Attend your precinct caucuses Tuesday, February 7th (that’s tomorrow eve!), and make your voice heard if you are against Legacy funds being used to build a Vikings stadium. 

Background: Minnesotans passed the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment in 2008 by a huge margin to protect Minnesota’s land, water, parks and arts.  Now legislators are talking about diverting arts Legacy funds to pay for a Vikings stadium.

Click here for a copy of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Precinct Caucus Resolution that you can introduce at your caucus!

(and while you are at the MCA website, don’t forget to register for Arts Advocacy Day!  Join hundreds of your fellow artists and arts appreciators on February 29th to advocate for the arts at the State Capital.  Let’s tell our legislators that the arts matter!)

Individual Artists Grants support individual artists who reside in Hubbard, Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, Clearwater, and Mahnomen counties in the creation and promotion of their art.  Applicants may apply for funds up to $1000.

Download a copy of the Individual Artist Grant here, or stop by the Region 2 Arts Council office at 426 Bemidji Avenue in Bemidji to pick up a paper copy of the grant.  Our office is open 9-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Artist Mentor Grant Recipient Kiah Hartung's Recent Work

Are you an 8^th-12^th grade student  (in school or homeschooled) with talent and a passion for the arts?  The parent of an 8-12 grade student artist?  A teacher who wants to learn about a grant opportunity for students you know with a special arts talent?  An artist interested in mentoring a young  artist?

Come to an informational meeting about Region 2 Arts Council’s Artist Mentor grant program!

On February 21, Region 2 Arts Council is hosting a panel discussion to inform interested 8-12 graders, their parents, teachers, and local artists about the Artist Mentor grant program. Artist mentors and student grant recipients will speak candidly about the working together and the application process.  There will be time for questions.

WHAT: Artist Mentor Grant Program Informational Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday February 21^st from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
WHERE:  Headwaters School of Music and the Arts, 519 Minnesota Avenue NW, Bemidji

Registration Deadline Feb 17^th:  Contact staff@r2arts.org or 218-751-5447 / 800-275-5447.  Can’t make it to the meeting? Download a copy of the Artist Mentor Grant application here.  Contact Region 2 Arts Council with questions.  Applications are due April 11^th.

The images posted here are of Raven’s recent work and of Raven and her artist mentor working together.

The Artist Mentor grant program is open to 8-12 grade student artists residing in Region 2′s five counties. For more information on this grant program, go to http://r2arts.org/grants/artist-mentor-grants/.  The application deadline is April 11, 2012.

For more information on each of this past year’s Artist Mentor grant recipients, click here.

“This activity is funded in whole or in part by a Region 2 Arts Council grant through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by Minnesota voters on November 4th, 2008.”

The ideal candidate will be professional, well-spoken, enthusiastic, and connected to the arts community.

Please send a resume to Nemeth Art Center, PO Box 328, Park Rapids , MN  56470. For complete job description, visit nemethartcenter.org.  Resumes must be received by Feb. 15.

Brian Madigan poses with the Poetry Out Loud book of poems

As part of the National Poetry Out Loud competition, high school students across the state are choosing to recite poetry this month before a panel of judges.

For some, the goal is to be chosen to compete in their regional competition in February. Others hope to go on to the state competition in St. Paul.  Still others set their sights on the national competition in Washington D.C., while some students prefer simpler goals: understanding  a poem, and learning it by heart.

Eleven students at Voyageurs Expeditionary High School in Bemidji stood up for poetry this year, choosing to present their poems before two judges, Laura Dehler-Seter and Holly Alcott from Region 2 Arts Council.

Cindy Nelson, English Instructor at VEHS has hosted Poetry Out Loud competitions at Voyageurs for the past several years.  This year she was assisted by VEHS staff member Ruth Webb, who coached interested students in practicing their poems.

VEHS Poetry Enthusiasts, their teachers, and R2AC judges

The top three finishers, Ilsa Thooft (1st place, seated in front with the hat), Brandon Madigan (2nd place, standing in the middle), and Maddie Thooft (3rd place, seated front right)will compete at the Regional Competition in Fosston on February 18.

In addition to Voyageurs, other Region 2 schools competing in Poetry Out Loud include Clearbrook-Gonvick High School, Laporte School, and Trek North. Kaija Roy from Trek North was one of 12 state finalists in the 2011 competition.

For more information about Poetry Out Loud, visit PoetryOutLoud.org.  To learn more about the Poetry Out Loud initiative in Minnesota, please go to the Minnesota State Arts Board link http://www.arts.state.mn.us/other/poetry.htm.

Make the Most

The Arts Downtown PR series continues from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 in downtown Park Rapids.

