. That is my intention.