All registrations due by September 13.
No physical ticket will be sent or given, instead your name and information will be kept on our reservation list - ready to welcome you at the event.
An Arts Day in Windom Schedule:
2 pm Experience art and visit artists at:
- Haley Rothstein, multi-media
- BARC (Business, Art & Recreation Center), 1012 Fifth Ave
- Shelley Cords-Swanson, fiber
- Laura Nerness, photography & painting
- "Unsung Songwriters", music
- Ethan Clerc, film (shown in auditorium)
- Building Tours featuring SMAC-Granted equipment/facilities improvements
- David Strom Studio, 2025 Cottonwood Lake Drive
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Andy Kahmann, 2017 SMAC Prairie Disciple.
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5 pm Annual Meeting,
Andy Kahmann - Prairie Disciple Award Ceremony and
Greta Murray Recognition of Service
6 pm Dinner catered by
River City Eatery
Jazz music during dinner by "Kindred Spirits"
8 pm Spirit of the Region Raffle winners announced
"Spirit of the Region" Raffle:
$10 raffle ticket gets you the chance to win a basket of specialty goods made in the SMAC Region (from art to wine, honey to fudge). Tickets sold in advance and at event
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New in the SMAC Gallery: Charles N. Freiss
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"Clerks Window" Grand Portage National Monument
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The photography of Charles Freiss will be shown at the SMAC Gallery from September 7 through October 27. The public is invited to attend the exhibit reception on Thursday, September 7 from 5 to 7 PM. Special music will be provided by "Kindred Spirits" (Peter Lothringer, Darwin Dyce & Emily Hoffman) during the reception from 5:30 - 6:30pm.
Charles Freiss' interest in photography began in the early 1980s when he studied the basics of photography with Henry Kyllingstad at Southwest State University (now SMSU). Under Henry's mentor-ship he worked with all aspects of black and white film and print techniques. A few years later he moved on to color transparency or slide film and in 1992, with a newborn son, his 35mm camera was replaced with a video camera.
Forward 20+ years and photography was in a new realm. Now not only was the camera digital but the image processing was done on a computer and not at the local drug store. A 2015 Christmas gift of a digital camera started his quest and study of the digital photographic fine art print. Although learning about digital cameras and computer software was worrisome, Charles says "I dove in (thanks to YouTube)."
Freiss shared that "This exhibit is the beginning of my digital quest. Digital photography presents exciting possibilities. I have always enjoyed taking photos of the outdoors and the landscapes that surround me. I also look for abstract images within those landscapes. Today's cameras capture images on a memory card. Editing software makes the development and editing of the captures possible. With the aid of editing plug-ins I can create many different artistic styles. One artistic treatment that I like is the painterly effect in which the photograph looks like a painting.
Advancements in digital cameras and editing software will continue to be made. I look forward to continuing my study of digital photography by advancing my knowledge and improving my technique in order to capture and create better fine art images."
M
ark your calendar to visit with Charles and see his work at an Artist Reception from 5-7pm on Thursday, September 7. Stay to listen to the jazz & folk music of "Kindred Spirits".
Regular gallery hours to visit the exhibit are M-F 8 am-12 pm and 1-4:30 pm.
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SMAC Awards $66,202 to area Artists and Arts Organizations
ART PROJECT GRANTS:
Provides organizations in the SMAC region with up to $5,000 in matching funds to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts.
Crow River Youth Choir, Hutchinson, $2,700 for their concert on February 22, 2018, during Crow River Choir's 2017/2018 concert season. The concert will feature a variety of styles including: folk songs, rounds and partner songs, movie and show tunes, world music from diverse cultures, countries and languages, and other children's choral literature/arrangements.
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Work by Stephanie Frey, a St. Paul Illustrator, will exhibit at Hutchinson Center for the Arts.
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Hutchinson Center for the Arts, Hutchinson, $2,000 for assistance in their 2018 Visual Arts Exhibition Season. The funds will be directed to artist stipends, public reception expenses, and marketing costs for the exhibitions. The series will present 6 professional exhibits featuring 8 Minnesota artists and 2 community exhibits: an area youth art exhibition and a community showcase exhibit open to local artists/craftspeople/makers/musicians 17 and older. hutchinsonarts.org
Hutchinson Photography Club, Hutchinson, $1,263 for this year's Photography Showcase, where Club members are given the opportunity to showcase their best photographs from the year. Judges will critique each photograph and awards will be made in eleven
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Prairie Flower" by Kristine Leuze, photograph from past Hutchinson Photography Club Showcase.
