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• Arts Advocacy & Arts Impact
• SMAC Biennial Plan Public Meeting
• Grants Awarded: $74,244 to local organizations, schools, & artists
• SMAC brings Springboard for the Arts "Work of Art" series to our region
• Registration OPEN! SMAC Annual Artist Retreat
• In the SMAC Gallery
• SMAC gets new board member for Big Stone County
• Upcoming SMAC Grant Deadlines & SMAC Grant Videos
• & More!
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Pictured: Hutchinson Center for the Arts received a SMAC Art Project Grant for their 2024 Exhibition series. This is Shelley Caldwell teaching a botanical drawing class in conjunction with her exhibition. | |
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Arts Advocacy Day this year is March 4th; SMAC staff and board members will be attending with other arts supporters in our region to raise awareness of the impact of arts funding in our rural communities (see below for an impact story we're bringing with us)! If you are unable to attend in person, you can still contact your elected officials on behalf of the arts. Don't know who your elected officials are? There's a resource for that! www.gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts/
Your voice in support of the arts can make all the difference!
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SW MN Arts Impact Story: Building a Fiddle Tradition in SW MN | | |
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Six Grants 2021-2025: Sunburg Community Music
$36,883 from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Funds
The Sunburg Community Fiddlers formed from a desire to preserve historical music making by offering free music lessons, along with access to instruments at no cost to community members. Led by Program Director Darlene Schroeder, the initiative has impacted over forty community members—or nearly half the town’s population — ranging in age from as young as three years old to 86, thanks in part to multiple grants funded by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council.
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“Parents are encouraged to learn to play music alongside their children, which fosters a close bond and ensures that the practice lessons are done. It also gives the parents a much greater appreciation for all that is entailed in playing fiddle. No prior experience is necessary, and participants do not need to know how to read notes,” says Darlene.
The Sunburg Community Fiddlers addressed the primary barrier to learning the fiddle/violin by removing both the cost of the instruments, and the cost of the lessons. The instruments are available on loan at no cost to those receiving instruction. There are currently 26 of the 40 participants utilizing the instrument borrowing program. One such community member participating in the program is a retired librarian, who shared that she “always wished she had learned to play a musical instrument while in school.” Because her family could not afford the cost of lessons, it was a dream she never thought would come to fruition, but now because of the program, she says, “I get to fulfill that dream thanks to this amazing organization and instructors.” There are an additional 60+ violins, cases, and bows in all sizes available for loan. The program also assists in filling a void in the community where KMS Schools, who offer an outstanding band and vocal music program, can offer no orchestral string instruction.
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In the Sunburg region, there exists a long history of fiddle playing with skills passed down from generation to generation through families learning to play by ear. It was an integral part of community and family life. Music and Norwegian folk arts are particularly important to the people in the Sunburg community. Sunburg’s own Elmo Wick was a founder of the Minnesota Fiddle Association as well as a composer. His transcriptions of local songs have been archived with the Fiddle Association for future musicians to study and play. “We want Sunburg to be a fiddling community and to have aspiring fiddlers say, ‘I want to play like him or her," said Darlene.
| The Sunburg Area Fiddlers additionally have a vision to further develop and integrate this traditional artform into Sunburg and the surrounding communities, while seeking to continue this tradition by removing barriers to learning and building a community of musicians. One of the six grants funded provided the opportunity for a series of workshops and performances to be developed. Professional fiddler Dempsey Schroeder and accompanist Maggie Harp provided additional instruction on traditional tunes and techniques, helping inexperienced players to set high aspirational goals. | |
In addition to workshops and concerts, the Sunburg Community Fiddlers have also created a bi-monthly "Fiddle & Fun" gathering at the community center. These informal events encourage people of all ages to meet, play music, dance, and enjoy each other’s company, further reinforcing the idea that music can be a shared experience.
Darlene emphasizes the importance of continuing the tradition of playing music, and passing along tunes by ear to encourage the creation of new music, saying, “We want fiddling to once again be embedded as a shared community experience; people gathering informally to play for themselves, at community gatherings or for dances. It should be part of our community's fabric, a tradition passed along by person just as it was in the past. At this point, we need to provide intentional support to entice and train new fiddlers. This project will give our fiddlers a boost. Special workshops will give them new skills and will also heighten their identity as musicians. Our goal is to have people in the area see fiddling as ‘what we do’ and expand participation by thirty five percent.”
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The Sunburg Community Fiddlers success is evident in the increasing number of invitations to perform at local events, and the growing interest in joining the program. As the group continues to thrive, it is clear that their commitment to preserving this traditional music is resonating with the community and inspiring new generations of musicians.
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Interested in SMAC’s plans for the future? Join us virtually March 11, 2025 at 5:30 pm for your chance to hear what we have planned.
Each regional arts council is required to submit a two-year plan to the Minnesota State Arts Board prior to receiving state funds. We outline our future goals, programs, and services, and we’re sharing it with our constituents! A summary of the Biennial Plan is available here or can be reviewed at the SMAC office at 509 West Main Street in Marshall. For more information call SMAC at 507-537-1471 or 800-622-5284 or email at info@swmnarts.org.
