Author: Region 2 Arts Council

On May 18, 2020 the Region 2 Arts Council Board of Directors awarded $23,058 through the Arts Access Grants for Small Towns. This grant is designed to support the creation, production, and presentation of high quality arts activities in towns with a population of less than 2,000, and to help instill the arts into community and public life in our region by removing barriers that audiences may have to accessing these activities. Granted activities must display a commitment to reaching wider audiences through providing new and/or expanded arts programming to residents of Beltrami, Hubbard, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, or Mahnomen counties, and/or by supporting accessibility initiatives through the project.

This year’s grant recipients include:

Clear Waters Life Center, with two locations in Clearbrook and Gonvick, was awarded $5,670 to offer a series of afternoon and evening arts classes in a variety of mediums.

Bagley Area Arts Collaborative was awarded $6,000 to produce a puppet presentation based on a traditional Anishinaabe story about the spirit of fever, Megissogwon, which is defeated by Nanabozho and the Woodpecker.

The Sustainable Sheep and Fiber Community of Northern Minnesota was awarded $5,958 to provide a learning workshop on tapestry felting to create a useable traditional Mongolian yurt.

Mask and Rose Women’s Theater Collective of Puposky was awarded $5,430 to host Sister Song, a concert of well-established female musical artists that also showcases up and coming female musicians.

JOIN US AT 11:00 AM TODAY!

Please consider joining our listening session to help us hear directly how things are going for you at this time. Our goal is to be as responsive as possible to the current challenges artists are facing, and to receive feedback from you on funding priorities for FY21.

Your input and experiences are important.

Please join us by clicking on the link below to register:

TODAY, May 13
11:00 a.m.
via Zoom

**You can access the call either by phone or computer.

A quick reminder that the Region 2 Arts Council staff and board members are hosting a listening session with Region 2 area artists.

Why?
We would like to hear and learn from you as artists regarding your responses/reactions in the face of COVID-19; offer the opportunity to hear from each other; share updates to R2AC’s funding programs and priorities for FY21 in response to the current situation.

Your input and experiences are important.

Please join us by clicking on the link below to register:

Wednesday, May 13
11:00 a.m.
via Zoom

**You can access the call either by phone or computer.

On April 22,2020 the Region 2 Arts Council Board of Directors granted $66,908 in Arts and Cultural Heritage funds to arts organizations, schools and non-profit institutions and organizations for the creation and production of arts activity that will benefit community members residing in Beltrami, Hubbard, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, or Mahnomen counties.

Bemidji Community Theater was awarded $6,000 to produce The Music Man.

City of Bemidji Park and Recreation Department was awarded $6,000 to host BCT Jr., a theater day camp for youth, in partnership with Bemidji Community Theater,

Heartland Arts of Park Rapids was awarded $6,000 to hire an artist and her crew to complete a new mural on the side of a downtown business at a highly visible location.

Northern Light Opera Company of Park Rapids was awarded $6,000 to produce the George and Ira Gershwin 1931 musical, Of Thee I Sing.

Nemeth Art Center in Park Rapids was awarded $6,000 to produce a five-person, multi-media group show with targeted youth and adult programming to accompany the exhibition.

Heartland Arts of Park Rapids was awarded $6,000 to sponsor Art Leap, a driving tour of artists’ studios and other cultural destinations.

Bemidji Symphony Orchestra was awarded $6,000 to host a concert featuring guest artist Roger McVey, Piano performing Brahm’s Piano Concerto #2, Bach’s Toccata in D Minor, and Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain.

Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center was awarded $5.990 to hire teaching artists to provide art classes with new techniques and media that are adapted for use with IDD, MI and Senior participants culminating in a public mural.

Headwaters Music and Arts of Bemidji was awarded $4,922 to establish a jam band program for area youth.

Bagley Area Arts Collaborative was awarded $4,526 to hire Swedish Dalmålning (Kurbits) Painter Pieper Fleck Bloomquist, Watercolor Artist David R Smith, and Sami Bracelet Artist Michelle Hanevold to teach arts workshops.

Bemidji High School was awarded $3,200 to hire artist Wesley May to work with students in designing and constructing a new school mural with Ojibwe/Anishinaabe cultural relevancy.

Lake of the Woods Art Guild in Baudette was awarded $3,136 to host a workshop instructed by Master Traditional Artist Jessica Gokey in the art of native beadwork design and execution.

Clearbrook-Gonvick Community Education was awarded $2,704 to hire Global Multi-Instrumentalist Todd Green to provide classes and a public performance.

Bemidji State University’s Music Department was awarded $430 to assist the Bemidji Concert Series in hosting the Chinook Winds for a series of community concerts and masterclasses.

Region 2 Arts Council staff and board members invite area artists to join us for a collective listening session. We would like to hear and learn from you as artists regarding your responses/reactions in the face of COVID-19, as well as to offer the opportunity to hear from each other. We also want to take this time to share updates to R2AC’s funding programs and priorities for FY21 in response to the current situation.

Your input and experiences are important. We know we can serve best when we hear directly from those we serve.

We hope you can join us!