April 29

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Benton County Agricultural Society was among 34 regional arts projects recently awarded funding through the Central Minnesota Arts Board. It received $7,000, to engage the Central Minnesota community in the study, appreciation and history of glass arts during a live glass demonstration by Foci Minnesota Center For Glass Arts during the Benton County Fair in Sauk Rapids, Aug. 1-6.

The CMBA awarded $183,327. Three criteria are used in evaluating applications: artistic quality and merit; ability of the organization to carry out the proposal; and the needs of the community. Funding for these grants is provided through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the state’s general fund and its Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund created by the voters of Minnesota.

Organizations may apply for up to $7,000 with a 30-percent match requirement for any one project or combined projects totaling no more than $7,000 in any one grant round. Funding for these grants is provided through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the state’s general fund and its Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund created by the voters of Minnesota.

Other local organizations/events which received funding include the following:

1. Benton County Agricultural Society, $7,000, to engage the Central Minnesota community in the study, appreciation and history of glass arts during a live glass demonstration by Foci Minnesota Center For Glass Arts during the Benton County Fair in Sauk Rapids, Aug. 1-6.
2. Central Minnesota Youth Orchestra, $5,705, for Folk in Distant Lands music education program for school-age orchestral musicians that will conclude with a public concert Nov. 12 at St. Cloud State University.
3. College of St. Benedict, $1,564, for a day-long piano festival and competition for 65 pre-college students from local school districts that will feature renowned composer Dennis Alexander and include competition, collaborative duet and repertoire workshops Nov. 12 at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph.
4. Downtown St. Cloud Art Crawl Collaborative, $7,000, for The Sizzling Summer Art Crawl that will feature more than 45 visual artists exhibiting in downtown venues, 25 artists’ booths and more than 40 musicians and street performers Aug. 12 on St. Germain Street in downtown St. Cloud.
5. Great River Educational Arts Theatre, $7,000, to provide two week-long summer theater camps for youth in the Bel Clare Estates and La Cruz communities Monday-Friday, June 6-Aug. 26 in St. Cloud.
6. Lake George Neighborhood Association, $4,896, for an artist-made coloring-book project that will highlight features and changes in the neighborhood throughout a 100-year period from 1917 to 2017. The coloring-book project will begin Monday, June 6 with collaboration and support from city government officials, artists in the community, residents, businesses and religious, educational and community organizations and will be completed in March 2017.
7. Millstream Arts Festival, $7,000, for an outdoor juried arts festival presenting visual artists and musicians in a family-friendly festival environment Sunday, Sept. 25 in downtown St. Joseph.
8. Mississippi Strings Camp, $6,000, to support string education through summer orchestra instruction for students to develop their musical, technical and ensemble skills June 13-17 at Apollo High School in St. Cloud.
9. Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society, $6,200, for the 2016 Music in the Gardens series that consists of six free chamber-music concerts presented in the Munsinger Gardens on Sundays, June 12-Aug. 28 in St. Cloud.
10. Paramount Arts Resource Trust, $3,268, 2016 Paramount Juried Art Exhibit that will provide Minnesota artists the opportunity to compete in a professional, emerging or student category September-October at the Paramount Theatre and Paramount Gallery St. Germain in St. Cloud.
11. Paramount Arts Resource Trust, $3,500, for the Houston Ballet II performance to be held Sunday, Oct. 15 at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.
12. St. Cloud Film Festival, $7,000, for the St Cloud Film Fest Nov. 5-12 to celebrate local and independent films by presenting a combination of features and shorts during 15 shows with the main event held at the Pioneer Place Theater and additional events at Marcus Parkwood Cinema in Waite Park, St. Cloud State University, the Red Carpet Event Center and the Black Box Theater in St. Cloud.
13. St. Cloud State University, $7,000, to support the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra Concert at the Lemonade Art Fair Thursday, June 23 at SCSU in St. Cloud.
14. The St. John’s Boys’ Choir, $4,374, for the Make A Joyful Noise 35th anniversary celebration concert Sunday, June 5 at St. John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville with performances by the St. John’s Boys’ Choir, the Junior Varsity Choir, the Concert Choir, Nova Voce, Alumni Chorus and an orchestra comprised of professional artists from the Central Minnesota Community. Musical selections will be supported by video featurettes that will reflect on the past 35 years of music-making as well as interviews with alumni.
15. United Arts of Central Minnesota, $4,900, for an outdoor sculpture walk Wednesday, June 15, 2016-Thursday, June 1, 2017 with 12 large-scale pieces that will create artful connections for pedestrians from Lake George through downtown St. Cloud to the Mississippi River.
16. Visual Arts Minnesota, $3,041, for the Second Annual Lemon Twist Fine Art Historic Home Tour that will feature fine art in historic homes of the south side University neighborhood June 23 in conjunction with the Lemonade Art Fair and Granite City Days in St. Cloud.
17. WACOSA, $5,168, for a program where adults with disabilities will collaborate with artist Dan Mondloch during a six-week period to paint individual panels used to create mosaic murals to be permanently mounted in the building where they receive services.
18. Wirth Center for the Performing Arts, $5,000, to increase performing arts education by providing discounted music and dance lessons to qualifying families Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016-Friday, April 7, 2017 at Wirth Center for the Performing Arts in St. Cloud.
19. Wirth Center for the Performing Arts, $2,000, for Jam Band 101, a free class taught by three local musicians held twice a month on Monday evenings, Aug. 1, 2016-April 10, 2017 at the Wirth Center for Performing Arts. Jam Band offers students ages 7-18 the opportunity to learn a song as a rock-band group, study basic rock-band musical topics and learn how to produce a live song, and the chance to meet other musicians.

The CMAB also awarded $9,165 in Arts Legacy funds to three area organizations for Artists Residencies, including Promise Neighborhood of Central Minnesota received $3,415, for artists Heidi Jeub and Marqus McGlothan to co-teach in a weekly inter-generational storytelling and book-making residency for middle school students, high school students and their families Fridays, Sept. 16-Dec. 2 at the Promise Neighborhood of Central Minnesota in southeast St. Cloud.

The Artist-in-residency program is designed to enhance education through the arts with supportive grants to schools and nonprofit organizations. The intention of any residency proposal must be to increase interaction between students, community members and professional artists.

The CMAB supports collaborative and innovative arts opportunities through partnerships and financial investments in Stearns, Benton, Sherburne and Wright counties as one of 11 Regional Arts Councils designated by the Minnesota State Arts Board. The CMAB works with community partners to increase access to the unique cultural assets of Minnesota.