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March 2007 |
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In This Issue ·
Culver
Appoints Pederson Director of Cultural Affairs ·
Field Set for Poetry Out Loud Contest
In Iowa ·
Upcoming
Iowa Arts Council Grant Writing Workshops ·
Major Grant
Applications Due April 2 ·
New Web Site Features Iowa Food Stories ·
MetLife
Foundation Forum Highlights Arts & The Workforce ·
IABD
Semi-Trucks to Feature Buyiowaart.com ·
OPERA Iowa
Continues to Delight Young Audiences ·
Legion Arts
Rolls on with Cultural Express Programs ·
Students
Learn Dance Can Be Fun ·
Group
Travel Newsletter Could Benefit Cultural Organizations ·
Save the Date! Columbus Junction
Hispanic Cultural Festival ·
Conferences
You Should Know About IAC
Calendar
Links In-Box of Artist
Opportunities Contact
Us 600 E. Locust (515) 242-6194 Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Newsletter Editor: |
Culver Appoints Pederson Director of Cultural AffairsGovernor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge have appointed Cyndi Pederson director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. In 1998, she served as a member of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s transition team and was named Chief of Staff to former First Lady Christie Vilsack. In 2005, Pederson joined the Department of Cultural Affairs as Coordinator for Gov. Vilsack and Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson’s (no relation) Iowa Great Places initiative. In July 2006, she was appointed interim deputy director, and was named by Governor Culver as interim director in January 2007. “I am honored to receive this appointment as Director of
the Department of Cultural Affairs in the Culver/Judge Administration,” she
said. “We are all aware how important arts, culture and history are in
order to create a creative economy in A Seventeen The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in This exciting program, which began in 2005, helps
students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about
their literary heritage. NEA and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with
Arts Agencies in each state and the The winner of the Iowa Poetry Out Loud contest, in
addition to the trip to the national finals, will receive a $200 cash award,
plus a $500 gift to his/her school library for the purchase of poetry books. The
students competing are:
Staff from the Iowa Arts Council will be conducting
grant writing workshops March 14 at Quad City Arts in Staff will help participants navigate the grant programs available through the Iowa Arts Council and Department of Cultural Affairs, provide insight into developing powerful grant proposals and review the eGRANT application system. The workshops are a great learning opportunity for artists, educators, communities and organizations who seek funding support for arts-related activities that benefit Iowans. Each workshop will be from 1-4 p.m. For more information or to register, visit the Iowa Arts Council Web site. The winning entries in a statewide art competition
involving The competition, sponsored for the 16th year by Art
Educators of Iowa with support from the Iowa Arts Council, gathers works by
Grant applications and support materials are due in the
IAC offices, Projects submitted for the April 2 deadline must occur during IAC’s fiscal year 2008 which begins July 1, 2007 and ends June 30, 2008. Contact Linda Lee at linda.lee@iowa.gov or 515-242-6194 for more information. IAC Major Grants are designed to provide financial assistance for projects developed to bring excellence in the arts to all Iowans. The program emphasizes artistic excellence, service to Iowans, and solid project planning and implementation. Applicants may request up to $10,000 but no more than 50 percent of the project’s total expenses. Applicants must match the amount requested. IAC Major Grants are available in the following categories:
In the past several years, requests for IAC Major Grants have outpaced available funds. Last year, IAC received 130 applications requesting $1,130,540 in major arts and organizational grants. A total of $256,000 was awarded to 44 of these applicants. The
story of Iowa
Arts Council Folklife Coordinator Saltzman
developed the web site with the support of a $10,000 grant from the On the
Iowa Place-Based Foods web pages, the stories behind those foods come to life
in the words of the people who produce them. For example, viewers can listen
to Gary Schoening of Glenwood describe his family’s way of making German
mettwurst. Members of the Maasdam family talk about the distinctive syrup
their family has made for the past 80 years from the sweet sorghum grown on
their farm. In
addition to written transcripts of each food story, the web site offers a
list of locations where the food item can be purchased. The web site also has
Saltzman’s final research report to the
Cultivating Creative Workers,” the three panel discussions that comprised this event offered opportunities to dig into issues and thoughts around the role of the arts in relation to the current workforce, and the role of arts education in a developing workforce. About 110 Iowans braved the post-winter-storm conditions to gather for this event. Panelists described the importance of arts education in teaching crucial creative thinking skills, and the reason those creative thinking skills are so important in the workplace. In the words of David Williamson, moderator of one of the panels, “A company has to figure out when mistakes lead to creativity and when they don’t. Arts teach better ways of innovating.” The Arts & Business Council of Americans for the
Arts will gather information from all 40+ MetLife Foundation forums being
held nationwide, and will publish several monographs later this year. A synopsis of the The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division will be featuring
Buyiowaart.com on two of its semi-trucks that will log thousands of miles
traveling throughout The Buyiowaart.com graphics, which feature items for sale on the Web site, are made out of an adhesive vinyl 3M material that take two people about eight hours to apply to each semi-truck. The graphics were printed on three-foot panels, centered vertically, heated by a blowtorch and adhered around the rivets on the trailers. With each trailer’s advertising space valued at about $60,000 per year, and each graphic having a life expectancy of seven years, the total contribution ABD is making to Buyiowaart.com is valued at about $1.26 million.
