Fiscal Year 2009 / Mini Grants: January
The Iowa Arts Council received 15 eligible Mini grant applications for the January round. Applicants requested a total of $20,811 for Arts projects. Eight projects were funded totaling $10,311. There is a possible total score of 44 points. Although a score of 33 or above would be considered fundable, available funding did not allow for grants scoring below 33.33, leaving many worthwhile projects unfunded.
Michael J. Brafford, Johnston
Hawkeye Swing Festival
$1,500
Iowa Arts Council grant funding will
support The Hawkeye Swing Festival,
a three-day event that features the
world's finest instructors and the
region's best social dancers.
It includes classes for all levels,
free dances with live music,
DJs playing vintage jazz and blues,
and contests that highlight
competitors from all across the region.
Starmont Community School, Arlington
Making the Mold in Art and Industrial Technology
$1,500
From April 27 through May 1,
Artist Joe Gower, do a residency
at the Starmont Community School,
working with middle and high school
students to make molds for both
ceramics and metalsmithing.
Amanda Timm, the art teacher and
Roger Reed, the industrial technology
teacher will start the projects on
April 20th and finish on May 5th; Joe
will enhance the projects in the middle
of the lessons. Iowa Arts Council
grant funding will support this project.
Shimek Elementary Before and After School Program, Iowa City
Chinese New Year Celebration
$700
Grant funding will allow the
Eulenspiegel Puppet Theater director,
Monica Leo, to teach the students
and adults of the Shimek Before and
After School Program (BASP) how to
make a large Dragon puppet. She will
bring pre-made parts to be paper
mache'd and decorated by the BASP
students and adults. She will instruct
its manipulation. Students will parade
the puppet through the school in a
traditional Chinese New Year
celebration.
Pieta Brown, Iowa City
Pieta Brown Demos Recording Session w/ Producer Don Was
$1,500
Iowa Arts Council grant funds will
support artist Pieta Brown in her
recording session with Grammy
Award-winning record producer,
Don Was, and fellow Iowa musician,
Bo Ramsey. This project is scheduled
for February 13 & 14
(at Henson Studios in Los Angeles,
CA). In this session they will record
10-12 recently written/composed
original songs of the artist in a high
quality setting so they can present
these professional demos to various
record companies.
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls
Iowa Days of Percussion
$1,500
The University of Northern Iowa will
use IAC grant funds for the Percussive Arts Society Iowa Chapter's 2009 Iowa Days of
Percussion (IDOP) project, set for
March 27 and March 28, 2009.
Jazz drummer John Riley and West
African drumming specialist Michael
Taylor have agreed to perform and
present workshops at the festival.
Mary McAdams, Ankeny
Mary McAdams - Pre-production for CD project
$1,500
Artist Mary McAdams will use IAC
grant funds to help with all
pre-production activities required
for the recording of a 10 song CD
of her original compositions. The
project will employ an Iowa recording
facility and Iowa musicians,
engineer and co-producer.
The work will take place over a
two-week period in February of 2009.
Lakewood Elementary, Norwalk
The Great State History Play
$975
For a culminating activity to our Iowa
History Unit, Lakewood Elementary
will use IAS grant funding to hire Fax
Gilbert of Fax Gilbert Programs to
direct The Great State History Play
for our students to perform. This
production will help our 5th grade
students make personal connections
to Iowa history through this
performance.
Bell Tower Productions, Dubuque
Preliminary Marketing for Bell Tower Theater's New Family Series
$1,136
Iowa Arts Council grant funds will be
used to design, produce and distribute
preliminary marketing materials for the Bell Tower Theater's brand new "Family Series". This is a
series of five events designed to
provide high quality family
entertainment at an affordable price.