Lori Goulet Reich will be featured from 5 to 5:30 and 6 to 6:30 p.m. at Bella Caffè. A transplant from Minneapolis, Lori trained as a vocal classical singer for seven years and took some guitar lessons, too. She sang with a classic rock band and a country band while living in the Twin Cities and  was a church soloist for 10 years. Lori and her family have lived at Lake Itasca for the past five and a half years, and she plays in the country band, Buck Geezer.

The reggae band, Make the Most, will warm the January night with sounds from the Caribbean from 5:30 to 6 and 6:30 to 7 p.m. at The Good Life Cafe. Josh Prendiz does lead vocals and guitar, Brandon Prendiz is on the drums and Roger Fenzel plays bass and does back up vocals. Make the Most has been together for the past two and a half years, has performed in Grand Forks and Detroit Lakes and most recently at Terrapin Station in Nevis. The band also performed at the Youth Music and Arts III concert in August. Josh, Brandon and Roger have just finished recording their first studio album.

Third Thursday events are designed to bring audiences to see and hear visual artists, musicians, writers and other artists in businesses in downtown Park Rapids on the Third Thursday of the month. The public is invited to attend and encouraged to make a free will donation to the artists. Contact Lu Ann Hurd-Lof at 652-4081 or luann47@gmail.com with questions.

This activity is funded in whole or in part by a Region 2 Arts Council Grant through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by Minnesota voters on Nov. 4, 2008.

Jan 27 & 28       2012 Winter Retreat for Writers: Dreams as Portals for Creative Energy. Dr. Carol Ann Russell, poet and professor of creative writing and women’s studies at BSU, will guide participants in stream of consciousness writing will be the medium for self exploration. Discussions will focus on awakening the feminine part of the psyche through dream-work.

This two-day workshop takes place at Headwaters School of Music and the Arts.

• January 27th from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• January 28th from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The registration deadline is January 24th.   To register, send a check in the amount of $100.00 made payable to Headwaters School of Music and the Arts, P.O. Box 542, Bemidji, MN 56619. Call 218-444-5606 with any questions.

Feb 3, 4 & 11       Painting with Yarn – Introduction to Tapestry Weaving with local fabric artist Kristin Majkrzak. Students will be provided a basic frame loom and yarn for weaving and will learn basic weaving techniques such as how to use color, create shapes, and finishing methods for your piece.

This three-day workshop takes place at Headwaters School of Music and the Arts.

• Friday, February 3rd, from 6-9 p.m.
• Saturday, February 4th, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.
• Saturday, February 11th, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.

The registration deadline is January 31st, 2012.   To register, send a check in the amount of $75.00 made payable to Headwaters School of Music and the Arts, P.O. Box 542, Bemidji, MN 56619. Call 218-444-5606 with any questions.

March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31      Painting to Praxis – Translating Ideas into Paint with local painter Paula Swenson. This workshop will take participants through the creative process from conception to implementation, emphasizing painting, problem-solving and self-expression, culminating in a May exhibition at the Wild Hare Bistro and Coffeehouse in Bemidji.

This five-day workshop will take place at Swenson’s River of Time Studio at 1017 N. Plantagenet Rd. SE in Bemidji.

• March 3rd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• March 10, 17, 24, and 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The registration deadline is February 24, 2012.   To register, send a check in the amount of $50.00 made payable to the Region 2 Arts Council, at 426 Bemidji Avenue, Bemidji, MN 56601. Call 218-751-5447 / 1-800-275-5447 or email staff@r2arts.org with any questions.

Region 2 Arts Council Individual Artist

Open to Minnesota artists in all art disciplines who reside in Mahnomen, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Beltrami, and Hubbard counties.

These grants offer funding for costs associated with the exhibition, performance, or production of a creative work; purchase of materials or equipment necessary for a creative work; educational opportunities; mentorships; and proposals for career-enhancing projects or opportunities. 

Applications are available for Individual Artist Grants at the Region 2 Arts Council Office, 426 Bemidji Avenue, Bemidji, MN  56601 and are also available for download here.

Projects funded through R2AC’s grants programs should have primary impact on and accessibility to residents of Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen Counties. The term “arts” refers to music, creative writing, dance, visual art, theater, and other forms of creative expression. We would be happy to discuss your ideas with you, help you locate an artist, or assist you in completing the application form. Call 751-5447, toll free at 1-800-275-5447, or e-mail staff@r2arts.org.

• Arts and Cultural Heritage Grant Deadline Reminder
• Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant Recipients
• Free E-Commerce for Artists Workshop Series
• New workshops, events, and opportunities

Take a moment to read Northern Arts News today!

Please note: Northern Arts News is now a monthly e-news letter.  Send submissions to our newsletter editor by the 7th of every month.