In this issue:

• Join us for our Annual Celebration in Tyler: Save the Date

• In the SMAC Gallery

• Welcoming Week: September

• MN State Arts Board visit: Worthington

• Redwood Arty Party: Rural Arts Reveal

• Upcoming In-Person Grant Info Session: Slayton

• Upcoming Virtual Grant Webinars & Upcoming Grant Deadlines

Pictured: Art by Cynthia Demers as a result from a SMAC Quick Support for Artists grant.

You are invited: Annual Celebration of the Arts and Artists of our 18-county region

Please join us in Tyler at the Danebod Folk School Gym for our Annual Celebration on Saturday, October 14th, 2023! We will be honoring our new Prairie Disciple, Lee Kanten of Ortonville. Lee Kanten will perform live music! As always, the celebration will also include a delicious catered meal and a social hour with a cash bar. Another annual highlight: Spirit of the region raffle baskets! A $10 raffle ticket will get you the chance to win a basket of specialty goods made in the SMAC Region (from wine to honey, beer to fudge). Raffle tickets will be available soon at the SMAC office or through a SMAC Board Member. Raffle tickets will also available onsite at the event.

Save the date! Registration & more details coming soon.

In the Gallery: Jason Frank

Help SMAC welcome our current gallery artist, Jason Frank of Ortonville. This exhibit, titled "Abstract Elementals: A Prairie Wetland Portrait Series", will be in the SMAC Gallery in downtown Marshall at 509 West Main Street through August 25, 2023. Jason received a SMAC Individual Artist Grant in 2022 specifically for this project. Learn more about the artist on SMAC's Galley page.

The SMAC gallery is open weekdays 9 am to 12 pm and 1-4 pm. If you would like to view the exhibit outside of these times, please email info@swmnarts.org.

Join us for a Virtual Artist Talk with Jason Frank!

Thursday, August 3rd at 5:30 pm

Join Zoom Call

Meeting ID: 849 1376 6476

Passcode: 415122

Visit zoom.us or find it on your device’s app store to download and make your account before the meeting begins.

Welcoming Week for this year is scheduled for September 8 – 17, 2023. This annual campaign is an opportunity to celebrate the values that unite us as neighbors, parents, and colleagues, and to make our communities more welcoming to all those who call southwest Minnesota home.

Southwest Minnesota Arts Council is proud to be part of Welcoming Week as a regional partner. SMAC's role is to help promote and support communities within our 18-county region that are holding events for Welcoming Week. Check out these resources from Southwest Initiative Foundation for community members planning a local Welcoming Week celebration. And if you're hosting an event, be sure to email the details to SMAC at info@swmnarts.org so we can add them to our calendar and promote it our social media and news posts! You can also submit calendar events through our website or visit our SMAC Calendar of local arts events.

Listed Events (so far!) in the SMAC Region



• Welcoming Week Cookout (Granite Falls), September 16 (click to learn more)
• Welcoming Week Event (Marshall), September 19th (click to learn more)

The Minnesota State Arts Board holds monthly meetings where they vote on awarding grant applications and more. All board meetings are open to the public, in keeping with Minnesota's Open Meeting Law. Unless announced otherwise, meetings are generally held on the second Thursday of the month at 11am and are held at the Arts Board office. When members of the board participate in meetings via videoconference, phone numbers or videoconference links will be posted so that members of the public may listen or observe the meetings remotely. Any member of the public who would like to contact members of the board, or has questions or comments about board or committee meeting processes or topics discussed, may contact Sue Gens, executive director at Sue.Gens@arts.state.mn.us. Find out more and view the calendar on their website.

In July, the Minnesota State Arts Board held their annual meeting (and monthly board meeting) in Worthington, MN! The board held a 2-day meeting with discussions and panels on "Using the Arts to Build More Vibrant Communities", "Supporting and Sustaining a Thriving Arts & Cultural Community in SW MN", and dedicated time for the SW MN Arts Council and the MN State Arts board to get to know each other and share how we can help support each other and our communities better.

Want to learn more about the grant opportunities the MN State Arts Board has to offer?