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Please email info@swmnarts.org prior to the meeting to receive the email link to join. This event will be virtual on zoom. Visit zoom.us or find it on your device’s app store to download and make your account before the meeting begins if you don’t already have one. This session will be in English with automated live captioning; if you have accessibility concerns on being able to attend, please email info@swmnarts.org or call 800-622-5284.
We look forward to sharing SMAC’s vision for the future with you!
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SMAC Awards $74,244 to area organizations, schools & artists
The SMAC board voted on February 25 to award $64,518 in grant funds to 9 local organizations, $6,726 to 3 local schools, and $3,000 to individual artists
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The following six organizations were awarded SMAC Equipment & Facilities Improvement grants. These grants provide up to $10,000 to organizations for the purchase of equipment items and facilities improvements that will strengthen the organization’s capacity to serve the arts needs of the SMAC region.
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AMP (Arts & Mentoring Project) of Pipestone was awarded $8,466 for purchasing portable dance barres, mirrors and dance flooring for their introductory dance program.
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Pipestone Performing Arts Center has been awarded $9,533 for hiring a professional production sound service company to repair sound input dashboards on their stage, house clean and re-engineer the sound booth in their theater, and purchase/install a new PA system to replace their current 30 year old system.
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Prairie Arts Continuum of Windom was awarded $10,000 for replacing and installing a system of rechargeable wireless microphones with headsets.
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Redwood Area Arts has been awarded $10,000 for purchasing a display background, pedestals, shelves, and lighting for their exhibition/retail area; folding chairs and tables to be used for exhibits, classes, and meetings; and a cell phone for taking videos and photos and processing credit card sales.
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The Yes! House of Granite Falls has been awarded $9,951 for installing high-quality audio equipment to complete the music/performance venue and recording studio at The YES! House, to transform the space into a fully professional and high-quality resource for local and visiting artists.
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The following three organizations were awarded SMAC Quick Support for Organizations grants. These grants provide organizations with up to $2,500 for activities such as planning for an Art Legacy project, strategic planning or board training, costs to apply for 501(c)(3) status, small equipment purchases, or small arts projects.
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2B CONTINUED in Glencoe was awarded $2,500 for presenting two 2-hour Mental Health Toolbox Workshops in June 2025. The workshops combine visual arts with critical coping resources for people in mental health crises. Participants receive a toolbox and the materials to create thirteen “tools", each representing specific coping methods.
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The Barn Theatre in Willmar has been awarded $2,500 for working with a human resources company to update their employee handbook.
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The Granite Falls Living at Home Block Nurse Program has been awarded $2,500 for intergenerational storytelling in which elders share stories that teens will transform into creative digital art, audio, and video content under the guidance of artists Tamara Isfeld and Jeremy Radtke. A concluding event will feature live storytelling and interactive displays.
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The following two schools were awarded SMAC Arts in the Schools grants. These grants provide public schools with up to $4,000 for projects such as artist residencies, arts field trips, juried student art exhibits, etc.
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Cedar Mountain Schools in Morgan have been awarded $2,726 for two artists, Don Sherman (papermaking & nature drawing) and Nathan Maliscke (portraits & murals), to speak and teach at their multi-school art conference.
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Ellsworth Public School has been awarded $4,000 for students in grades 3-8 to participate in a theater residency with Dakota Players/Black Hills Playhouse. They will perform "You Look Marvelous", based on "The Emperor's New Clothes", in November 2025. The residency will also include workshops open to community members.
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The following three artists were awarded SMAC Quick Support for Individual Artists grants. These grants provide artists with up to $1,000 for activities such as purchasing supplies, attending classes, and small artist-led community projects.
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Justin Beck of Hutchinson was awarded $1,000 for upgrading to a Nikon Z mirrorless camera system to allow for higher resolution, increased zoom, better night shots, and higher dynamic range in his photographs.
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Rachel Kepler of Montevideo has been awarded $1,000 for purchasing glazes and clay. She plans to use these resources to fine-tune her style of pottery and focus on creating wheel-thrown functional pottery with hand-built details, while improving her understanding of color.
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Meredith Semel of Ortonville was awarded $1,000 for producing realistic single-organism and landscape-based stained-glass pieces featuring native plant and animal species found in the tallgrass prairie in west-central MN. After these pieces are produced, they will be displayed in the Ortonville and Graceville public libraries.
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Springboard for the Arts "Work of Art" Series workshops | |
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FREE workshops: Business skills for Artists. Open to all artists, culture bearers, and creatives in our SW MN region.
All workshops will take place from 6-8:30 pm.
To see more details and class descriptions, visit out website: https://swmnarts.org/woa/
Monday workshops will be at Upper Sioux Community and Tuesday workshops will be at Lower Sioux Community.*
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Registration is open! Join SMAC at our 2025 Artist Retreat!
Join artists from across Southwest Minnesota for 1 1/2 days of networking and arts inspiration on May 9 & 10, 2025. Workshop sessions have been created to appeal to artists of all disciplines; register for one or both days. The workshops will be held at Danebod Folk School in Tyler, MN for a “get-away" learning atmosphere.
