In this issue:

• SMAC Awards $127,350 to local organizations, artists & students

• Changes to SW MN Arts Council grant programs for Fiscal Year 2025

• Upcoming SMAC Workshops

• Visit SMAC at a free public performance in Tyler!

• In the SMAC Gallery

• Save the date: SMAC Annual Celebration!



• Arts Impact Story: Milan

• Outreach: Place Making Symposium

• & More!

Pictured: Artist SammiJo Miller instructs teens on painting at "Outdoor Adventure Art Camps", which the City of Tracy received a SMAC Quick Support for Organizations grant for.

SMAC Awards $127,350 to local organizations, artists & students

The SMAC board voted on April 23 to award $124,400 to organizations, $2,000 to artists and $950 to students

The following nineteen organizations have been awarded SMAC Art Project grants. These grants provide organizations in the SMAC region with up to $7,000 to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance and appreciation of the arts. 



• Benson Schools have been awarded $4,000 for a summer children's theater program for area students grades K-12 in July 2024. Students will put on an original play by Benson alumna Grace Ricard.

• The Canby Area Arts Council was awarded $7,000 to host nine free community art classes for all ages in summer 2024, including: Circus Arts with Benjamin Damask-Ruh, Play with Clay with Sarah Bednarek, Pottery Wheel/Functional Pottery with Angie Guptill, and Jewelry Making with Jayne Sik.

• The City of Eden Valley was awarded $7,000 for a mural by Lili Lennox dedicated to celebrating the essence of Eden Valley, prominently featuring several distinguished landmarks and encapsulating their rich history.

• The City of Silver Lake has been awarded $7,000 for the commission of Minnesota muralist Lili Lennox to paint an 8'x16' aluminum panel mural incorporating various historic city buildings that used to be present on Main Street and depicting the theme "Main Street's Historic Charm".

• Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley Community Education was awarded $7,000 for a theater program for children in grades 3-6. They will put on a production of Gravestone Manor, consisting of five short stories.

• Dawson-Boyd Arts Association has been awarded $7,000 for presenting award-winning, Native American artistic group Brule as part of their 2024-2025 performing arts season. Brule is known for thrilling audiences with cultural rock, theatrical instrumentations, and a Native American dance troupe.

• Fairfax Economic Development Authority was awarded $7,000 for a mural by artists Guillermo Valadez and Nathan Maliscke (Nate Crash) that will showcase the diversity of the Fairfax community, along with incorporation of historic images that will enhance community pride that everyone can appreciate.

• Friends of the Edgerton Public Library were awarded $3,195 for a Missoula Children's Theater production of Robin Hood in August 2024.

• The Granite Area Arts Council has been awarded $7,000 to commission artists Nick & Nicole Fischer to create a mural that can serve as a welcome to town and a reminder of home, while bringing some care and color to Main Street as they celebrate the 100th birthday of their historic building.

• The Little Theatre Auditorium of New London was awarded $7,000 for a puppet parade as the culmination of a week-long series of citywide Fallfests. Activities include story gatherings, puppet builds, and musician rehearsals as the community builds giant wearable puppets and masks.  

• Montevideo Community Education has been awarded $4,496 for a week-long children’s theater workshop for youth ages 7-17. Led by theater student, Liliana Birdsall, under the supervision of Spotlight Theatre Workshop Artistic Director, Nikki Bettcher Erickson, participants will rehearse and perform the musical production of Rapunzel.  

• Nobles County Integration Collaborative of Worthington was awarded $7,000 for a performance of Muyehpen, written by Ehkhudah Zar and produced by Exposed Brick Theatre. The story of Muyehpen has been passed down for generations by the Karen people of Burma and is the first-ever play by a Karen artist in the US, sharing this important story with a new generation.  

• Rhythm of the River in Jackson has been awarded $7,000 for their music festival at Fort Belmont in July 2024. In addition to music, the festival includes songwriter/storytelling sessions and workshops, children's activities, and regional artisans.

• The Spicer Beautification Committee was awarded $7,000 for their Music in the Park series, featuring accomplished musicians and dancers at Pirotta Park over six consecutive Sunday afternoons in July and August 2024.

• The SWWC Foundation for Innovation in Education of Marshall has been awarded $7,000 for their annual Conference for Young Artists in October of 2024 for students in grades K-8 from the 18 counties of SW MN. Students will attend an opening session featuring a keynote speaker and three hands-on breakout sessions of their choice offered by approximately 25 artists. 

