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• Grants Awarded: $29,600 to local artists
•In the SMAC Gallery
• Upcoming SMAC Workshops & SMAC Grant Videos
• & More!
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SMAC Awards $29,600 to local artists
The SMAC board voted on November 26 to award $29,600 in grant funds to 8 local artists
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Artwork by Lisa Bergh: Equinox Weaving 120" x 36" die cut vinyl and thread 2023. | Artwork by Tammy Grubbs: Mixed media commissioned wedding portrait, 11" x 14". | Artwork by Julia Redner: Acrylic paint panel, 48" x 72". | |
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The following eight artists were awarded SMAC Artist Growth grants. These grants provide up to $4,000 to artists at any career stage for projects that will advance their skills and artistic career.
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Lisa Bergh of New London was awarded $4,000 to explore a new body of work that furthers her inquiry into sense memory and mapping of place through the lens of abstraction and manipulation of vinyl. The pieces in the installation will include tapestries, sculptural objects, and two-dimensional works.
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Nicole Brenny of Boyd has been awarded $4,000 to purchase new lighting to increase the locations and moods she is able to film. She will also complete a short film with the new lighting.
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Nicole Crivellone of Marshall has been awarded $4,000 for supplies to produce new work and costs to participate in arts festivals and events in Minnesota.
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Valora Frazier of Montevideo was awarded $4,000 to take writing courses and participate in one-on-one coaching while preparing a draft of her autobiography.
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Tammy Grubbs of Pipestone has been awarded $4,000 to create a body of new work exploring a variety of mixed media, including ink, gouache, acrylic, and oil.
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David KelseyBassett of Lamberton was awarded $4,000 to make a beat driven easy listening album of original jazz and blues songs using an SP-1200 sampling drum machine. The purchase of the MKSREC 1 sampler and an electronic modification to his SP-1200 drum machine will make the creation of this new album possible.
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Julia Redner of Echo has been awarded $1,600 to create a series of brightly colored paintings of varying sizes and shapes that when assembled will create larger patterns.
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Jannet Walsh of Murdock was awarded $4,000 for the completion writing Wolfe Islander: Return to the people of the Land and Sea (a collection of new family history stories in Minnesota and Canada, part of the Irish Diaspora), to hire a book editor, for marketing, and presenting a finished manuscript to publishers to obtain a book publishing contract.
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In the Gallery: Ferman Woodbury | |
Photography by Ferman Woodberry of Jackson is in the SMAC Gallery through December 20, 2024. Woodberry received an Artist Equity grant in 2023 to take advanced photography classes and purchase equipment that would take his photography to a new level. | | |
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Coming Up
Virtual Artist Talk &
Gallery Tour
Thursday, December 12th at 5:30 pm
Zoom Link
ID: 860 6160 8673
PC: 836829
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Next in the Gallery: Angie Guptill
Angie Guptill of Canby will be displaying her fine art & ceramics in the SMAC gallery from January 9 through February 28, 2025. Mark your calendars for an in-person reception Thursday, January 9th from 5-7 pm in downtown Marshall at the SMAC Gallery and a virtual reception and gallery tour on zoom Thursday, February 6 at 5:30 pm.
Guptill received a SMAC Artist Growth grant in 2023 for purchasing a large kiln to create larger vessels, both wheel thrown and hand built ceramic pieces, with carved designs and glazes.
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Please let us know of any accommodations needed for you to enjoy any of our events, virtual or in-person: info@swmnarts.org. Visit SMAC's Access Page for more information and resources. | |
These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Funding provided by the McKnight Foundation. Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive. The McKnight Foundation supports working artists to create and contribute to vibrant communities.
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Upcoming Virtual Grant Workshops
Q&A Sessions
Join us for an overview of SMAC grant opportunities for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 2024 – June 2025), with time to ask questions about any of the grants or your specific projects. This year we’ll have grant program videos available instead of interactive workshops for each grant, so these Q&A sessions are your opportunity to get your questions answered. Register for the session(s) you prefer by clicking on the linked dates:
**Workshops are free, but registration is required**
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This year we have grant program videos available for each grant program instead of interactive workshops for each grant. Learn about the guidelines, application questions, online grant system, and granting process for each of our grant programs for fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025). All videos include an introduction, overview of SW MN Arts Council, grant guidelines, website resources, grant system and application questions, and the grant process.