The Minnesota State Arts Board provides financial support to artists and organizations throughout the state to ensure that all Minnesotans have the opportunity to participate in the arts. SMAC encourages our artists and organizations to take advantage of these grants, not just SMAC grants! We work together with the MN State Arts Board to support and reach as much of our communities as we can with arts funding. Learn more about upcoming MN State Arts Board grants and opportunities.

SMAC is teaming up with Merryweather Farms for the Redwood Arty Party & 4th Annual Rural Arts Reveal!

Join SMAC for our Arty Party in Redwood County! We are holding the Arty Party in conjunction with the Rural Arts Reveal at Merryweather Farms, located at 14888 Bunker Ave in Walnut Grove. The date is Sunday, September 17th-the Rural Arts Reveal goes from 2 pm to 10 pm-SMAC staff will be there from 4-7 pm, so join us for some casual networking between arts supporters!

The Arts Reveal is described as "a casual late-summer afternoon get-together curated by artists, musicians & poets where everyone is welcome"! At 6 pm there is a potluck supper (feel free to bring a dish to pass), plates and utensils will be provided. If you want to be involved as a volunteer or artist at the event, contact Sunny Ruthchild at sunnyruthchild@gmail.com. There will be brewery trucks giving samples (non-alcoholic options also available).

As with all of SMAC's Arty Parties, this will be an awesome opportunity to network with local arts supporters. From 4-7 pm SMAC staff will be available to answer questions, listen to the arts needs in the community, and share who SMAC is and what they can do for the arts in Southwest Minnesota! Come p(ART)y with us! Click here to learn more about the Rural Arts Reveal Event.

What's next? Look forward to hearing news of our Swift Arty Party! To keep up to date on all our upcoming events and opportunities, stay tuned to our social media (SMAC Facebook & SMAC Instagram), as well as the SMAC Website!

Upcoming In-Person Grant Info Session in Slayton

Join us on Thursday, September 21st from 7 to 8 pm at the Murray County Historical Museum, 2480 29th St, Slayton, MN. (With treats from The Plaid Moose!)

Learn about SW MN Arts Council (SMAC) grant opportunities for the coming year (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024), including updates to guidelines and deadlines. SMAC funding is available for organizations, cities/tribal nations, artists, schools, and youth in the SW MN region. Learn more about our grants & see the current Grants Calendar

This session is free, but registration is preferred: Slayton Grant Info Session Registration 

This location does not require the use of stairs and has an accessible bathroom. Please let SMAC staff know if you request any accommodations to attend this event: info@swmnarts.org or 800-622-5284. Visit SMAC's Accessibility Page

Looking forward: Will a SMAC grant session be coming to your town?

In-person grant info sessions are being planned for Kerkhoven, Fairfax, and Montevideo. To keep up to date on all our upcoming sessions, watch for our emails and stay tuned to our social media (SMAC Facebook & SMAC Instagram), as well as the SMAC Website! For more assistance options, visit SMAC's Workshop & Assistance page.

Upcoming Virtual Grant Workshops

visit SMAC's Workshop & Assistance page for more info

**Workshops are free, but registration is required**

Thursday, August 10, 5:30-6:30 pm

Operating Support Grant (Register Here)

Learn about SMAC's Operating Support grants, available to arts organizations.

Monday, September 18, 7-8 pm

Virtual SMAC Grants Q&A Session (Register Here)

Get questions answered about any of our grant programs or your project ideas.

Thursday, November 2, Noon (12)-1 pm

Public Art Grants (Register Here)

Learn about SMAC's Public Art grants, available to cities, organizations and Tribal Nations.

Tuesday, December 5, 7-8 pm

Virtual SMAC Grants Q&A Session (Register Here)

Get questions answered about any of our grant programs or your project ideas.

Monday, December 11, Noon (12)-1 pm

Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants (Register Here)

Learn about SMAC's Equipment & Facilities Improvement grants, available to arts organizations.

Thursday, March 7, 7-8 pm

Virtual SMAC Grants Q&A Session (Registration coming soon)

Get questions answered about any of our grant programs or your project ideas.

Thursday, February 15, 5:30-6:30 pm

Art Study Opportunity for Youth Grants (Registration coming soon)

Available to students entering grades 5 through 12.