• The Barn Theatre of Willmar was awarded $7,000 for two productions, "Cash on Delivery" (August 2024) and "Greetings" (September 2024).

• The Calumet Players of Pipestone have been awarded $7,000 for their production of "The Addams Family Musical" in June 2024.

• The Willmar Area Arts Council was awarded $3,275 for Studio Hop, their annual, self-guided tour of artist studios in Willmar, New London, and Svea.

• The Worthington International Festival has been awarded $6,000 for their festival in July 2024, which includes immigrant stories and panel discussion, folk and traditional artist performances, food vendors, artisan booths, ethnic cultural education booths, and activities for children. 

The following three organizations have been 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. 



• The City of Tracy has been awarded $2,500 for youth summer art camps with artist SammyJo Miller. Sessions are available for ages 4-6, 7-12, and open studio time for ages 13-18. Camp artwork will be displayed in the Hyland Gallery at Tracy Public Library.

• The Hutchinson Center for the Arts was awarded $1,464 to purchase a new laser printer and updated desktop computer for bookkeeping purposes. Both of these purchases help increase efficiency for day to day office and admin tasks.

• The Marshall Area Fine Arts Council has been awarded $1,440 for their series of summer music in the park in July and August 2024, including performances by Escuadron Musical, Southwest Minnesota Orchestra, The Singing Q's, and Redwood River Boys

"Hollyhocks" watercolor and ink painting by Anna Spickelmier.

The following two 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.

• Nicole Brenny of Boyd was awarded $1,000 to purchase a drone to shoot establishing shots for her short rural films, allowing a broader context for the story by setting a time and place as well as mood. The professional drone shoots in 4K which will match the resolution of the footage she is shooting with her video camera.

• Anna M Spickelmier of Madison has been awarded $1,000 for a a joint exhibit featuring her watercolors and Dallas Nyflot's photography, interpreting similar images.

The following two students were awarded SMAC 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.



• Bella Hoff of Balaton was awarded $450 for drawing and acrylic painting lessons with visual artist SammyJo Miller. Pictured left: "The Wolf at Night" acrylic painting by Bella Hoff.

• Anastasia Wambeke of Marshall has been awarded $500 to attend The Actor's Studio camp at the Guthrie Theater.

Changes to SW MN Arts Council grant programs for Fiscal Year 2025

(July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025)

Grant deadline times

Applications will now be due by 4:00 pm on the deadline date (instead of 4:30 pm) to coincide with our office hours. 

Updated Art Study Opportunity for Youth grants

Art Study Opportunity for Youth grant criteria and applications have been simplified to focus more on student artists’ interest rather than skill. The grant program will also now be available monthly, with deadlines the first of the month, August 2024 through May 2025. The earliest project start date will be the first of the following month.

No cash match for Art Project and Equipment & Facilities

After waiving the required cash match for Art Project and Equipment & Facilities Improvement grants for four years, we have now officially removed the match requirement for those programs.

Increasing priority points for organizations

For the last several years applicants have been awarded one additional percentage point for each of the following priorities they meet: first time applicants, underserved or underrepresented communities, and geographic areas receiving less funding. While this has been effective for individuals and schools, organization applicants that receive priority points are still funded at a significantly lower rate than those that don’t. SMAC is increasing the number of percentage points awarded per organization applicant from one point per priority to three (max of nine additional points per application).

Reevaluating Operating Support program starting in FY 2026

In an effort to spread grant funding among more organizations in the region, SMAC will be discontinuing the Operating Support grant program beginning in FY26. (For FY25, existing operating support grantees will still receive their second year of funding from the current two-year cycle.) Over the next several years, SMAC will be reevaluating its organization grants with input from arts organizations in the region, but in the meantime funding from the operating support program will be moved to other grant areas where it will have broader impact. During that time, organizations will be allowed to include pro-rated operating expenses in their Art Project grant budgets.

Advanced Artist Fellowship becomes Established Artist

The program name for grants for established advanced artists (exhibiting creative excellence, a substantial body of work, and significant recognition of their artistic accomplishments) is changing from Advanced Artist Fellowship to Established Artist. 

Artist Deadline Changes

There has been a change in when we receive the funding for some of our artist grant programs, so we have had to move some deadlines later in our year:

• The deadlines for Artist Growth are moving from August and January to October and April.
• The deadline for Established Artist is moving from October to January.

