May 15: IAC “Office on the Road”, 1-5 p.m. at the Le Mars Art Center, 200 Central Avenue S.E., Le Mars
June 27: Public Artists Workshop, led by David Dahlquist
June 29: Iowa Dance Artists Workshop
Ongoing:
Artist Directory (Artist Resource)
Iowa Public Art Artist Resource (Artist Resource)
Mini Grants. Applications due the first business day of each month. Apply for up to $1,500 in matching funds for arts-related projects.
Reminder: Challenge America Grants Due June 2
The National Endowment for the Arts’ Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development.
Each applicant must present a simple, straightforward project that reflects only one of the project types below. Fast-Track Review Grants are available only for:
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Celebrate Asian Heritage Month by participating in a program about Tet, Vietnamese New Year, Saturday, May 10 from 1-3 p.m. at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines.
This program includes dragon dancers, a fashion show, singing, Q&A, food demonstrations (and samplings!).
A major holiday for which families clean and decorate their homes, prepare special foods, and entertain guests, Tet celebrates a break in agricultural activities. It also marks the time when the Kitchen God journeys to Heaven to make his annual report on household activities to the Jade Emperor. The Vietnamese, like many other ethnic groups, follow a lunar calendar. This means that Tet, which occurs in the 12th moon month and lasts for three days, takes place sometime between the last 10 days of January and the middle of February on the western calendar.
Tet involves rituals that pay homage to the ancestors. Women prepare elaborate traditional food to be offered to the ancestors and served to family and friends. While dishes vary by region in Vietnam, favorites include chân giò ninh mang (pig feet with bamboo shoots), xôi gac (sticky rice), xào hanh nhan (stir-fried almonds), nom du du (papaya salad), and chè kho (green bean pudding) as well as lon quay (roast pork), and bánh chung (square sticky-rice cake). Since most of Iowa’s Vietnamese are from South Vietnam, families here also serve thit kho (stewed pork and coconut milk) as well as dua gia (pickled green bean sprouts with leeks, sliced carrot and turnip). Bánh tét (round-shaped glutinous cake) and bánh tráng (rice waffle) are also on the menu.
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, American Masterpieces Initiative, this event is a free, family-oriented two-hour program with something for everyone.
The Iowa Arts Council will take its “Office on the Road” to Le Mars May 15 to offer assistance and guidance with arts-related project planning and grant programs to Iowans.
IAC staff will hold office hours 1-5 p.m. at the Le Mars Art Center, 200 Central Avenue SE in Le Mars. Constituents interested in meeting with IAC staff should contact Sarah Ekstrand at sarah.ekstrand@iowa.gov or (515) 281-4657 to schedule 20-minute appointments.
IAC will announce additional “Office on the Road” dates and locations as they are confirmed.
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The workshops will include an overview of the Iowa Cultural Trust; a two-hour interactive session focusing on board development and short and long-term strategic planning, conducted by Michael Audino of Syverson Strege & Company of Des Moines; and a panel discussion about sustainable endowment funds and programs.
Iowa arts, cultural and historical organizations must send a leader, staff member or volunteer to an Iowa Cultural Trust workshop to become eligible for the Trust’s grant program that will be established in 2009. Eight additional workshops will be announced later this year as they are confirmed.
Iowa established the Cultural Trust in 2002 and provided funding of $1 million each year to it for 10 years beginning in 2005. Interest from the Trust will provide grant assistance for operational expenses and to enhance long-term sustainability of cultural organizations.
The workshops require a $15 registration fee, payable at the event. RSVP by contacting Barb Filer at (515) 281-8823 or barb.filer@iowa.gov. Following is the Iowa Cultural Trust workshop schedule for May 2008:
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The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs wants to “CHAT” with Iowans about culture, history and arts through a new program being launched this month.
CHAT – Culture, History, Arts Teams – is a new networking program for Iowa’s cultural workers and their supporters, and a reporting tool that will help document their activities and generate more data about the economic impact they have on the state.
In response, DCA designed CHAT to strengthen Iowa’s cultural infrastructure; give Iowa’s cultural workers and their supporters opportunities to exchange ideas and information; document the programs and events they offer; and raise awareness about the economic impact they have on the state.
DCA will hold CHAT at 13 different regional town hall meetings in May, June and July. The first three meetings will be:
Ten additional regional meetings are tentatively scheduled for June and July and will be announced as they are confirmed.
To RSVP for a town hall meeting, to find your CHAT region or for more information on CHAT, visit www.culturalaffairs.org.
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The Iowa Arts Council will host a forum on cultural leadership as part of the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series for arts and business leaders. The 2008 series— New Frameworks for The Changing Face of America—examines models that provide a new way to look at diversity in the United States and how it is reshaping our culture.
