"Take a Ride on the Rails" Exhibit

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$7,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Depot Preservation Alliance
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
In Progress
Start Date
January 2013
End Date
January 2014
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods
Project Overview
To fabricate and install "Take a ride on the Rails," an interpretive exhibit about rail service in the 1930s.
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
$7,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$15,800
Direct expenses
$22,800
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Visitors to the "Take a Ride on the Rails" exhibit at the Baudette Depot have been invited to complete an exit evaluation survey. The desired outcomes were to ascertain that the audience would experience new learning, a sense of railcar travel, and that visitors would have an "experiential" visit - sit back and enjoy their "ride," glance out the "window," talk about where they might have been or might be going. The surveys reported a majority of excellent or good ratings on the historical quality, relation to theme, and clarity of presentation aspects of the exhibit. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, visitors were asked to rank the exhibit in terms of recommendations for friends/families etc. to visit. The responses were in the 9 and 10 ratings by most respondents. We believe that the very positive response from visitors is due to the excellent planning by Venture Exhibits of Duluth, MN (exhibit consultants) to design and create the exhibit, as they brought to the project their experience and understanding of how to create truly "experiential" exhibits that connect with visitors. The exhibit"s inclusion of a "window view" mural as created by mural artist Scott Murphy of Duluth, MN created a truly outstanding exhibit, inviting visitors to "come into" and "experience" a "Take a Ride on the Rails." The mural was funded by a Region 2 Arts Council grant.

Recipient Board Members
Chair: Jeff Poolman, Vice-Chair - Eileen Olson, Treasurer - Cindy Hanson, Secretary - Nora Crumpton, Grants Administrator- Marti Carlson, Historian - Jay Ruediger, Grants Writer - Joanne Kellner, Other Board Members - Hal Bitzer, Carol Birkeland
Project Manager
First Name
Joanne
Last Name
Kellner
Organization Name
Depot Preservation Alliance
Street Address
PO Box 1238
City
Baudette
State
MN
Zip Code
56623
Phone
218-779-1365
Administered By
Administered by
Location

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

Phone
651-259-3000