Do you want to see what your regional arts council is funding in your community? Check out the list below, congratulate friends and neighbors who won money, then take a look at the bottom of this message for more about ARAC.

ARAC granted Art Project funding to the following organizations on March 19:

Arrowhead Chorale, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help the Chorale perform with chamber groups at Weber Music Hall on the UMD campus in December, 2015. Winds and strings will be featured, and music will encompass four centuries of repertoire, including several longer works, such as Lloyd Pfautsch’s, “A Day for Dancing” that uses old carols in contemporary settings and Persichetti’s “Winter Cantata.”

Duluth All Souls Night, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help produce the annual Twin Ports fall All Souls Night arts festival held in and around the Duluth Depot and Public Library. Community preparations begin in October with creative activities for ALL ages and backgrounds, leading to a November evening indoor/outdoor spectacle and extravaganza.

Duluth Superior Film Festival, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help produce the annual five day festival which screens numerous independent films, produces multiple music performances, and hosts parties in an extravaganza of film, music, and art. The festival brings film directors and industry professionals to The Twin Ports for receptions, Q & A sessions after festival screenings, and insightful panel discussions and workshops.

Grand Marais Playhouse, Grand Marais, Cook County, $5,000:
To help produce the play “Eleemosynary” by Lee Blessing in their 45th season of plays at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais.

Jaques Art Center, Aitkin, Aitkin County, $4,350:
To help produce the 9th Annual Plein Air event that will take place in Aitkin, July 15-18, 2015. Regional artists will participate in a quick paint contest and the public reception opening for the exhibit. Nearby rivers and lakes, farms, former railroad depots and historic homes will provide artists with plenty of outdoor subject matter. The completed works will be judged by a professional plein air artist.

Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help present two concerts as part of its 29th season. These concerts will celebrate the talent of the region: On July 16, 2016, violinist Paul Bagley and cellist Aleksander Tengesdal will solo in Brahms “Double Concerto In A Minor.” The July 30, 2015, concert will feature Emily Van Evera as soprano soloist, repertoire to be announced.

MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids, Itasca County, $5,000:
To help produce an Art in the Park event series that will consist of three participatory art events that are aimed at engaging families and community members in nature-based, collaborative projects. Each event will be hosted by a different artist who will plan and supervise the creation of a temporary artwork that engages the natural surroundings. Events will be located at public parks in the greater Grand Rapids area.

Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe and Zeitgeist Arts Café produce the fifth annual Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade and smelt fry on Sunday, May 15, 2016. Festivities begin on the lawn beside the Maritime Visitors’ Center, at the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, MN. Workshops will be offered for four weeks prior to prepare the puppets, masks and costumes, and to recruit performers.

Matinee Musicale, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help present the Tempest Trio in concert at Mitchell Auditorium, the College of St. Scholastica, on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. Matinee Musicale will also provide a free two-hour master class for high school and college music students at Scholastica on Monday, November 9, 2015.

Mesabi Symphony Orchestra, Virginia, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To collaborate with the Minnesota Astronomical Society to produce a multi-media presentation and concert featuring “The Planets” by Gustav Holst.

North Shore Music Association, Grand Marais, Cook County, $2,740:
To help present Handy Award-winning bluesman Guy Davis in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais.

Prøve Collective, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help to host a public round-table discussion about food and community, featuring locally harvested food served on ceramic wares created by a group of ceramic artists. After this gathering, Prøve will host an opening reception featuring these wares, in addition to an installation of ceramic sculpture by the same artists.

Renegade Theater Company, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help produce “Eastland: A New Musical.” This brand-new American Folk Musical premiered at the Lookingglass Theater in Chicago in 2013, and this would be the second production of the play. This production will feature the talents of an all-local cast and crew and offer both local artists and audiences the rare opportunity to be a part of the further development of a new American Folk musical.

Zietgeist Center for the Arts and Community, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To work with partners to produce an integrated slate of film programming intended to build film audiences, support and foster the film community in northeastern Minnesota, and provide filmmakers with new opportunities.

ARAC granted Arts Learning funding to the following organizations on March 19, 2015:

Duluth Sister Cities International, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help produce ten art classes for 20 children, ages 10-14, that will nurture the creative process for the students to create art exhibits in Duluth. The purpose of the art will be to “tell the story” of Duluth; its culture, economy, history and activities. Eventually the exhibits will be transported to all Duluth’s Sister Cities, as delegates from Duluth travel to those cities.

Grand Marais Arts, Inc., Grand Marais, Cook County, $5,000:
To help the Grand Marais Art Colony, in partnership with the Minnesota Jewelry Arts Guild, produce the “Findings: A Jewelry Symposium”, June 11-14, 2015. This event offers learning opportunities through which our community can explore the art of jewelry making.

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Ball Club Community Center, Deer River, Itasca County, $5,000:
To help produce workshops that strengthen community, cultural, and artistic vitality through Regalia making workshops in the Leech Lake tribal communities of: South Lake ‘Squaw Lake’, Ball Club, Inger, and Winnie Dam.

Lyric Opera of the North, Duluth, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help produce its children’s opera program, “Little Opera of the North,” which will introduce community children to opera through an adaptation of Humperdinck’s classic opera, Hansel and Gretel.

MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids, Itasca County, $5,000:
To help connect the Art Center with two assisted living communities in the Itasca County area to bring learning opportunities in the visual arts to senior citizens.

Nordic Center, Duluth, St. Louis County, $4,000:
To help produce the “Our Family Sings” program which will teach music skills and introduce Nordic music to community members ages 5 to 95 as they participate in creating a new high-quality intergenerational chorus.

Range Center Inc./Soho Arts, Chisholm, St. Louis County, $5,000:
To help produce workshops to expand the knowledge and ability of thirty-five adults with disabilities to work with clay. Participants will learn the difference between functional art concepts vs. narrative expressive art.

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The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council still has funding to purchase ads in regional arts publications, programs and newsletters. This new initiative’s goal is to help ARAC reach out to more people and to assist regional arts organizations who are always looking for ad revenue. Contact Bob at [email protected] before June 30 if you would like the council to place an ad in your publication.

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The next grant deadline is coming up fast! The following programs have a deadline of Thursday, April 30:
Career Development for Individual Artists
Individual Artist Fellowship
Rural and Community Art Project grants for organizations
All applications must be submitted by 4:30pm on the deadline date.

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ARAC is currently accepting applications for the upcoming term starting in July 2015. Positions that will be available include a Board representative from Koochiching County and At-Large members from any of the seven Arrowhead Region counties.

The deadline for applications is May 1. For more information on becoming an ARAC Board member and how to apply, visit aracouncil.info.