The Oral History office worked with the Department of Inclusion and Community Engagement on an oral history project related to the History Center's 2015 exhibit Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair. Interviewer Mica Anders-Turner completed 10 interviews to complement the exhibit. Plans for FY17 include seven interviews focused on African American cabin- and resort-owners at Lake Adney (Crow Wing County), and working with the nonprofit Oromo Community of Minnesota to document the stories of Oromo immigrants, an Ethiopian ethnic group.
The Oral History office worked with MNHS's Inclusion and Community Engagement staff on an oral history project related to the History Center's 2015 exhibit Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair. Interviewer Mica Anders-Turner completed 10 interviews to complement the Inspiring Beauty exhibit.
The Duluth Children’s Museum continues to grow dramatically, in large part from the investments of the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Legacy funding support over the last three years.
The ambient groundwater monitoring network collects samples for contaminants of emerging concern such as pharmaceuticals, insect repellents, bisphenol A, and alkylphenol detergent breakdown products. This project will fill a data gap by collecting water samples for organophosphate flame retardants and PFAS. Samples will be collected from 135 wells and tested for organophosphate flame retardants and selected wells for PFAS.
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.
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."
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.
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.