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Prices for SMAC Region Residents:
- 1 day of workshops (2 meals) $25
- 2 days or workshops (4 meals) $50
Prices for attendees outside of SMAC region:
- 1 day of workshops (2 meals) $40
- 2 days of workshops (4 meals) $75
Overnight lodging
- Private room/shared bathrooms & accessed by stairs $45
- Lodging Suites/personal bathroom & no stairs $75
Registration deadline is May 3, 2025
*Registration is limited to the first 60 people*
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For more details about the schedule, including session topics and instructors, visit: swmnarts.org/AR25/ | |
In the Gallery: Kirsten Brichler | |
Kirsten Brichler of Marshall will be displaying her needle felt arts in the SMAC Gallery from March 6th through April 25th, 2025. Brichler received a SMAC Quick Support for Artists grant in 2023 for a project she titled, "Wildlife in Wool", that focused on showing the diversity of life in Minnesota through 3D felted sculptures and needle felted 2D paintings. Learn more on our gallery webpage | |
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Events
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In-Person Artist Reception:
Thursday, March 6th from 5-7 pm at the SMAC Gallery in downtown Marshall
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Virtual Artist Talk & Gallery Tour: Thursday, April 10th at 5:30 pm Email info@swmnarst.org for zoom link to join
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Did you miss our last exhibit with Angie Guptill?
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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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Please give a warm welcome to our new board member for Big Stone County!
Krista Hartman of Ortonville comes to our board with experience of being a professional photographer and business owner, founder of Ortonville School’s “Friends of the Arts”, local theatre experience, the VP of the library board, as well as VP of the “Friends of the Library”, Head coach of the Special Olympics, 7 years on school board (2 as board chair), has been a member of the Big Stone Arts Council, and much more! When asked why she was interested in being on the SMAC board, she said “I have a great love of the arts. All of them! I live in a family of musicians & artists and I deeply believe in the power the arts have to from relationships, communities, well rounded humans and more. Art helps us tie our own life experiences to others and opens so many doors!” We couldn’t agree more, Krista! We’re excited to get to know you more and continue our work of supporting the rural arts together.
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SMAC is still seeking 4 board members! Will you join us as a voice from your county or sovereign nation?
SMAC is seeking community members from two counties and two sovereign nations to serve on our board of directors: Cottonwood, 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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Time for a grants highlight! Have you heard about our art grants opportunity for individual students, Art Study Opportunity for Youth grants?
These grants provide up to $500 to allow young artists entering grades 5 – 12 to attend an enrichment camp or specialty study. Costs for standard weekly lessons (such as piano or voice lessons) are allowed for students who qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program.
Our Art Study grants have an easy rolling deadline; 1st of each month, August 2024 – May 2025.
These are great grants for students that want to take an arts summer camp! We have shifted how we fund these grants, so students can now travel outside of MN for camps when that was previously not available through this grant program.
Contact us with questions at info@swmnarts.org; We'd love to see more students being able to access these funds!
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Nominate someone in your community for our Prairie Disciple Award!
The Deadline for nominations is April 15, 2025 by 4 pm. Nominations forms are short, but we do recommend letters of support from multiple community members, so the sooner you can start collecting, the better! The accomplishments of arts advocates working in the region are often not widely known or appreciated. In recognizing these individuals publicly, SMAC intends that the awards will raise the profile of the arts in their community and throughout the SMAC region.
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The Prairie Disciple Award :: $1000
This award provides awareness and recognition of one individual per year from southwest Minnesota whose activities and involvement have substantially contributed to the arts over an extended period of time. This does not have to go to an artist per se, but can go to a supporter and encourager of the arts; often this award goes to a teacher or community organizer.
To learn more and see past recipients, visit our Prairie Disciple webpage. Nominations require letters of recognition from community members and peers. Start your nomination today!
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1st of the Month August 2024 through May 2025 or until funds are expended: | |
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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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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 from 10 am to 2 pm and the next one will be Tuesday, March 11th. 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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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!! | | |
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Memberships
From January 30, 2025 to February 28, 2025
Supporters: RiverSong Music Festival, Hutchinson • Rhythm of the River, Jackson • Laura Deleski, Willmar •
Supporters: Connie & Ed Newberg/Newbery Sky Spray, Hector • David KelseyBassett, Lamberton • Erin Kline, Marshall • Business, Arts & Recreation Center, Windom • Eric Parrish, Worthington •
Sustainers: Joyce Meyer, Canby • Craig & Kathy Fransen, Jackson • Darlene Kotelnicki, Litchfield •
Benefactor: Peggy Crosby & David Pederson, Dawson • Yellow Medicine County Commission, Granite Falls • Renville County Commission, Olivia • Pipestone County Commission, Pipestone •
| SMAC donors will get an "I Love Rural Arts" Sticker! | |
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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! | |
2025 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |
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Big Stone - Krista Hartman
Jackson - Eunice Woodberry
Lincoln - Mark Wilmes
Meeker - Darlene Kotelnicki
Pipestone - Erica Volkir
Rock - Shawn Kinsinger
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Chippewa - Georgette Jones
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 - OPEN
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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