**Workshops are free, but registration is required**

Watch a recorded webinar for all grants info session from earlier this year

Other options for Grant Assistance:

Visit SMAC's Workshop & Assistance page

SW MN Arts Council grants administrator Caroline Koska is available to meet with you by phone, web conference or in person to answer your questions on grant eligibility and using the application system or to review a draft of your application. Schedule a time with Caroline Koska.

Every month on the 2nd Tuesday of the month we hold "Open Office Hours" for grant support. The office hours are from 10 am to 2 pm and the next one will be Tuesday, August 8th. You can use this time with SW MN Arts Council staff to talk through project ideas or get help with finding the right grant program, filling out your application, preparing work samples or budgets, or completing your final report.

Call 800-622-5284 or email us info@swmnarts.org with your questions. Please let us know of any accommodations needed for you to attend any of our events, virtual or in-person. View SMAC's Access page for more information.

Upcoming Grant Deadlines

1st of the Month August, 2023 through May 2024:

• Quick Support for Organizations (watch Quick Support for Organizations recorded webinar)

• Arts in the Schools (watch Arts in the Schools recorded webinar)

• Quick Support for Artists (watch recorded webinar for Artist Grants)

August 16: Artist Growth (watch recorded webinar for Artist Grants)

October 11: Advanced Artist Fellowship (watch recorded webinar for Artist Grants)

October 25: Operating Support (Pre-Applications Financials due by September 20)

Register for Operating Support webinar August 10th

View our NEW grants calendar

including descriptions of the grants and funding amounts, deadlines, earliest project start dates, and webinar dates for our new fiscal year, starting July 2023 through June 2024.

Visit SMAC's Workshop & Assistance page

SMAC is seeking representatives from four counties to serve on our board of directors: Kandiyohi, McLeod, Murray and Yellow Medicine

Do you live or work in one of these counties? Do you want to volunteer in a meaning way? Are you interested in helping your community? Are you passionate about arts awareness & funding and where & how those funds are distributed?

SMAC's Board of Directors currently has four vacant board seats. We are seeking a representative from each of the counties listed above to serve. The Board meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday evening at the SMAC office in Marshall or on Zoom to set policies, make final decisions on grant awards with input from grant review panels, share ideas and information from their representative counties, and to design programs that enable SMAC to best serve our communities.

Other opportunities include serving on several grant panels a year to evaluate applications, attending a yearly board retreat in January, learning opportunities and trainings on Access, Equity, Inclusion & Diversity and more!

To learn more and to fill out an application visit SMAC's Become A Board Member Page. You can also schedule a meeting with our Executive Director, Nicole DeBoer, for further questions.

Looking for arts events to attend? Check out our regional arts calendar!

We are continuing to post both in-person and virtual arts events in our region on our website calendar. If you have events to let us know about, please email the details to info@swmnarts.org! Remember, these don't have to be SMAC grant funded events, just arts events in our 18-county region!

Have something that's not an event, but an arts opportunity, like a RFP or call for local artists? We'll add it to our opportunities posts! Send us those, too!

Rhythm of the River Music Festival

Scenic Fort Benton in Jackson is home to an amazing celebration of art, music and community which took place July 14th-15th. What began in 2006 as a Sesquicentennial event drawing former Jackson bands back home to Ashley Park along the Des Moines River has blossomed into a world class music festival. In addition to a powerful line up of talented original musicians, singer-songwriters and performers, artists, food and drink vendors and a variety of children’s activities added to the ambiance making for a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. This event is funded in part by a SMAC Art Project grant, and a SMAC staff member visited the event this year to enjoy the festivities and get some photos.

 Memberships

From July 1 to July 28, 2023



Supporters: Wilder Pageant, Walnut Grove

Sustainers: Al Opland Singers, Pipestone

Patrons: Jim & Carol Ceynowa, Luverne

Would you like to become a contributing member of SMAC or make a donation?

You can help by contributing online or by mail, for more information, visit Become a SMAC member!

NEW: SMAC Members will get an "I Love Rural Arts" Sticker! (pictured left)

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS!

Chippewa - M E (Maggie) Fuller

Kandiyohi - OPEN

Lyon - Dr. Erin Kline

Murray - OPEN

Redwood - David KelseyBassett

Swift - Jessica Mata