Rural and Community Art Project Grants

The spring concert of the Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus is the organization's largest event, both in terms of the audience participation and the content of the concert. The chorus strives to bring a quality, enjoyable, musical experience to our diverse regional audience. Traditionally the concert is performed at the Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Because the Reif will be closed for remodeling at the time of the spring concert, the chorus will have to rent another venue. The largest venue suitable for this concert is the Timberlake Lodge in Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus will transform the meeting room into a theater setting for the performance. Free tickets from business sponsors will be provided to area assisted living centers and senior homes. Tickets will also be given to area bands and choirs to encourage young people to attend. We feel that the content of the concert will be of interest to many. The program will also be recorded and broadcast on ICTV. The spring concert ticket prices will remain modest to enable people with fixed incomes to be able to afford to attend. Traditionally tickets for the Spring Concert are $10 each. Area merchants will be solicited for support for this event and complimentary tickets will be distributed to area nursing homes and senior residences. When area merchants make a monetary donation, the dollar amount is converted to tickets available for senior homes and assisted living facilities. Students at area high schools and college will be provided subsidized tickets so that they can attend the concert. The Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus will distribute a survey to members of the audience asking them to comment on key elements of the concert. This may include, but not be limited to, comments about the Timberlake facility as a performance venue, adequacy of the sound system, content of the concert, and visibility of the performers. The audience will be asked to share what they liked about the performance and what they would prefer to see changed. If the audience enjoys the Timberlake venue, it could become an alternate site for other artistic performances in this community. We will also ask our performers and 2 respected area musicians to evaluate the concert. Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus board members will review the surveys.