To provide a variety of artists, talents, and cultures for public viewing. These artists include many genres and some that normally our public would not have access to. Some will be entertaining, and some will also be educational. For all ages and open to the public.
For children we plan on having Alfy's World of Robotic Puppets; Wonderful World of Woody; and interactive show
Silly Ms Tilly, a balloon artist.
We will also have Honky Tonk Troubadours - music through the decades.
The Koochiching County Fair will feature two Minnesota-based bands. The Snowmen Band members come from the Bagley, MN area and the HWY 71 band is from Bemidji, MN. Both bands will be performing at the Grandstand on Aug. 10th. and are free and open to the public.
Grant funds will also assist in covering costs of the Kids Tractor Pull, also free to the public.
A portion of the legacy grant will also be used to fund our sound technician.
The Mahnomen County Agricultural Society's Legacy project is to purchase a sound system and bleachers for our free stage used for local artists, cultural demonstrations, and other events open to the public.
The Traverse County Fair would like to book Gen X Jukebox, a band from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. We would also like to hire Rick Fidler to perform country music for people who attend our fair.
2024 summary of projects:
Balloon artist Janet Fossen; Fiber arts - Scandinavian knitting, weaving, spinning, weaving; Hands-on activities with local artists; Musical entertainment - Slamabama (all musicians are from Barnsville, MN).
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare planning documents that will help preserve the Cummins-Phipps-Grill House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The goal of this project is to increase fluency and proficiency in the Dakhota language by creating a Dakhota Dictionary Mobile App that is linguistically accurate and widely accessible for both adult and youth language learners in the classroom and for individual study. The Dakhota Dictionary Mobile App will expand the Dakhota language lexical database's value as an archive preserving the Dakhota language, while presenting an accessible and vibrant new resource to a large and growing community of Dakhota language learners.
Dakota Wicohan will provide a transformative 16-week program aimed at empowering local Dakota youth by guiding them through the intricate process of crafting their own dance regalia outfits and provide dance lessons, tailored for 10-13 students (boys and girls), from the Lower Sioux Community. Upon completion of their regalia, the participants will be empowered to share their newfound knowledge and skills with the broader community. This sharing will be prominently featured at two local events - the Lower Sioux Powwow and the Redwood County Fair.
This project will share, celebrate, and preserve cultural heritage in the East Phillips neighborhood, paying mind to the high percentages of Indigenous, East African, African American, and Latinx communities. The project includes collaboration with elders and education institutions to develop a demonstration site plan that will provide workshops about cultural food, ceremonial medicines, and seed saving. The funding will provide venue and facilitation space, bring leaders and experts together to collaborate, assist with strategic planning, and compile data for future engagement.
This project will support the inaugural season of the Culture Workers Collaborative (CWC), a cohort program for Minnesota culture bearers seeking to lead their communities in amplifying cultural heritage, building identity, and increasing cultural self-determination. Over the course of the program, culture bearers will 1) participate in 15 monthly professional development sessions; 2) carry out a series of 31 culturally diverse humanities activities that empower their communities in building identity and culture.
This project will produce content for the Headwaters exhibit including: 1) creation and content development of Meet Your Neighbor stations; 2) creation of two murals and a sculpture celebrating diversity; 3) new exhibit design in partnership with Stearns County History Museum; 4) design an art fence for the Outdoor Adventures exhibit.
The crisis is the consistent loss of life experienced in the Twin Cities due to gun violence, addiction and systemic oppression of marginalized people. Within the last few weeks, we've seen a Black police officer gunned down on the job and a non-verbal child found dead. The impact on the Black community is that we're hurting and normalizing the trauma because we see it so often. Many have become desensitized or seek substances to numb their pain.
AICS is hosting "Hees iyo Fanka," a one-night event celebrating Somali music and culture through karaoke and live performances. The event aims to bring together the Somali community and broader Minneapolis public to foster pride in Somali heritage and promote cultural exchange. It will feature Somali karaoke and live performances by local artists and poets, showcasing the richness of Somali musical traditions. The event will encourage language preservation and provide an opportunity for community members to connect through the joy of music.