The first forum featuring keynote speaker, author and cultural analyst Patricia Martin will take place June 3 from 9 a.m.-Noon at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. Lunch (with continued conversation) following the event is optional. Admission to the forum is free; a fee will be charged for those staying for lunch.
The 2008 MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series looks at how both arts and business address the issue of increasing diversity in this country as it relates to workforce development, leadership and management, and product offerings through a new theory being advanced by Martin.
Martin is a recognized expert in cultural marketing and president of the Chicago-based firm LitLamp Communications Group, which she founded in 1995. The firm serves a variety of clients who need to forge and manage innovative communications through marketing alliances. She is also the author of RenGen: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What It Means to Your Business.
Watch for more information at www.iowaartscouncil.org.
In the coming year, forums will take place in 11 cities nationwide and will investigate new frameworks for cultural leadership. Excerpts from each forum will be posted on the Americans for the Arts Web site, www.AmericansForTheArts.org, and a forum will take place in June at the Americans for the Arts 2008 Annual Convention in Philadelphia. Forums are produced by program partners of Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, which is focused on developing private-sector support for the arts within the organization’s broader mission of advancing the arts in America.
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The Iowa Dance Network will hold its first gathering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. This new group is meant to serve Iowa dancers—classical ballet, folk and traditional cultures, modern, tap, jazz, hip hop and everything in between.
This gathering will offer a variety of sessions specifically geared toward dancers 18 years old or older, including grant writing for IAC grants, information about IAC performing and teaching artist rosters, how to use new media for marketing and more. There will be opportunities to network and collaborate with colleagues from across the state as well as dance breaks!
Registration information will be posted on the IAC Web site on or about May 15. The event is free and open to all interested dancers!
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Iowa’s burgeoning film industry is creating a positive ripple effect across the local economy in some surprising ways.
Some Iowans have lobbied for years to implement tax incentives that would draw film production to Iowa. Last year, the Iowa Legislature approved the tax incentives and now the potential for the creation of new jobs and businesses in Iowa to support the film industry is high. These productions need everything from caterers to crowd scene extras to technical personnel.
A recent article in the Des Moines Business Record highlights the effect one of these productions is having on Des Moines. Read the article by clicking here.
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Like any performance, a theatrical production about a historical figure or period must engage audiences.
Iowa Arts Council rostered artist and actor Pippa White has tackled topics like the orphan trains, Ellis Island immigrants, pioneers and World War II resistance fighters. As a solo performer, her One’s Company Productions tells stories that are riveting and true, captivating and touching.
White has taken her productions across Iowa and the nation from New York to Alaska, performing in museums, libraries, at festivals and conferences. She holds a BA in English from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she lives today.
Her role as a professional actress began when she was growing up in San Francisco and would appear regularly on television. Her aspirations to perform led her to the American Conservatory Theater Academy and eventually to hosting a daily morning television show for the ABC San Francisco affiliate.
White’s cross section of knowledge in theater acting and teaching make her a vibrant choice as a performer that appeals to a wide range of audiences. Though two of her shows are specifically for children, she says most of her pieces appeal to ages nine to 99. One of her current projects, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Songs: The Life and Works of Dorothy Fields,” is a mini-musical that features the unforgettable hit songs, the stories behind the songs and allows the audience to get to know the fascinating woman who wrote them.
“It’s not children’s theater or family theater,” White says. “It’s theater built on stories that have a universal appeal.”
More about Pippa White can be found on her IAC Roster page at http://roster.iowaartscouncil.org/portfolio.cfm?id=733.
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By Gordon Hendrickson
The 2008 session of the General Assembly concluded its work Friday, April 25. My review of the session shows some successes and some near successes. The Department of Cultural Affairs proposed two bills this session and both were passed and have been signed. In addition, some other legislative pieces affect our department and our constituents. As expected the budget bills were the last to be considered and are complex pieces of legislation that still need additional review. However, I do not expect any surprises in the bills. The budget bills have not yet been signed.
The department asked to have the art indemnification program removed from the code based on lack of use in the last 20 years and that was done. The department also asked the legislature to authorize the Culture History Arts Team (CHAT) program which was enacted as well.
Included amongst the near successes was the performing arts centers sales tax exemption proposal, which failed to get out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and thus was not considered by either chamber. Likewise, the proposal to modify the art in state buildings program to increase the amount of construction project funding dedicated to public art failed to be considered by the full senate and thus was not enacted. A third bill we watched would have provided a small amount of funding for expense incurred by the Poet Laureate but it did not make it out of committee and was not considered. All of our near successes resulted in increased exposure in the general assembly thereby enhancing the potential for enactment in the future.
