In this issue:
- SMAC awards $83,516 to local artist and organizations
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Upcoming opportunities from SMAC: Spring Arts Classes, Copyright Workshops, and Third Thursday Artist Talk
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- Get your nominations in for SMAC's Prairie Disciple Award!
- SMAC Seeks Accessibility Consultant
- Forum of Regional Arts Councils of MN
Pictured: John Kellen and guests during his artist reception at the SMAC Gallery in Marshall.
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SMAC Arts in the Schools Grants: These grants are for school artist residencies or field trips that include educator training and community involvement, juried student art exhibits, and prepackaged theater experiences. Up to $2,500 (field trips, juried exhibits, or prepackaged theater) or $4,000 (residencies). No cash match required.
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Dates you need to know:
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Application Deadline: April 14, 2021
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Earliest Start Date: June 1, 2021. This grant round can be for projects in summer & fall of 2021 or winter & spring of 2022!
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SMAC Awards $83,516 to local artist & organizations |
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The SMAC board met virtually on March 23, 2021 and awarded a total of $83,516 in grant funds to five organizations and one individual artist within our SW MN region. |
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The following three organizations were awarded SMAC Art Legacy Project Grants. These grants provide organizations in the SMAC region with up to $20,000 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. No cash match required in fiscal year 2021.
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The Department of Public Transformation of Granite Falls has been awarded $20,000 for a project they are calling "Ignite Rural", which will engage four BIPOC rural and/or tribal artists in Southwest MN through a 4-month “at-home” arts residency culminating in four public arts projects across our region. The applicant explained that typical artist residency programs ask artists to leave their homeplaces to draw inspiration; Ignite Rural flips this extractive paradigm by supporting artists to explore how their artistic practice can inspire transformative change within their own community. Artists will work at home to research, design, and implement their projects, developing as artists and leaders both through their individual work and through collaborative learning with their cohort and the wider rural and community-engaged arts networks. The program is designed to be flexible and responsive so it can be adapted for other communities in our region and across the state in the future, elevating long-underrepresented voices, shifting damaging narratives about rural communities, and leaving a legacy of creative rural artist leadership.
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The Lower Sioux Indian Community of Morton was awarded $19,516 to ensure that artists and visitors have access to original art and art supplies for decades to come in their forthcoming 15,950 square foot Intergenerational Arts Incubator. The applicant said the Dakota name for the new incubator is Cansayapi Wicoigage Oti, or CWO. "CWO is a bridge between generations to reinstate the role of elders to transfer knowledge and promote healing in our tribal nation while also expanding arts and cultural awareness, skills, support business development for artists and arts appreciators in our region." The goal of CWO is that by 2030, they will train over 1,000 people and help launch over 100 successful arts entrepreneurs. In addition, through community events and two annual art exhibits, they anticipate reaching at least 500 visitors from around the region each year. The building is slated to open in July 2021. The applicant said that he SMAC Legacy grant will help Lower Sioux purchase display cases and desks to display and sell original art in CWO.
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The Wilder Pageant of Walnut Grove has been awarded $20,000 for a major rewrite creating three different chronological scripts for the Wilder Outdoor Theater. Laura's Trilogy: Faith, Fragments, and Fulfilled will create a three-year cycle of scripts depicting (with historical context) the years the Ingalls family spent in Walnut Grove. The applicant said there is now a wealth of new information to add details to the story. Added character development, updated site specific historical information and new scenes will help to push the creativity of the production and increase repeat audience attendance with new material in each of the three-year script rotation. The applicant said, "Our artistic vision is a continuing saga that brings audiences back to see all three productions, repeatedly engaging the audience & providing actors & crew with fresh challenges is vital to the long-range success of the work." The applicant said they plan to add another component: "there are significant parallels between the Ingalls' pioneer experience & the journey of our Hmong Community traveling from Asia to Walnut Grove. We encouraged local Hmong talent to take time to record family stories & write them as a first step in another outdoor event at the Wilder Outdoor Theater." Interns will work with the team as they develop their own story and engage in comments and critiques to encourage their Hmong Story to move forward. Four Facebook Live Readings will share the works as they are finalized.
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The following two organizations were awarded SMAC Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants. These grants provide up to $10,000 in matching funds to arts 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. No cash match required in fiscal year 2021.
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The Bird Island Cultural Centre has been awarded $10,000 for facility improvements to six outdated (1950's) window frames that are causing inefficiency through heat loss and moisture buildup on the exterior and interior walls. New double paned windows will be installed. The east exterior cement block wall will be insulated and resurfaced with a smooth stucco surface to not only conserve energy but to also be utilized by community members as a surface for self-expression using pastels or sidewalk chalk (public outdoor canvas). Eliminating one window set within the cement block wall will increase energy heating and cooling efficiency while at the same time increasing gallery hanging space in that room.
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The Wilder Pageant of Walnut Grove was awarded $10,000 to purchase and install two moving light fixtures and other related accessories like added cables, clamps, a secondary rain shield, light meter and Gigabyte Ethernet router to accommodate the new fixtures. These equipment purchases will replace 18 fixed non-LED fixtures used to light several vignettes during their production.
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John Edwards of Hutchinson has been awarded $4,000 from our Artist Equity grant program for individual artists. These grants provide up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic careers. This grant program has no match requirements.
With this grant, Edwards plans to do a multi-city promotion tour and mini-documentary to promote his hip-hop/rap music. Edwards said, "my music has a message that I think could lift many spirits in todays world." The funds will be used to record video, secure interviews, set up shows, and purchase promotional materials. Edwards said that his vision is to showcase the musical talent that Southwest Minnesota has to offer and that he's ready to market outside of his direct community.
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May 1st at 4:30 pm is the last application deadline for both our Artist Equity grant for individual artists and our Going Virtual grant for arts organizations. Artist Equity grants will return with application deadlines starting August 1st, 2021 through May 1st, 2022.
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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:
The Language of Photography
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A SMAC Individual Artist
John Kellen of Willmar received a SMAC Emerging Artist grant to work on a project called "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: The Language of Photography". The final project includes 29 matted and framed photographs and accompanying text that share the story of his mother's journey with Alzheimer's as the two of them create life experiences together.
Pictured above: Guests discuss Kellen's photographs at his artist reception in Marshall.
Pictured Left: John Kellen next to his photograph titled "Sacred Ground".
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Next in our gallery for May 13 through June 25 will be Nicole Zempel of Granite Falls, with her spore prints and nature photography. Zempel received a SMAC Emerging Individual Artist Grant in 2020. She has had several exhibits in Granite Falls and taught many educational community classes on fungi, as well as art classes on spore printing. You can follow Zempel on Instagram under WildRootsMN as well as visit her website at wildrootsmn.wordpress.com/.
Pictured right: Photography of Pinwheel Mycena by Nicole Zempel.
Pictured below: Spore print photography by Nicole Zempel.
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- Join us for an "in-person" opening reception at Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery in Marshall from 5-7 pm on Thursday, May 13th.
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A week later join us for our Third Thursday Virtual Artist Talk with Nicole Zempel on Thursday, May 20 starting at 5:30 pm. Email info@swmnarts.org for the zoom link!
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This activity is 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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Something to look forward to this Spring! |
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Since our Annual Artist Retreat still isn't possible this year, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council will be holding a series of smaller art classes taught by artists from the region for artists in the region.
There will be a total of five classes in various disciplines/topics and each class will be taught in THREE locations within our region, hitting the North, Central & South sections of our region!
Be on the lookout for more details to come on these opportunities through our social media (Facebook, Instgram), our website, and through our emails.
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Watch for these other upcoming opportunities with SMAC! |
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Copyright Workshops
with Springboard for the Arts & experienced attorneys
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Arts Organizations & Artists are invited to join Southwest Minnesota Arts Council in hosting Springboard for the Arts and experienced attorneys for a virtual workshop on copyright & the arts.
TWO sessions (with the same content) will be offered at different times; one in April and one in May.
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Be on the lookout for more details to come on these opportunities through our social media (Facebook, Instgram), our website, and through our emails.
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Third Thursday Artist Talk with Dan Wahl |
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Friendly Reminder: Deadline April 15th |
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Friendly Reminder: Deadline April 15th |
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The Prairie Disciple applications are now OPEN!!
Who will you nominate? Applications are due April 15, 2020
We encourage you to start now as multiple letters
of support for the nomination are required.
The Prairie Disciple Award ($1,000) 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. The accomplishments of arts advocates working in the region are often not widely known or appreciated. In recognizing these individuals publicly, the awards will raise the profile of the arts in their community and throughout the SMAC region.
Learn more, see past Prairie Disciple Winners, and start your nominations:
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SMAC Seeks Accessibility Consultant: Request for Proposals
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC), one of 11 regional arts councils in Minnesota, seeks to engage an accessibility consultant (short-term contract) to perform a comprehensive accessibility audit of the SMAC gallery with the goal of expanding access and inclusion across organization programs and operations. This will include audit of physical and digital accessibility of SMAC spaces and forms of engagement, develop a comprehensive ADA plan, as well as the preparation of a report with recommended priorities for ongoing and future practices. This audit is part of a larger effort of SMAC to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all areas.
Responses Due: April 23, 2021
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Provides up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic career. No match requirements. **View Grant Webinar from August here.**
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Provides up to $1,000 to arts organizations in the SMAC service region for equipment or technology that will allow them to provide virtual events and programming. Applicants can also use the funds to participate in “go-virtual” training or consultations. No match requirements.
Applications Due April 1, 4:30 pm, 2021. Monthly Arts Organization grants are on a first-come, first served monthly deadline until all funds have been expended. Deadline is the 1st of each month, 4:30 pm, January-April 2021. Earliest project start date is the first day of the following month after board action.
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Art Legacy Project Planning grants provide organizations with up to $2,500 to plan for a specific large-scale project or activity that will create or advance a strong arts legacy in Minnesota. **Click here to view a recording of our January 21, 2021 webinar.**
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Arts Organization Development grants provide arts organization in the SMAC region with up to $2,500 in matching funds to increase their long-term stability and capacity through organizational development and management projects. **Click here to view a recording of our November 18, 2020 webinar.**
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Arts Organization Start Up grants provide arts organizations with at least two years of programming up to $2,000 to develop articles of incorporation, by-laws, and apply for their 501(c)(3) status. **Click here to view a recording of our November 18, 2020 webinar.**
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The Prairie Disciple Award ($1,000) 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. The accomplishments of arts advocates working in the region are often not widely known or appreciated. In recognizing these individuals publicly, the awards will raise the profile of the arts in their community and throughout the SMAC region. Learn more, see past Prairie Disciple Winners, and start your nominations here.
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Help us welcome our newest board member! |
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Michele Huggins of Granite Falls is now co-representing Yellow Medicine County with Betsy Pardick on the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Board! An admirer of self-expression through art, Huggins volunteers at the KK Berge, serves on the Granite Area Arts Council, and is also a member of the Artisan Grain Collaborative, participating in their Neighbor Loaves program in which she donates a dozen sourdough loaves to her local food shelf weekly. Since making the big move from the Twin Cities to Granite Falls, Huggins has opened a small business called Doughp Creations, focusing on providing her customers with quality organic fermented drinks and sourdough bread. She partners with local farmers for organic ancient grains, which she stone mills into flour. Previously, Huggins had careers in education and finance. She utilizes her skills from undergraduate work at UMCP (BA), graduate work at Cardinal Stritch University (MBA), and her Project Management Certification. You can follow her business on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/doughpcreations/
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Nicole DeBoer
Executive Director
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Nicole describes herself as a doer and a dreamer: an out of practice visual artist who believes everything can be renovated – including people. As the Executive Director of the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, DeBoer enjoys meeting and helping artists and organizations who produce and support the arts. She has been at the arts council, which serves 18-counties and provides arts funding and services, for over a decade. There isn’t an artform she won’t try – but most of all prefers to see others succeed in sharing their art. |
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When not promoting the arts in rural MN, she enjoys DIY projects around her 1880s house and working on converting a century granary into a cabin. If she had a tattoo it would either say “If 2 Be/Up 2 Me” or “Stick to the Plan!”
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Caroline Koska
Financial & Grants Administrator
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Caroline Koska is originally from Marshall and has worked for SW MN Arts Council since 2011, first as Administrative Assistant and for the last several years as Financial/Grants Administrator. She has an arts background in music. With a degree in vocal performance, Caroline loves to sing and also plays piano, flute, and, as a new venture, harp. She has taught piano lessons, done music for church and community theater, and dabbled in acting in community theater productions as well. Caroline’s other hobbies include reading and sewing. |
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If you are interested in consulting with Caroline on on grant eligibility, using the application system, or reviewing a draft of a grant application, schedule a meeting by clicking here.
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Krystl Louwagie
Marketing Coordinator & Receptionist
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Krystl Louwagie grew up on a Minnesota farm. She graduated with a Studio Art degree with an emphasis in intaglio printmaking from Hamline University in St. Paul. She now lives in Marshall and works full-time for SMAC. On the side, she finds time to work as a commission artist, professional facepainter, petting zoo assistant, pet sitter, and receptionist at a local Spa.