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categories. The Showcase takes place at The Hutchinson Center for the Arts. The project allows for both photographers and community to learn about photography through the feedback of the judges and evaluations given by the community. The showcase will run from November 18 through November 30, 2017. Opening night reception is on November 18 from 5-8 pm, where there will also be live music. hutchphotographyclub.com
Jackson Center for the Arts, Jackson, $2,900 for their upcoming Winter Concert Series, which will consist of six concerts from October 2017 through April of 2018. Each concert features singer/songwriters. The concert series also includes a songwriting workshop and a jam session workshop, both during the monthly scheduled jam session (held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm). For more details, visit: jacksoncenterforthearts.com
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Work lead by "Artful Aging" artist Anne Krocak, who will be working with Madison Healthcare Services.
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Madison Healthcare Services, Madison, $2,307 for bringing Anne Krocak, an "Artful Aging" artist, to work with seniors in the care center, assisted living and the community. Anne Krocak is on staff for COMPAS Art Education Organization and is experienced in working with the elderly in care settings. The artist will lead two classes with 15-20 students. Each class will have four sessions to compete a project. Classes will take place November 13-18. Public viewing of art projects will be on November 18.
Meander Art Crawl, Various locations along the Upper Minnesota River, $5,000 for the 2018 Meander Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl. The art crawl will take place October 4,5, & 6 of 2018 and will feature artists' studios and galleries from multiple counties, including Chippewa, Big Stone, Swift, Yellow Medicine, and Lac qui Parle. To learn more about this year's Meander, see the add at the end of this newsletter or visit: artsmeander.com
Prairie Arts Chorale, various regions, $2,500 for their spring concert series, which has the theme of "By Request". The Chorale will be surveyed regarding their favorite popular songs of all time and audience from the Fall 2017 concerts will be encouraged to participate as well for suggestions of their favorites. The intent for the concert is to have some choral arrangements and ensembles with music of a lighter nature, such as Broadway. Concerts will be performed in Redwood Falls, Marshall, Spicer, Montevideo, and Willmar in April of 2018. prairieartschorale.org
Southwest Minnesota Orchestra (Friends of the Orchestra), Marshall, $4,980 for their "All American Celebration" concert, which will be will be the culminating event of Southwest Minnesota State University's (SMSU) 50th Anniversary commemoration. The concert hopes to express the of the kind of writing, poetry, thought, and composition that SMSU, as a prairie university, has been engaged in for the past 50 years. Music selections will include pieces by local composers Pete Lothringer and Robert Whitcomb, and will also feature SMSU Alumnus of the Decade, Ryan Hugh Ross. Other American pieces by Gershwin and Copland will comprise the second half of the program. southwestminnesotaorchestra.org
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Grace Johnson, a Willmar Studio Hop artists' pottery.
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Willmar Area Arts Council, Willmar, $4,355 for their 2018 Studio Hop, which is a self-guided tour of studio spaces in Svea, Willmar, Spicer and New London. The event in 2018 will be their fourteenth Hop and will be held on the third weekend of June. Applications for artists to participate will open in January with a deadline of February 14, 2018. willmarareaartscouncil.org
Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra, Willmar, $5,000 for two concerts in their winter season: "Evening at Pops: All that Jazz" on November 4, 2017 featuring jazz violinist Randy Sabien and "Almost All Baroque" on January 7, 2018, featuring the principal cellist from the MN Orchestra, Anthony Ross and Madeline Sheard. Both concerts will take place at the Willmar Community Education & Recreation Center. willmarorchestra.com
Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra, Worthington, $5,000 for their holiday concert on November 21, 2017. The concert will open with brass fanfare, Prokofiev's Suite from Lieutenant Kije, Op. 60 movements 3 & 4 will be featured with Gabriel Faure's Elegie for cello and orchestra along with Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony No. 8 in B minor. The second half will showcase holiday favorites: Christmas Festival of Carols, Greensleeves, Sleigh Ride, White Christmas and a Christmas Carol Sing-Along will conclude the festive program.
worthingtonareasymphonyorchestra.weebly.com
ART LEGACY PROJECT GRANT:
Provides an organization in the SMAC region with up to $20,000 in matching funds to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts through large-scale projects that will leave an arts legacy in southwest Minnesota.
