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.
With the Legacy Project, we intend to purchase two wireless microphones to help promote the arts on our stage for the performers. We are also hiring RJ Kerns, to promote photography and explain the history behind the art of taking photos. With the number of exhibitors showing photography, we would like to educate the public on the history of photography and why it is so important and how to improve their skills in exhibiting photos.
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 will use this grant to focus on the rich history of agriculture in Minnesota through presentations and displays by photographers Doug Ohman and AJ Kern. We're promoting art in our area and state through the chainsaw art of Curt Ingvoldstad and the hands-on demonstrations of Lisa Douglas. The antique tractor display at our fairgrounds will be a bit more educational with a sign displaying the various types of tractors, along with facts about some that are on display.
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.
With the Legacy Project, we intend to use the funds to purchase:
-- "Chalk Animals"- Chalk animals will be a combination of Animals from Plywood cut outs that we paint with chalkboard paint. They will be available around the fairgrounds for kids to use sidewalk chalk to color and embrace their creativity. These will be erasable and reuseable for years to come!
-- Balloon Animal Artist - We will hire Balloons with Kevin, a balloon artist as apart of our Kids Day Program.
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.
This year we'd like to use our Legacy funds to promote the history of Minnesota agriculture through the presentations of Doug Ohman. We're also excited to welcome back chainsaw artist Kurt Ingvaldson to showcase his unique talents. We'll have a spinning demonstration from a local artisan along with music from local jazz and blue grass bands. There are plans to have a local artist repaint our livestock barn signs and we're also looking at creating signs for our antique tractor display to better inform the public about the historical types of tractors.
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 provide heritage music and arts programming for school age children at the fair. The Houston County Fair enhanced their sound system and introduced a Polka band. The objective of this project is to enhance the arts with the involvement of the youth and preserve the history of the fair.
To increase and enhance arts and cultural heritage programming at the Houston County Fair. Funds will be used to upgrade an existing stage, install a display case to exhibit artistic and creative works of people with disabilities, and host the Minnesota Scandinavian Ensemble. The Ensemble will educate children and families about Scandinavian music and dances.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive insect that has been decimating ash trees throughout the Great Lakes states. It was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009 and is now found in four counties (Hennepin, Houston, Ramsey, and Winona). EAB poses a particularly serious threat to Minnesota because it is home to nearly 1 billion ash trees that occur throughout the state - the second most of any state.
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 provide a variety of programming at the Winona County Fair that preserves and promotes Minnesota's history and cultural heritage. Art demonstrations will feature painting, watercolor, drawing, oils, spinning, weaving, and quilting. Visitors will be able to view antique tractors and learn about their history and restoration process. Children can watch a marionette show and learn about ventriloquism. The fair will feature a bluegrass band and a dog sledding display.
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 preserve the one room schoolhouse on the fairgrounds. The Little Red Schoolhouse will need painting, window repair, and electrical upgrades. The Winona County Historical Society will help organize materials for programming and exhibiting.
Funds will also improve lighting in two art exhibit buildings.
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.