See the SMAC FY25 Grant Program Calendar for all deadline details

View our NEW grants calendar

including descriptions of the grants and funding amounts, deadlines and earliest project start dates, and cut-off dates to request SMAC staff review of grants for our new fiscal year, starting July 2024 through June 2025.

Visit SMAC's Workshop & Assistance page

Upcoming Virtual Grant Workshops

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

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:

• Monday, June 17, 7-8 pm
• Thursday, September 12, 7pm
• Tuesday, December 3, 7pm
• Wednesday, February 19, 7pm

Reaching Underserved & Underrepresented Communities (Register here)

Tuesday October 8, 7-8 pm

Organizations will learn how to approach SMAC application questions about reaching those who may be underserved or underrepresented their communities, along with strategies for making connections.

Grant Goals & Evaluation (Register here) 

Monday November 4, 7-8 pm

Organizations and individuals will learn how to create goals for their grant projects and how to plan for measuring impact.

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

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, May 14th. 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.

You can begin your planning and start applications for the coming fiscal year (July 2024 through June 2025) by May 15th! See the SMAC FY25 Grant Program Calendar for all deadline details.

Join SMAC and artists from across Southwest Minnesota for a FREE performance at our Annual Artist Retreat in Tyler, MN!

It's that time of year again! Registration for workshops is closed, but you can still join us for the public event on Friday, May 3rd at 7:30 pm in the Danebod gym (address is 140 Danebod Court in Tyler).

SMAC will provide a free live musical performance from Nautical Moth!

Enjoy the music of Betsy Pardick and Tim Pehrson (both from Clarkfield)— Free & Open to the Public!

In the Gallery: Julia Redner

Help SMAC welcome our next gallery artist, Julia Redner of Echo! Julia will be in the SMAC gallery May 16th through June 28, 2024. Julie received a SMAC Artist Growth grant in 2023 to produce five large-scale (4x6 feet each) canvas paintings.

Events

In-Person Reception

Thursday, May 16

5-7 pm

with light refreshments and special musical guest, Tom Listul of Clarkfield!

(Tom Listul pictured bottom left)

Virtual Gallery Tour &

Artist Talk with Q&A Session

Thursday, May 30

5:30 pm

Meeting ID 849 1376 6476

Passcode 415122

Zoom Link

Please save the date and plan to attend SMAC's 2024 Annual Celebration of Arts & Artists! This year our event will be in partnership and support of the Día de Muertos Catrinas Community Art project, which received a SMAC Art Project grant, taking place on Saturday, October 26th. As always, the celebration will include supporting local food establishments, public tours/visits of arts spaces, SMAC's Annual Meeting plus Prairie Star & Prairie Disciple honoring ceremony, an arts performance, and our "Spirit of the Region" Raffle Drawings! Details are currently being worked out, but keep an eye out on our website and social media for more (Facebook & Instagram).

SW MN Arts Impact Story: Arts in a Small Town - During a Pandemic

Two Art Project Grants

Approximately $7000 Each

2020: Greater Milan Initiative, The Defrost Project

This grant allowed artists with particular expertise in applied theater and community art-making to visit Milan and interface with the community in new and exciting ways. The Defrost Project provided enriching activities for young people and other community members during an extremely isolating time. They also provided programming for young people over the school spring break. This grant allowed the Defrost Project and the young people in Milan (particularly those involved with the Milan Youth Center) to connect over differences, share space and reflect on a tough year, learn new skills, and create a lasting artifact (the film) that captured the interests and perspectives of the Milan Youth Center members. Participants also engaged and built skills in art forms such as poetry, image theater, role-playing work, and photography. The fruitful workshops between the young people and these artists would not have been possible without this grant funding.

2021: Greater Milan Initiative, "We are Milan" Theatre Camps

This second project used theater and storytelling with residents of Milan to culminate into a live time capsule installation that the community curated in the Milan School Building. The purpose of the time capsule was to serve as a message from 2021 to the year 2121. It included visual art, objects, and an original movie, all made within the community. This project provided an exciting, theatrical way of catalyzing reflection and art-making around the questions: What represents who we are now? What do we want our world to become?

In addition to camp, artists led visioning activities with adults at the American Legion, National Night Out, the library’s book club, the city council meeting, and the park.

The culminating event’s festivities were also engaging for the community. Milan residents of all ages and backgrounds joined in to celebrate. Many of them spoke about how proud they were of the art they made and/or saw.

