Work for Water Fine Arts Seminar & Contest

2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount

$1,500

Project of

Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative Legacy Grant SFY 2012 - SFY 2013

Fund Source

Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

Recipient Type

Libraries

Status

Completed

Start Date

February 2012

End Date

May 2012

Activity Type

Education/Outreach/Engagement

Counties Affected

Nicollet

Project Overview

As part of the Freshwater Society 2012 Work for Water Art and Design Contest, South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) hosted an artist seminar for area high school students and their art teachers to creatively convey the issue of Urban Runoff through a variety of fine arts mediums, highlighting the importance of water in our lives and also educate and motivate others to take steps to protect our waters. Artist Vera Ming Wong facilitated the seminar on February 24, 2012. Wong shared scientific information and ideas through visual images, educated students on the need to conserve native ecosystems and demonstrated artistic techniques to assist in rendering art forms that will address conservation and the importance of water to life. The seminar was held at the SCSC Conference Center. Area students in grades 9-12 (both those who attended the seminar and those who were unable to attend) were invited to submit photography, paintings, drawings or other fine art mediums along with an artist’s statement to the SCSC regional Work for Water contest held April 18 at the North Mankato Taylor Library. Completed art contest entries were on display at the library through May 18 and open to a “People’s Choice” vote. Regional winners’ art from the contest will become part of a Freshwater Society display for a year. The contest was facilitated by SCSC staff. Contest judges were area artists, art educators and members of the Carnegie Art Center board.

Project Details

Twenty-three people attended the artist workshop. Fourteen entries were submitted to the art contest. Thirty-nine individuals attended the judging and reception. There were two students and families that were unable to attend due to work commitments and travel. We invited our area legislators and received two responses. They were unable to attend the event but would be visit the library on a different date and participate in the People’s Choice vote. Seventy-one votes were cast in the People’s Choice award. Although the Taylor library did not report a significant increase in library circulation on conservation, contest participants related their individual research into the topic at their school/community libraries. With grant funds we purchased eleven resources for the library collection.

Project Details: 2012 Fiscal Year

Legal Citation / Subdivision

Laws of Minnesota for 2011 Chapter 6, Article 4, Subdivision 4

2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount

$1,500

Other Funds Leveraged

$3,500

Direct expenses

$5,000

Administration costs

$38

Number of full time equivalents funded

Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Increased knowledge of urban runoff and water as a natural resource will increase for attendees at the artist’s seminar. Data will be collected on the number of attendees. The seminar will be evaluated in a post-survey of participants. Participation in the SCSC Work for Water Art and Design Contest art contest will increase by 10%. Data will be collected on the number of entries and participating schools. Public awareness of urban runoff and water as a natural resource will increase through the artist seminar and display of contest submissions (via art and artists’ statements) at the North Mankato Taylor Library. Data will be collected on the number of votes submitted and the checkout rate of any resource/ reference materials related to urban runoff and water as a natural resource.

Measurable Outcome(s)

All seminar attendees indicated a gain in knowledge of freshwater resources and concrete ways to change behavior to conserve water resources. Although we did not increase the total number of students participating in the contest, there were nine students that participated who had not participated in an art contest in the past. A total of 71 public votes were cast in the People’s Choice award. The library reported anecdotally that the artwork was appreciated by patrons. We were able to add 11 resources on conservation to the library circulating collection.

Source of Additional Funds

Traverse des Sioux Library System and South Central Service Cooperative, North Mankato Taylor Library, and the Freshwater Society.
Partner Organization(s) Contribution/Role in the Program:
o South Central Service Cooperative – SCSC designed program brochures and marketed the artist seminar and contest to area schools, posted the program and events to the SCSC website, hosted the artist seminar, designed and implemented the seminar evaluation, collected contest artwork, recruited judges, organized the contest and reception, completed all grant requirements and served as fiscal host. North Mankato Taylor Library – The library marketed the artist seminar and contest, hosted the contest and reception, identified reference/resource materials related to urban runoff and water as a natural resource, collected “People’s Choice” votes and displayed contest artwork. The Freshwater Society – The Freshwater Society marketed the seminar and contest, provided consultation and funding for contest awards and will feature winning artwork in the coming year.