Thanks to the support of the Minnesota Humanities Center in 2019, Otter Cove Children's Museum was able to complete the design, building, and installation of a variety of exhibits and interactive art features prior to our grand opening. Despite a delayed opening and months of limited operations due to the pandemic, Otter Cove's first year has been nothing short of incredible, attracting 17,299 children and families from 289 unique zip codes (179 of them in MN), 27 states, and 4 countries! Our guests have been so impressed that we have such a a high-quality facility in a rural region.
This project includes new exhibit components and enhancements; facilitating diverse workshops and performances for children and families, and four mini camps for children ages 6-12 during school/summer breaks.
MNHS Press will publish a book on the 120-year history of the Minnesota State Capitol and its role as the heart of civic life in the state, a place for celebrations, demonstrations, arguments and accomplishments. The book will include stories of its construction and restoration, fine art and furnishings, laborers and craftspeople, and politics and lifestyles within our "house of democracy."
Wilderness Inquiry engages 20,000 Minnesotans through outdoor adventures, promoting equity in access to outdoor activities, places, and careers and supporting stewardship and conservation values for current and future generations.
The Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program is managed by the Department of Natural Resources to provide competitive matching grants to local, regional, state, and national non-profit organizations, including governments.
The special program series Outdoors EXTRA is designed to offer programs at Minnesota state parks and trails with less visitation. Programs are led by guest presenters and are often beyond the skill level of existing staff. Examples of programs are live music; live animal programs, such as an eagle program; or rock climbing programs.
The Division of Parks and Trails is engaged in critical work to connect people to the outdoors. As part of the work in this project area, the new touch-screen kiosk project will increase awareness about outdoor recreation opportunities at Minnesota state parks and trails among underrepresented groups by creating and installing accessible, touch-screen kiosks with information in multiple languages, in high-traffic, family-oriented locations. Connection plans deliver Minnesota State Parks and Trails' messages to new audiences.
We will lift up Minnesota American Indian arts, culture, and heritage and increase our audience through five new activities: presenting “Reunion of the Buffalo Herd”; staging a full production of Tatanka for video recording; establishing an annual RedTalks Symposium; creating a live interview series featuring American Indian elders and traditional healers; and creating an American Indian Artists Hub to promote our artists.
PAM Education is a training series developed for homeowners, realtors, community members and professionals in fields that frequently interact with historic buildings and districts. This year the program had a significant focus on reaching new audiences.
This program area accounts for all administration costs that support all projects DNR is engaged in to administer the FY10/FY11 strategic objectives of the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund. Administration costs are directly related to and necessary for project success including support for: accounting, clerical support, executive, managerial and supervisory personnel, facilities management, office equipment and supplies, human resources, information technology, communications, insurance, legal services, purchasing, rent/lease, and security.
The 17 member Park and Trail Legacy Advisory Committee is appointed by the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, the Chair of the Metropolitan Council and the Chair of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission. The mission of the committee is to champion the 25 year "Parks and Trails Legacy Plan" by providing recommendations to enhance promotion, coordination, and accountability throughout implementation of the plan.
This program is beginning with a pilot research project to determine visitor satisfaction with new programs being offered through the Legacy Amendment and if the target market is being reached.
To provide grants to local units of government to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance outside of the seven county metropolitan area. Funding for this grant program is from the Parks and Trails Fund created by the Minnesota Legislature from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by the voters in 2008.
To provide grants to local units of government to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance outside of the seven county metropolitan area. Funding for this grant program is from the Parks and Trails Fund created by the Minnesota Legislature from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by the voters in 2008. Beginning July 1, 2015 (fiscal year 2016), the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) assumed management of reviewing and awarding these grants.
To develop a 25 year long range plan for the use of the money available in the parks and trail fund as well as other traditional sources of funding. Also the development of a 10 year strategic coordination plan is required. The plan is to include a vision, goals and measureable outcomes. The plan must also address specific deliverables outlined in statute. Public engagement was the foundation for the recommendations. The plan was developed in collaboration with other park and trail providers.
The YWCA will engage at risk youth and immigrant families in arts events and activities, including performances and artist workshops, to reduce barriers and increase understanding and involvement in the arts.
To provide individuals with cognitive disabilities art classes, increase their exposure to museums in Minneapolis, help them understand their artwork as part of a larger world of museums, and to expose the community to the artwork through a public exhibition by these new artists.
Provide expanded state trail safety and efforts to protect the integrity of the paved surfaces. This included erecting larger stop and stop ahead signing to be consistent with national standards. Also included additional crack sealing efforts in a more timely manner, increase effort in mowing to increase user safety, reduce woody vegetation close to the trail and reduce the damage to trail surface caused by root suckering. More mowing and timely mowing also reduces the threat of invasives be spread by seeds by mowing prior to that.
Since 1976, Penumbra Theatre has ignited dialogue and social action in the Twin Cities and beyond by presenting original, compelling works grounded in the history of African American artistic expression and social justice. The 2016-2017 season marks Penumbra's 40th anniversary, and MNHS is developing an exhibit on the theater's rich history and legacy, in partnership with Penumbra and the University of Minnesota Libraries Archives and Special Collections.
In 2017, St. Paul's world renown Penumbra Theatre will celebrate its 40 anniversary. This exhibit, a three way partnership between MNHS, Penumbra Theatre and the University of Minnesota, will highlight the central role this local theater company played in the burgeoning Black Arts Movement through documents, artifacts, costumes, videoed performances and interviews, and stage sets. Exhibit opens February 18 and runs through July 31, 2017.
Outcome goals: MHC attendance greater than 240,000 in FY17. Net Promoter Score goal +50 or higher.
Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. (Wood) was selected for this project to conduct work in support of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) program. This project is a multi-phased pilot study to further validate and refine potential locations across Minnesota that may have historically been, or are currently, contaminated with PFAS. The primary objective is to evaluate potential PFAS locations, specifically compost sites, to determine presence or absence of PFAS at each site.
The Arts Education in Minnesota Schools Research Project is surveying all public and private schools to collect baseline data on the status of arts education statewide to serve as a resource for making data-driven decisions. A national research and evaluation company, Quadrant Arts Education Research, is conducting the study, comprised of three elements.
The purpose of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's monitoring activities is to determine the presence and concentration of pesticides in Minnesota's groundwater and surface water. Monitoring information is used to characterize and assess the extent of pesticide impacts to Minnesota's water resources.
To preserve wood components of the north barn, a contributing feature of the Andrew Peterson Farmstead, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This Minnesota Humanities Center Heritage Grant will allow project partners to plan and design a Chinese garden in Phalen Regional Park to commemorate the City of Saint Paul's Sister City Relationship with Changsha, China.