Looking back on the effects of a global pandemic sheds light on the resilience and tenacity of humanity. One such bright light is a project that was undertaken in Milan during and after COVID-19 rocked the world. The “Defrost Project” was a FY20 Arts Project funded by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council that had initially intended to bring artists from New York to work with the community. Because of travel restrictions and health concerns those artists did not travel to Milan in the summer of 2020; instead the organizers set to work to alter course and co-create a meaningful experience given the new constraints on the project. The entire project was conducted remotely via video conferencing, social media, and traditional media outlets over six months. 

Ann Thompson of the Greater Milan Initiative explained, “We were committed to using participatory applied theater as a tool for community building, celebrating Milan’s many strengths, and exploring and proposing solutions to local challenges. This was a time of disconnection, isolation, and loss for so many, and we knew that the arts could provide unique ways of connecting us to each other.” Various versions of the Community Questions were used to engage participants via discussion, writing, and making art. Additionally, theater games adapted for the online platforms were played addressing various versions of the community questions to examine how students felt about themselves and others in Milan and surrounding communities.    

One of many substantial outcomes of the Defrost Project was that the young people created an original documentary film about Milan in 2021 where they articulated their predictions about what the next 100 years might bring for Milan, and reflecting on the roles they could play in shaping that future. Amelia Hefferon, lead artist of the project, stated, “This served as a strong foundation for the in-person work we did in Milan in August 2021 with funding from a second SMAC grant.”

Both grants succeeded in providing a space for community members to gather and reflect on a difficult and unprecedented year, celebrate aspects of their community, and imagine the future they want to see. These newly-learned art forms such as poetry, image theatre and photography enabled the participants not only to express themselves but to build skills and find new, effective, and unique means of communicating their interests, desires, and perspectives. Hefferon summed it up, “The fruitful workshops between the young people, the community and the artists would not have been possible without this grant funding.” 

• View the PDF flyer for Milan Arts Impact Story
• Read the full article on SMAC's website: Milan Impact Story

Outreach: Place Making Symposium held April 12 in Granite Falls

Approximately 45 attendees joined in a learning day of exploring how art can build community and relationships. This event was put on by the Granite Falls Community Artist in Residence Program. Thanks to our SMAC board members who attended: Kristine Shelstad (Lac qui Parle County), Maggie Fuller (Chippewa County) and Darlene Kotelnicki (Meeker County). Together we learned about the successes and challenges the Granite Falls Community Artist in Residence has experienced in their 2+ year of work; played a community building game expressly created by an artist for this event; and the networking elements were a strong part of the symposium.  

SMAC Board: Will YOU join us and represent your county?

SMAC is seeking representatives from five counties to serve on our board of directors: Big Stone, Jackson, McLeod, Renville 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 has five 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.

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

For more opportunities and resources be sure to check out our latest news posts on SMAC's website.

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!

 Memberships

From March 29 to April 29, 2024

Contributors: Marshall Area Fine Arts Council, Marshall • Prairie Arts Chorale, Marshall • Maureen Keimig, Marshall • Dr & Mrs. Wm. Yseth, Pipestone •

Supporters: Justin Beck, Hutchinson • Lake Benton Opera House • Audrey Arner & Richard Handeen, Montevideo • Liz Rackl, Ortonville • Cheri Buzzeo, Spicer • Nobles County Art Center, Worthington• Kristina Swanson, Willmar • Worthington Public Arts Commission, Worthington •

Sustainers: Jane & Marvin Link, Milan • Mark & Kathy Wilmes, Tyler • Cheryl Avenel-Navara, Worthington •

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

Other Donations

Joyce Meyer, Canby • Su Kyung Lee, Lamberton • Valerie Quist, Tracy •

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!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS!

2024 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Big Stone - OPEN

Jackson - OPEN

Lincoln - Mark Wilmes

Meeker - Darlene Kotelnicki

Pipestone - Erica Volkir

Rock - Shawn Kinsinger

Chippewa - M E (Maggie) Fuller

Kandiyohi - Ana Serrano

Lyon - Dr. Erin Kline

Murray - Tiffany Holmes

Redwood - Su Kyung Lee

Swift - Jessica Mata

Cottonwood - Anna Johannsen

Lac qui Parle - Kristine Shelstad

McLeod - OPEN

Nobles - Cheryl Avenel-Navara

Renville - OPEN

Yellow Medicine - OPEN