To offer arts activities that highlight the special attributes of local culture. The Clearwater County Fair will host two workshop sessions of Scandinavian rosemaling, and exhibit the work of two local Native American artists. These two very different cultural events will provide community members the opportunity to learn about cultural differences, similarities, and the rich heritage of the area.
To upgrade a portable stage. The Cottonwood County Agricultural Society has purchased a new portable stage that is larger in size and accommodates a greater variety of performers. With this upgrade, the Agricultural Society will be able to accommodate 50-60 uses throughout the year at different venues and help to bring a larger, culturally diverse group to performances.
To offer multi-cultural and multi-generational history and music exhibitions. A lumberjack show will highlight the experience of early settlers, and folk-music and a polka performances will promote intergenerational and intercultural amity.
1. Kern Photography: R. J. Kern is an American artist whose work investigates ideas of home, ancestry, and a sense of place. His portraits focus on intimate, interdependent relationships of people, animals, and landscape as a means of exploring how ancestry shapes identity and how myth intertwines with personal history. His camera has led him from an inquiry into his lineage in the farming communities of Scandinavia and Ireland to the examination of similar communities near his home in Minnesota.
The premise for securing entertainment at the Hanson Memorial Free Stage is that it has to have ethnic significance and it should provide an elementary level of agriculture that kids can understand and adults can appreciate. This year the fair is showcasing one the premier children's acts the state has to offer. Tricia and the Toonies provide three shows, each different and each relevant. One show focuses on the basics of agriculture, another show focuses on the environment and the third show shows the differences of ethnic heritage.
The Washington County Fair brings many artistic programs to the fair each year. We are planning on having community bands and a long ago form of arts - a balloonologist. Keeping the community bands alive for enjoying the art of big bands is a much needed art. A balloonologist is a very old form of art, which is amazing to watch and an art that needs to be preserved. We will be having Paul Bunyan. Paul Bunyan explains the use of his ax for cutting down trees. He will depict how long ago homes were built by logs chopped down in the forests.
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.
We need updates to our Scandinavian Arts Building that houses local artists' projects on display during the fair. This building houses the rosemaling/Scandinavian art projects in the front of the building. Rosemaling originates in Norway and is the painting of wooden furniture and objects with flower motifs. This art is really popular in our area and at our county fair. We are just submitting an estimate for repairs to the front of this building under the legacy grant project. The siding is rotten and now there are holes in the sides of the building.
We are hoping to continue to promote Minnesota art by bringing items back from prior years, but also improve our arts section for our fair. We would like to bring back our Birch Coulee Working Ranch Rodeo that shows our patrons the older styles of a working ranch such as cattle sorting, roping, and doctoring cattle. This also allows local participants to attend and try the different events it offers. Another popular activity we had was bringing a local blacksmith into our fair to show fairgoers the ways they created different tools in our past.
"So Hot Glass", glass blowing artist, educational and interactive presentations (6 daily) to entertain fairgoers with the beauty and skill of glasswork.
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 bring many artistic programs to the fair each year. We plan to have a balloonologist this year. It is an amazing form of art that needs to be kept alive. It is truly amazing to watch them twist and turn a balloon in no time, and turn it into art! That takes a lot of talent and practice to be able to do this.
To allow visitors of the Washington County Fair to experience life in the 1800s. The fair will offer children's games from the era, dancing demonstrations, and educational fashion shows which will feature styles from the 1800s along with explanations of an item's function and symbolism.
To expand the awareness of the arts and history of music in America. The fair will host a jug band, polka band, folk singer and yodeler. To enhance the performances, a sound system and portable bleachers will be purchased.
Funding supports an Irrigation Specialist to develop guidance and provide education on irrigation and nitrogenbest management practices (BMPs). In this position, Dr. Vasu Sharma provides direct support to irrigators onissues of irrigation scheduling and soil water monitoring. She is collaborating on the development of new irrigationscheduling tools that help irrigators manage water and nitrogen resources more precisely. These tools help reducenitrogen leaching losses in irrigated cropping systems.
Native to the western United States and Canada, mountain pine beetle is considered the most devastating forest insect in North America. Trees usually die as a result of infestation and an unprecedented outbreak in the west is currently decimating pine forests there. While mountain pine beetle is not presently believed to reside in Minnesota, there are risks posed by an expanding species range resulting from warming climate and the potential for accidental introduction via lumber imports from infested areas.
To offer arts and educational opportunities for youth and seniors of Norman County. The Norman County Fair will offer several interactive arts and educational workshops including tie dying, a singing and dancing event called “Penny and Pals,” and a glass blowing demonstration. The fair will also feature a folk band and a draft horse exhibition.
To enhance arts and cultural heritage programming at the Polk County Fair by improving fairgoers ability to hear performances. The fair will purchase a sound system that will be used for performances and demonstrations on Paul Bunyan, dogsledding, and polka.
To add and enhance arts and cultural heritage programming by hosting an Irish Dance company and constructing new display cases and wall hangings to better view the Open Class exhibits.
To upgrade the capacity of Washington County Fair to host a variety of performing artists at the fair by upgrading the sound system. To purchase mixing console, power amplifier, microphones, dual CD player adaptable to inputs from USB, memory sticks, MP3, therefore allowing the fair to invite performers using digital sound devices.
To increase access to a variety of performance art at the Washington County Fair. Funds will be used to showcase a miming presentations by Theatre of Fools, a Native American dance demonstration by the Little Thunderbirds, and a comedy show by author Michael Perry, who discusses today’s small town fardmand family culture.