When OPERA Iowa
was initiated more than 20 years ago, its purpose was to bring together a
resident ensemble of fine young singers, a musical director, a stage director
and a technical director that would tour the state of In keeping with Des Moines Metro Opera’s mission to produce and present opera as a living and viable art form, OPERA Iowa presents opera to children and adults within their own schools and communities who have limited, if any, exposure to live performance. “The OPERA Iowa program has been used as a national role model for opera companies wishing to introduce children and families to opera; such educational programs have led to nationwide audience growth, especially in the younger age group,” said Michael Engel, artistic administrator of the Des Moines Metro Opera.
into haunted forests, castles and grassy fields. The 2007 tour features John Davies’ opera THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF for kindergarten through 6th grade students and Donizetti’s comedy DON PASQUALE for high school and evening audiences. The seven-member troupe will present nearly 320 classroom workshops and present in some 80 school and evening opera performances between January 29 and April 13, 2007. The program has ignited young imaginations and sparked enthusiasm for opera in multiple generations now. In its twenty year history, OPERA Iowa has captured the attention of over 550,000 people from 8-80! Some comments from educators include: “The
workshops were excellent and enjoyable.
Students enjoyed the energy of the presenters!” --Betsy Hensen, “I was
impressed at the quality of workshops and student materials provided for use
to prepare children for the experience…the entire experience enabled students
to appreciate elements of an opera performance because of the content and
background provided.” --Sister Mary Louise Scieszinski, Principal, “The
supervising classroom teachers felt the troupe was well prepared and did an
excellent job of drawing the kids in…..the best all-around production we’ve
ever had at Shellsburg!” --Gib Ziemer, Shellsburg Elementary “The
opera was fabulous! At the end I
couldn’t stop clapping!” --Nicholas R., student, Northwest Elementary,
The first of 10 multicultural programs, “African American Blues in Iowa” explored the cultural background of this musical tradition that traveled up from the Mississippi Delta to Eastern Iowa.Other programs explore Asian Indian festivals, Old Time music in Eastern Iowa, Bosnian traditions, Latino Music, Lao customs, Polka music and dance, Gospel music, Meskwaki Powwow, and Vietnamese Tet. Attending this kick off event were representatives of
some of the other Cultural Express programs (Becky Livermore and Terry Ard of
Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchman as well as Shelly Sarin of the Northeast Iowa
Folk Dancers of India) and program presenters from the Lisbon Public Library
and the Funding for the development of Cultural Express was provided in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Upcoming Cultural Express Programs include: April 11: Polka! Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe
Dutchmen, 7 p.m., April 21: Gospel Traditions: Make a Joyful Noise.
Features two of April 23: Mi Música: Traditional Latino Music.