City of Granite Falls,
Granite Falls, $15,700 to create an artistic River Walk. After flood mitigation, Granite Falls has a flood wall and some private businesses that border the River Walk. This project will involve visual artists, poets and community input to create a River Walk that is available for the public to enjoy and grow in arts appreciation. Artists hope to represent the cultures and history of Granite Falls and southwest Minnesota using words and images to the tell stories of life along the Minnesota River. This public art project involves the Granite Falls Chamber, Granite Area Arts Council, City of Granite Falls and EDA, local artists and community. The City of Granite Falls hopes that this will continue conversations and ideas for future art projects and events that could take place in the riverside space.
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPING ARTIST GRANTS:
Provides up to $2,000 to aid emerging artist at an early stage of their career development. No match requirements.
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Lauren Carlson
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Lauren Carlson, Dawson, $1,985 to attend the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference. Through attendance, Carlson plans to network with editors to discuss publication opportunities, as she has recently had a poem accepted to an anthology. Carlson also plans to research small presses who will be attending the conference and to meet in person with many of the writers from her online writer's group, who'll also be at the conference.
INDIVIDUAL ESTABLISHED CAREER ARTIST GRANTS:
Provides up to $5,000 to aid established career artists in
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Fred Cogelow's "Steel Life", Butternut, ca. 21"h x 16"w x 4' deep, 2017.
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the advanced stage of their career development with projects that will advance their career.
Fred Cogelow, Willmar, $5,000 for the creation of three high quality mezzo-relief portraits with a sufficient thematic link to be entered as one entry in the 2018 or 2019 ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids, MI. You can learn more about Cogelow and his work at:
virtualrurality.com.
Anna DeGraff
, Marshall, $5,000 for her project Sounds of Southwestern Minnesota. DeGraff plans to commission four new compositions using texts by southwest Minnesota poets. The new works
will be for written for a mezzo-soprano (DeGraff), orchestra, and
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Anna DeGraff (right) during a recital for her "Innovation through Collaboration" Individual Artist grant in 2016.
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featured string players. Anna plans to perform these new works with the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra and the Meadowlark String Quartet on April 29, 2018.
Susan McLean, Marshall, $512 to finish her current manuscript of poetry, select appropriate contests and publishers to submit the manuscript to, and pay the required entry fees for those contests. To help determine which poems are strongest, Susan plans to give local readings of the new poems, as well as submitting them to journals.
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Continue to keep up with news about the arts in our region!
Click the links below to read about:
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Tickets are now on sale for the "Spirit of the Region" raffle baskets! Tickets are $10 and winners will be announced at the 2017 Annual SMAC Celebration (need not be present to win) on September 23. Contact the SMAC office to purchase your tickets!
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Memberships from July 28 to August 29
: Brad & Kristi Fernholz, Appleton * John Tanquist, Appleton * Dennis & LuAnn Drazkowski, Hutchinson * Dolly Talbert, Luverne * Redwood Falls Area School District #2897, Redwood Falls * Mary Jo Boots, Redwood Falls * Mary Snobl, Tracy * Business, Arts & Recreation Center, Windom *
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Friends of SMAC Update
"Friends of SMAC" Wolfgang and Tolstoy visited the Jackson County Fair to dance at an "Acoustic Smoke" concert, which was made possible through a SMAC Art Project grant!
Click here
to find out more about our Art Project grants! The next deadline for applications is December 20, 2017.
This activity is funded in part with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
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2017 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Big Stone - John White
Chippewa - Georgette Jones
Cottonwood-Marilee Strom
Jackson - Kathy Fransen
Kandiyohi - Janet Olney
Lac qui Parle - Joyce Meyer
Lincoln - Pam Blake
Lyon - Michele Knife Sterne
McLeod - Tom Wirt
Meeker - Joyce Aakre
Murray - Kelly Muldoon
Nobles - Brett Lehman
Pipestone - Reggie Gorter
Redwood - Dan Wahl
Renville - Anne O'Keefe-Jackson
Rock - Cindy Reverts
Swift - Dana Conroy
Yellow Medicine - Claire Swanson
Executive Director - Nicole DeBoer
Financial & Grants Administrator - Caroline Koska
Marketing Coordinator & Receptionist - Krystl Louwagie
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SW MN Arts Council
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting and encouraging the development of the arts in the eighteen counties of southwestern Minnesota by serving as a source of funds and technical services which enable local organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to sponsor and/or create and promote the arts in their communities.
SMAC receives funding from individuals, businesses, organizations, schools, cities, counties, private foundations including the McKnight Foundation, an allocation from the State of Minnesota, and a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, made possible by the voters of Minnesota.
Thank you for supporting the arts in the southwest Minnesota region!
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