R2AC Awards $68,800 in Arts and Cultural Heritage Grants

Region 2 Arts Council (R2AC) recently awarded $68,800 through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Grant Program to individual artists, arts organizations and non-profits in Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, and Lake of the Woods counties. The funds will be used to create opportunities for arts access, arts education, and the arts and cultural heritage activities that build bridges between Minnesotans. These funds are made available through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by Minnesota voters on November 4, 2008.

The grant recipients included:

Bemidji Community Theater received $6,000 to produce the children’s show “HONK!” a musical version of “The Ugly Duckling.”

Clear Waters Life Center, Gonvick, was awarded $1,720 to offer a variety of Monday art classes to provide access to high quality art experiences for area residents.

Bemidji State University Department of Music received $3,023 to bring Ana Maria Otamendi and Elena Lacheva to Bemidji to perform recitals, present master classes, and provide private coaching to BSU music students.

Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council was awarded $4,000 to sponsor Art Leap 2015, a driving tour of artists’ studios and other local cultural destinations.

Michael Lyons, Bemidji, was awarded $3,000 to write and illustrate an Ojibwe language activity book, which he will use to teach Ojibwe in area schools.

The City of Bagley received $2,960 to invite four artists to demonstrate and display their art to the public, some of which the city will purchase for permanent public display.

Bemidji Symphony Orchestra received $6,000 to perform with classically trained rock violinist Aaron Meyer, along with guitarist Tim Ellis, in a concert that bridges the genres of classical, contemporary progressive rock, and traditional styles of music.

Lake of the Woods Art Guild, Baudette, was awarded $6,000 to offset student tuition for Frank Covino’s weeklong classical academic oil painting seminar.

Schoolcraft Learning Community, Bemidji received $5,040 to work with Design Angler, Inc. and the City of Bemidji to explore, graphically design and create public photographic displays on 7 downtown kiosks to educate the public about human-powered transportation.

Northern Light Opera Company, Park Rapids, was awarded $6,000 to mount six productions of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” July 31 to August 8, 2015.

Hope House, Bemidji, was awarded $5,340 to advance their client’s watercolor skills, and assist a professional watercolor artist to teach those skills to children in the community.

Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council was awarded $2,597 to sponsor the Youth Music & Art Showcase VII with activities that support youth musicians and encourage youths’ artistic talents.

City of Bemidji Park & Recreation Department was awarded $5,100 to expand Theater Day Camp to include introduction to theater, stage combat, set design and stage tech classes.

Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Bemidji was awarded $6,000 to bring to the stage the dark, but often hilarious tale, of the 1935 kidnapping of William Hamm in “Prints.”

Bemidji MusiCamp was awarded $5,717 to provide an inspiring camp that encourages lifelong participation for young musicians throughout the region and that will culminate in a final performance for the public.

Headwaters School of Music & the Arts, Bemidji, received $303 to add three low range bells and a carrying case to the existing 1st City Bell Choir.

The next Arts and Cultural Heritage Grant deadline is in August 15, 2015

Applications will be available online, http://r2arts.org, by May 15, 2015. Please email staff@r2arts.org or call us at 751-5447 or 1-800-275-5447 for more information.