Features Contact Legion Arts for dates and places of upcoming programs, 319/364-1584 or info@legionarts.org. The In doing so, they effectively promote healthy habits by engaging students in high energy, fun, exciting, and noncompetitive workouts, presenting dance as a vibrant art form. The Youth Dance Labs offer hundreds of performance opportunities thanks to Habeas Corpus’s connections with other arts organizations. Students learn artistic practice, process and product. They gain life-long social skills, become part of a thriving art audience, and lay the ground work for concert dance training. The program was highlighted in the Report to the Governor and General Assembly on the Status of Out-of-School Arts Programming for Youth, prepared by the Iowa Arts Council. Habeas Corpus offers two groups of dance labs for ages 12-17: After-School Dance Labs at South East Jr. High in Pavlov's Dogs, a high school group for rehearsing
improvisation, experimental forms, and free speech. Pavlov’s Dogs investigate
non-traditional dance, alternative movement, and site-specific performance.
Held at “As a supporter of fine arts, I fully appreciate how
much Habeas Corpus enhances our regular curriculum,” said Lonnie Behnke,
associate principal at How do you show that you are providing service to Iowans if you are applying as an individual? For individual artist grants, it is just fine if the primary Iowan receiving service is the artist him/herself. At some point (possibly beyond the project), we want to know that the larger public will have the opportunity to experience the artist’s work, but that does not have to be part of the project itself for an Artist Major or Mini Grant. These grants are about helping excellent individual artists with projects that will move them forward in their artistic work. At least 15% of Iowans have some type of disability. Do these potential audience members know that your program is accessible to them? Consider ideas such as: Use radio as well as print marketing Large-print ads in senior center newsletters ALWAYS mention that your program is accessible, every time you talk or write about your program Build relationships with area Independent Living Centers, special education teachers, and other area organizations and individuals who can help tell your story to their audiences Ask for help from people with disabilities, to tell you how they generally get their information and to let you know how accessible your program really is Prominently include international access symbols in your
advertising and programs (download these free from the Graphic
Arts Guild) As of this writing, both the Governor’s proposed budget and the legislature’s proposed budget for the Iowa Arts Council indicate level funding for the IAC in the coming fiscal year. As always, legislators and the Governor need to hear from you – their constituents – to understand your priorities in terms of these state budget decisions. Governor Culver's budget can be accessed at: http://www.dom.state.ia.us/state/budget_proposals/files/fy08/FY08_Iowa_Budget_Report.pdf. We are watching several bills with considerable interest. A corrective measure (SF 205) designed to facilitate use of Cultural Trust grant funds for education on capacity building and sustainability in cultural organizations unanimously passed the Senate and is now ready for consideration in the House. Another bill (HSB 149 and SF 306) related to the selection of Iowa Great Places based on readiness rather than on competition has received approval from committees in both the House and Senate and is ready for debate. Other bills (HF 456 and SF 29) include new incentives for Cultural and Entertainment Districts are being considered in the House and the Senate. They have not yet passed from the standing committees but have received approval of subcommittees. In terms of process, one major change in the legislature this year is a change in the way the Department of Cultural Affairs’ budget is being handled. In the past we have been part of the Education Appropriations Subcommittee. This year, the legislature has moved our budget to the Economic Growth Appropriations Subcommittee. This move affords us the opportunity to discuss our budget with the same legislators who are discussing other policy bills that affect our department. In late January, Cyndi Pederson, Mary Sundet Jones and Gordon Hendrickson met for two hours with the budget subcommittee to introduce them to DCA. The main response of legislators was “I didn't realize how much your department does!” Save the dates! The Columbus Junction Hispanic Cultural
Festival, May 12-13 has received an Iowa Arts Council partnership grant to
host the annual Midwest Folk Fest, a tri-state partnership among the Iowa
Arts Council, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Wisconsin Arts Board.
This two-day event will feature traditional artists from a variety of
Latino cultures in National Arts Marketing Project Conference 2007 A survey of arts marketers showed that the arts field
wanted a conference focusing on technology and new audiences along with the
latest research in the field. You’ll learn about new media from RSS to
podcasts, blogging to texting, and optimizing e-mail, e-commerce, Web sites
and search engines. Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Prairie Arts Management Institute 2007 During this weeklong institute for arts administrators
from the Midwest, national arts leaders will provide in-depth training for
arts organization staff in areas of management, finances, fundraising and
programming. The Institute will be held June 5-8 at |
