December and January will be very busy months around the Council. This month will be a chance to spend with family enjoying the holiday season as well as preparing for the new year. In the first week in January, staff will be offering grant writing workshops in Cloquet, Aitkin, and Duluth. The specifics can be found in this newsletter.
On January 15, 2015, ARAC will host two "State of the Arts" presentations in the region. In the morning Sheila Smith, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, will be at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids to make a presentation about the impact the arts and the Legacy Amendment have had on the economy of the Arrowhead Region. That evening she
will give the same presentation in Duluth at the Zeitgeist Building. More information about these presentations will be sent out as the date gets closer.
In one of her first trips outside of Washington D.C., new NEA Chair Jane Chu came to Minnesota to help MCA celebrate 40 years of arts advocacy. She praised both Minnesota's arts community and the Legacy Amendment, along with Congresswoman Betty McCollum (St. Paul), Senator Richard Cohen, and Mayor Ardele Brede of Rochester, and hundreds of great arts advocates from around the state. Here is some of what she had to say about the Minnesota arts community:
"Minnesota understands how to bring together the pieces that create an artistic environment; not only for appreciating the beauty of the arts themselves; but also the value that the arts have in our everyday lives...
"And Minnesota can appreciate its philanthropic resources, its advocacy support, and its embracing support for arts education, with 95% of Minnesotans noting that the arts are important to the overall education of Minnesota children.
"But this active arts environment did not just appear from nowhere. It came into existence because of you. Your years of dedicated work. Your unwavering commitment. Your ability to know what needs to be done for today, in order to make the arts stronger for tomorrow.
"It was this ability that empowered you to push for the successful passage of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment...
"But there's also a big-picture statement being made. This amendment groups together some of life's most basic necessities: Clean rivers. Unpolluted land. It suggests that the arts are just as fundamental a part of our world as our lakes and prairies; and they are just as vital to our well-being as a healthy environment."
It is nice to get some recognition for Minnesota's forward thinking regarding the integration of the arts in our everyday lives. Take a moment to get out and enjoy the arts happening in your part of the region. You can find a calendar of upcoming ARAC funding events on our web site: www.aracouncil.org.
Your help is important to the strength of the arts in Minnesota. Arts Advocacy Day will be Thursday, February 19, 2015. This is your opportunity to join hundreds of like minded individuals from across the state to talk with your legislators about how important the arts are to you, your community and the whole region. If you are interested in attending Arts Advocacy Day, please contact the office.
Friday, January 30, 2015, is ARAC's next grant deadline for on-line applications. We are accepting applications to the Art Project, Community Arts Learning, and Individual Artist Technology/Equipment grant programs. If you have questions or need assistance, contact Ashley Kolka, Grants Manager, at [email protected].
I have been contacting several groups in the state to do workshops in the coming Spring. Among the groups interested in doing workshops in the Arrowhead Region are: VSA (Very Special Arts) Minnesota, Springboard for the Arts, and MNartists. As I pull these workshops together, I will be posting the dates and times. If you have suggestions of groups you would like to come to the Arrowhead to offer a workshop or information session, please let me know by emailing me at [email protected].
Two final thoughts:
1. In this issues I have included information about health insurance. If you are uninsured by April 15, 2015, you will be fined and the fine will go up each year. I am looking into regional resources that may be able to help individuals sign up for health insurance, but in the meantime you can contact Nikki Hunt at Springboard for the Arts.
2. ARAC has budgeted funding to purchase print ads in regional arts publications, programs, etc. The Council is making an increased effort to become more visible in the region while being able to help arts organizations. Any regional arts organization can submit a request to purchase advertisement. You can send your requests to [email protected] or contact the office.
The Board and staff wish you all very Happy Holiday Season!