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1st of the Month August 2024 through May 2025 or until funds are expended: | |
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Options for Grant Assistance:
Visit SMAC's Workshop & Assistance page
SW MN Arts Council grants administrator Caroline Koska (pictured left) 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 we hold "Open Office Hours" for grant support on the second Tuesday of the month. The office hours are from 10 am to 2 pm and the next one will be Tuesday, December 10th. 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.
You can also 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.
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New grant midpoint check-in forms
In response to your requests, grantees will now receive an email asking them to fill out a grant midpoint check-in form when they are halfway through their grant timeline. You are not required to report on anything at this stage. Instead, you’ll find:
- Helpful reminders to use grant credit lines/logos, plan for gathering feedback and audience demographics, and save receipts
- The opportunity to request a project change, with explanations of why you may need one (major changes to budget, timeline, or artistic personnel)
- A reminder of your project end date and final report due date
- The opportunity to ask questions of SMAC staff
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Will you join us as a voice from your county or sovereign nation?
SMAC is seeking community members from four counties and two sovereign nations to serve on our board of directors: Big Stone, Chippewa (starting in January), Cottonwood (starting in January), Yellow Medicine, Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux
Do you live or work in one of these communities? Do you want to volunteer in a meaningful way? Are you interested in helping your community? Are you passionate about arts awareness & funding and where & how those funds are distributed?
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The SMAC Board of Directors continually seeks artists, arts administrators, arts teachers, arts volunteers, and arts appreciators to serve on its board and to keep all 20 board positions filled. SMAC encourages and seeks a diverse mix of individuals from across our Southwest Minnesota region, from all communities – including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals – and representing all artistic disciplines - to be present on our board. Board members share their knowledge and expertise in the arts and/or nonprofit management and their ability to grant funds equitably and fairly.
SMAC's Board of Directors currently has four vacant board seats. We are seeking a community member from each of the counties and sovereign nations listed above to serve.
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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 communities, 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!
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Would you like to help SMAC review and score grant applications?
The SMAC Board of Directors continually seeks panels of artists, arts administrators, arts volunteers, and arts appreciators representing multiple artistic disciplines from throughout the SMAC geographic region and from all our communities including BIPOC, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals. Being a grant panelist is a positive way to strengthen your grantwriting skills by understanding the process as a whole. It's also a great way to learn and support what exciting projects are happening in rural SW MN!
Panelists are compensated $75 for a panel. More details on being a SMAC panelist
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For more opportunities and resources be sure to check out our latest news posts on SMAC's website.
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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!
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Lets work together to create a robust arts calendar for our region!! | |
SMAC donors will get an "I Love Rural Arts" Sticker! | |
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Memberships
From October 29 to November 27, 2024
Contributors: Lac qui Parle Study Club, Madison • Michele Knife Sterner & Oak Kelsey, Marshall • REM Southwest Services/Habilitative Services, Inc. • Janet Oleny, Willmar
Supporters: Dassel Area Historical Society, Dassel • Sue Selden, Granite Falls • Cynthia Reverts, Luverne • Bill & Tina Richards, Walnut Grove
Sustainers: Anonymous Donor
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General Donations
2 Anonymous Donors • Luanne Fondell, Dawson • Ross Anderson, Marshall • Cassandra Bruns, Marshall • Deb & Craig Maki, Marshall • Cathy Schlagel, Marshall • Cheri Buzzeo, Spicer • Courtney Backen, St. Paul, Lynn Peterson, Windom
Art Study Opportunity for Youth Donations
Mark Glesener, Bird Island
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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!
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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS! | |
2024 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |
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Big Stone - OPEN
Jackson - Eunice Woodberry
Lincoln - Mark Wilmes
Meeker - Darlene Kotelnicki
Pipestone - Erica Volkir
Rock - Shawn Kinsinger
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Chippewa - M E (Maggie) Fuller
(Chippewa OPEN in January)
Kandiyohi - Ana Serrano
Lower Sioux/Cansa'yapi - OPEN
Lyon - Dr. Erin Kline
Murray - Tiffany Holmes
Redwood - Su Kyung Lee
Swift - Jessica Mata
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Cottonwood - Anna Johannsen (Cottonwood OPEN in January)
Lac qui Parle - Kristine Shelstad
McLeod - Lisa Hill
Nobles - Cheryl Avenel-Navara
Renville - Joseph Evans
Upper Sioux/Pezihutazizi - OPEN
Yellow Medicine - OPEN
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Executive Director - Nicole DeBoer
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Grants & Financial Administrator - Caroline Koska
Accessibility & Marketing Coordinator - Krystl Louwagie
Communications Assistant: Jessica Stölen
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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 and two sovereign nations 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.
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