This project supports Native artist residencies resulting in newly commissioned artworks by Dakota and Ojibwe artists for Here, Now: American Hi/stories of Land and Stars, a permanent collection show opening in September 2024, that is grounded in the lens of interconnectivity and deeply informed by Indigenous systems of knowledge. The new commissions will fill representation gaps in the collection and offer embodied land acknowledgments in the form of artworks.
The Winona County Historical Society (WCHS) will partner with Engage Winona and The Joy Labs to create and launch a leadership circle from historically and currently marginalized communities, who will guide new exhibit development in collaboration with museum staff and exhibit professionals. Members of the leadership circle will co-design the leadership circle process, which will involve framing discussion questions, engagement plans, and exhibit content.
On December 11, 2023 a dedicated Hmong-American activist and leader, Tou Ger Xiong, was kidnapped and killed in Colombia. Tou Ger Xiong has dedicated his life to building bridges across cultures, speaking out against injustices to marginalized communities, advocating for active civic engagement among communities of color, and bringing people together through laughter. This grant aims to provide a space for the community to come together to collectively mourn the loss of Tou Ger Xiong.
We plan to add an automatic retractable awning system for the heritage square stage for the comfort of the spectators and performers during afternoon sun. We will have a historical storyteller schooled in cultural and legends of northern Minnesota. The Headwaters Science center will provide hands-on children's activities focused on historical significance of today's modern technology. We will also invite several local crafters to demonstrate their skills and explain the historical significance of their craft.
Entertainment for the 2023 fair will (for the 42nd year) include The Johnny Holm Band. This is a Minnesota band and Johnny Holm actually lives in Carver County. This is one of the most well attended events we have during the Carver County Fair.
The Legacy Project at the East Otter Tail County Fair will provide access to a glass blowing demonstration thru the House of Mulciber and a singer/artist group called the Church of Cash. The glass blowing demonstrations will be held on Friday and Saturday of the fair with 5-8 demonstrations a day. The Church of Cash will be performing on the Lumber Depot Free Stage in the Park. ,
Legacy funds will be used for stage rental, demonstrations and a pan drummer entertainer. The demonstrations will include wood turning, done by a foot controlled turner, done in a historical setting complete with costuming. Also included in the demonstration area will be a potter (from the region) who throws clay.
Provide a variety of artists and genres for our audiences to hear and see. Many of these artists have never been in our county before. They will showcase their talents in an educational way to allow the audience an opportunity to experience something new and different as well as giving them a chance to ask questions about how these artists came to be involved with their particular art form.
Mahnomen County is only 583 square miles in size, but according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the county contains three of the four biomes: Coniferous Forest, Deciduous Forest, and Prairie Grasslands. Some of the land in Mahnomen County is used for farming, but trees are also an important natural resource. The Mahnomen County Agricultural Society would like to provide access to Minnesota's Agricultural, Historical and Cultural Heritage through a Lumberjack show and camp.
We will be using the money to hire Minnesota-based entertainment for our free stage. We will be bringing in a Rockabilly entertainer, which is rock n' roll music with roots in music of the American South during the 1950's. This band is from Rochester, MN. We also have two other bands that play old time music and country music. Both are local artists from our hometown of Austin, MN. Another local band will be doing country music. Our final artist is an Elvis Impersonator. He is from Harmony, MN.
The Legacy Grant funds will be used to enrich our guests with entertaining learning experiences. Funds will be used for all guests to learn a bit more of our history with a presentation by Rob Fairbanks, a Native American who motivates as he speaks to groups and teaches them of his life on the reservation and his ancestors way of life and how it relates today.
Legacy funds will help pay for local folk, Americana, country and western musicians or bands. We will seek musicians that perform original music and showcase musicians and bands from local (northern Minnesota) that often don't get the opportunity to perform in front of a large crowd like we have at the county fair mini stage. We will also contract professional sound engineers to produce the sound at the mini stage through all performances
The St. Louis County Fair will be presenting several different programs that will reflect various art forms. These programs will be comprised of different entertainers including a couple bands playing musch that is multi-generational and multicultural (Finnish). We will also be presenting forging demonstrations.
The Educational Heritage Magic Show by Magician Tom Anderson - With period costumes from the 1800's, he will be using magic that would have taken place in the 1800's. Tom is also a balloon artist and will be offering a balloon twisting class. ?Musical performers will also perform at the fair.
The Yellow Medicine County Fair Board is seeking funds to purchase a new portable stage to better serve the needs of our fair performers and demonstrations. Our current stage consists of concrete blocks and old rotting plywood that is not safe for our performers and demonstrations. With a portable stage we are able to move it to other areas of the fairgrounds if needed for performers or demonstration events that might require a stage.
To contract two entertainers for the free stage at the 2023 Big Stone County Fair. Both entertainers are from Minnesota. The first group will be a musical/comedy duo who will play mostly original musical material with comedy and funny stories mixed in with the songs and between songs. The second entertainer is a Native American stand-up comedian who will tell jokes and stories about his life and comment on current events.
We need updates to the 4-H exhibit building that is owned by the Agricultural Society, but it is used by the 4-H exhibitors to house their projects during the fair. Fine Arts, Crafts, Photography, Woodworking, Clothing and Textiles, and Quilts are just a few of these project areas. This building sustained some water damage to the interior of the building. The problem has been fixed but the interior plywood and insulation needs to be fixed to safely have these projects, exhibitors and fairgoers inside of this building.
We would like to be able to provide fairgoers a fun experience at seeing horses and ranchers work and run different events with their horses. To see how a blacksmith operates and create iron work. Our magician will create a fun experience for all ages to learn more about agriculture.
Having a chainsaw artist do demonstrations on grounds each day; Building an open sided shelter to protect fairgoers and local performers from the elements as they watch and learn about local cultural heritage such as polka bands, local Native American dances, German bands, Century Farm and senior programs.
This application is to contract two entertainers for the 2024 Big Stone County Fair. Both entertainers are from Minnesota. The first group will be a Polka Band who will perform Polka music on the Free Stage. The second group will be a band playing a variety of modern to classic music on our free stage.
We will be looking at the way the early pioneers lived, worked and enjoyed themselves in the early days of Minnesota. Repairing a log cabin on the grounds, showing how metal work was done and explaining how early lumberjack camps worked will be a great educational experience. Also the sound of the music of the early descendants of the area will be greatly enjoyed.
Kipp Davis with be creating a mural on our 4-H building during our county fair - this is a painting of arts and culture of the history of 4-H in our county
The Meeker County Fair is excited to have the "Dr. Street Magic Show." Nick Sharpe works through the Homeward Bound Theatre Company in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He has a passion for magic and recycling. Through his strolling performances Friday through Sunday he will encounter many people. Nick has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people in over 24 different countries and even in some remote parts of North Dakota. He facilitates audience participation with a twist of comedy, dazzling the multitudes with magic.
Log carving is a form of art or craftsmanship that involves sculpting or carving designs, figures, or intricate patterns into logs or large pieces of wood. It often requires specialized tools like chisels, knives, and chainsaws to create detailed and often lifelike sculptures or decorative pieces. Artists use their skills to bring out the natural beauty of the wood while shaping it into various forms, ranging from animals and human figures to abstract designs.
The Polk County Fair is proposing to use the Legacy funding to provide the Free Stage audience with a unique musical experience. The first act is entitled the "The Woodpicks." They are a classic blue grass band using instruments familiar with blue grass, fiddle, stand-up bass, and banjo. The second act is called "the Radio Stars." It is a classic country western group that plays old time classics.
We will be purchasing a staging kit for the 4-H building and multi-use shelter. It will be used for musical entertainment, agricultural, historical, and/or cultural heritage presentations such as Polka bands, German bands, Century Farms and Senior programs.
We will also have a chainsaw artist do demonstrations on the grounds every day of the fair.
For our Magic Village- Kelvin does an agriculture-related magic show that is fun for all ages. Also Todd-N-Tina will come. They are educators in the art of dance/movement and getting energized by involving youth and adults to get off their seats and on their feet. They promote fun in music, song and dance.
We have a home-grown Minnesota band for two nights: Todd Eckart and the Centerville Allstars. We are also adding to our history of the fairgrounds display.