Her interest in the arts began early through illustrated fairy tale books, super-hero comics, animated cartoons and a healthy appreciation of musicals, theatre and dance.
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She’s also enthusiastic about reading, exercising, the outdoors, cooking, and animals (especially cats)! She believes strongly in equity and community-building in rural spaces.
You can follow her artistic journey on Facebook & Instagram. She mostly creates ink portraits (people & pets) and short autobiographical comics about her life. If you are interested in consulting with Krystl about marketing, artist promotion, or social media content, schedule a meeting by clicking here.
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What is the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota (FRACMN)? |
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The Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota is a consortium of the eleven Regional Arts Councils that serve all Minnesota counties. It is made up of all eleven (11) Executive Directors of Regional Arts Councils in the state and has been an important space for those directors to come together for learning, sharing, and strategizing as a statewide system.
As the SMAC Executive Director, Nicole DeBoer enjoys representing our southwest region, but more importantly, leaving meetings with a unified voice on decisions that affect the entire state. The Forum has been incredibly important for working through regional differences and making the appropriate compromises on what would have the greatest statewide impact.
One of the statewide initiatives the FORUM has committed to over the past few years is diversity, equity and inclusion. Through training and mentorships with equity experts, the FORUM has been able to deepen our analysis of equity and develop new practices in our own regions.
Forum Vision Statement:
Through the leadership of the Forum of Regional Arts Councils in partnership with the Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation and others:
• All Minnesota residents will have access to the arts;
• The arts will be integrated into the fabric of our communities; and
• Art will become an essential part of community building.
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Open Meeting laws mean that the business of the board is to be conducted in the "open", meaning that the public may attend (even in virtual meetings). For SMAC, this also extends to panel meetings reviewing grant applications. The right to attend does not include the right to participate or to comment. All SMAC board and panel meetings are publicly listed on our SMAC Online Calendar. Please inform SMAC through info@swmnarts.org if you plan to attend a meeting and we will make sure we make the accommodations for you to do so (such as adding chairs for in-person meetings or emailing the Zoom link for virtual meetings).
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For more opportunities and resources be sure to check our the latest news posts (updated DAILY!) on SMAC's website:
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SMAC is still seeking representatives from Lac qui Parle County and McLeod County to serve on it’s Board of Directors.
If you live or work in Lac qui Parle or McLeod county and are interested in a position on our board here are some details: The Board meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday evening, currently virtually, 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. To learn more and to fill out an application, please go to
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Memberships
From February 27 to March 31, 2021
Contributors: Mary Jane Striegel, Marshall • Dr. WM. F. & Mary Ann Yseth, Pipestone • Laura Deleski, Willmar • Margaret Hurlbut-Vosburgh, Worthington •
Supporters: Tokheim Stoneware, Dawson • Carol Purrington, Marshall • Jane & Marvin Link, Milan • Jan Craig Nelson, Redwood Falls • Nobles County Art Center, Worthington •
Sustainer: Marshall Area Stage Company, Marshall • John & Leanna Ginocchio, Marshall • Fred Cogelow, Willmar •
Patron: Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Appleton •
Benefactor: Jackson County Commission, Jackson • Daren Gislason, Minneota •
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Would you like to become a contributing member of SMAC or make a donation?
The arts have suffered tremendously since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our arts organizations and individual artists have had to modify, postpone or cancel most, if not all of their projects and events, since March of this year. These closures mean lost income and lost opportunities. Although we will certainly see a reduction of funding from our state funding which comes from sales tax revenues, the SW MN Arts Council will continue working to support and fund arts access for the citizens of your county. We need you to help us support the arts.
You help by contributing online or by mail, for more information, visit:
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS!
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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!
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2021 SW MN Arts Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
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Big Stone - Janine Teske
Jackson - Kristen Kuipers
Lincoln - Mark Wilmes
Meeker - Darlene Kotelnicki
Pipestone - Erica Volkir
Rock - Shawn Kinsinger &
Louella Voigt
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Chippewa - Georgette Jones
Kandiyohi - Cheri Buzzeo
Lyon - Michele Knife Sterner
Murray - Jessica Welu
Redwood - David KelseyBassett
Swift - Alison Nelson
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Cottonwood - Anna Johannsen
Nobles - Cheryl Avenel-Navara
Renville-Anne O'Keefe-Jackson
Yellow Medicine-Betsy Pardick & Michele Huggins
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Executive Director - Nicole DeBoer
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Grants/Financial 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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