On the budget side, funding for the Department of Cultural Affairs remains essentially unchanged. We received a one-time appropriation of $20,000 to support the mandated 2009 Cultural Caucus. The grant funds available to the department are essentially the same as last year with a couple of exceptions. Most notably, the Great Places Program grant funds were reduced by one-third to $2 million. Cultural grants remain as they were last year with $299,240 from the general fund and an additional $520,000 from gambling revenue. The Historical Resources Development Program (HRDP) benefits from an increase in funding for the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program. With $18 million appropriated to REAP, the HRDP program will have approximately $900,000 for grants to preserve cultural resources in the state. The Department also received an appropriation of $500,000 in FY 2009 and $486,000 in FY 2010 for a directed grant to the Grout Museum in Waterloo.
Please remember that it is always appropriate to contact your legislators to discuss the value of culture, arts and history to the state. Stress how important it is fund cultural activities by reminding them about your programs and the value they bring to your community.
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The Iowa Arts Council has selected four Iowa high school students to receive the 2008 Iowa Scholarship for the Arts.
The award is given to Iowa residents who will graduate from an Iowa high school during the 2007-2008 academic year and have proven artistic ability in dance, literature (creative writing), music, theater, traditional arts or visual arts. Each recipient will receive $1,000 toward his or her college tuition and related expenses as a full-time undergraduate at a fully-accredited Iowa college or university with a major in one or more of the disciplines considered for the award.
This year’s recipients are:
Shelby Hendryx, Cedar Rapids: Plans to major in vocal performance at Simpson College.
Nicholas Anderson, Sioux City: Plans to major in music education and music pedagogy at Morningside College.
Jennifer Pray, Johnston: Plans to major in dance at the University of Iowa.
Richard Fortney, Eldon: Plans to major in instrumental music education at the University of Northern Iowa.
Congratulations to these talented students!
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May 2-4: Riki Saltzman to Fairfield for First Fridays event and Eco Fest
May 6: Cyndi Pederson, Lara Kramme, Linda Lee, and Bruce Williams attend Cultural Leadership Partners site visit at Iowa Youth Chorus in Des Moines
May 8: Cyndi Pederson to Red Oak for CHAT meeting
May 10: Dawn Martinez Oropeza attends Iowa Alliance for Arts Education’s board meeting in Des Moines
May 15: Mary Sundet Jones and Sarah Ekstrand to LeMars for IAC Office on the Road
May 15: Cyndi Pederson to Cedar Rapids for CHAT meeting
May 19: Mary Sundet Jones to Marshalltown for Cultural Trust workshop
May 22: Mary Sundet Jones to Sioux City for Cultural Trust workshop
May 27: Riki Saltzman and Sarah Ekstrand to Sioux City to meet with artist Eva Perez
May 30: Bruce Williams to attend dedication of Iowa Workers Monument in Des Moines
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The Iowa Arts Council has awarded 25 major arts and organizational grants totaling $186,600 to individuals and organizations serving Iowans across the state.
IAC, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, received 78 Major Grant requests totaling $668,000 this spring to fund projects developed by individual artists, arts organizations, community groups and schools working 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 in matching funds but no more than 50 percent of the project’s total expenses.
To see a list of major grant recipient projects, visit www.iowaartscouncil.org and click on “Funding,” then “Recently Awarded Grants.”
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Do Iowa highway travelers know about your cultural attraction? The Iowa Department of Transportation has an array of signage programs available to help the tourism industry. Visit www.iowaroadsigns.com to view updated rules for each program, find answers to FAQs, spacing requirements, examples of signage possibilities, sign fabricators available to assist you and more.
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The Center for Credit Programs at the University of Iowa will offer Introduction to Arts Management as an online course in the fall of 2008. The course is available to UI students, students at other colleges and universities, people working or volunteering at arts organizations, and those who are considering a career in the arts. The course will address nonprofit management principles and trends in the fields of music, dance, theatre and the visual arts.
Introduction to Arts Management will allow students to log onto lessons on a flexible schedule. There will be five group sessions that will meet online through software provided by the university: Aug. 27, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 12 and Dec. 3 from 7:30-9 p.m.
For more information on the course, please visit http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/ccp/whatsnew/ or contact the instructor, David McGraw at david-mcgraw@uiowa.edu.
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The 8th Annual Prairie Arts Management Institute will be held June 3-6 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Institute provides professional development and practical training for staff of small and mid-sized community arts organizations and is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest. Participants are offered leadership and management tools in an intense learning environment with master teachers. Space is limited to maximize individual learning.
The registration fee is $400. Events included in the registration are:
Scholarships are available. Visit www.sdarts.org for Institute information and registration. Prairie Arts Management Institute is sponsored by South Dakotans for the Arts, South Dakota Arts Council, Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest.