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Arts and Culture Grant Program - Fiscal Year 2016 Special Projects Copyright 2014 City of Dubuque Action Items # 3. ITEM TITLE: Arts and Culture Grant Program - Fiscal Year 2016 Special Projects Recommendation SUMMARY: Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission recommending approval of six Fiscal Year 2016 Arts and Culture Special Project Grant funding requests and authorization for the City Manager to sign the grant agreements. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve ATTACHMENTS: Description Type ❑ Commission Memo Staff Memo ❑ Executive Summary of Recommended Projects Supporting Documentation City of Dubuque C� .Arts CuLturaL Affalr.S Advisory Commission June 5, 2015 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W.13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Re: Arts and Culture Grant Program for Special Projects FY 2016 Funding Requests and Commission Recommendations Dear Mayor and City Council Members: Introduction The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission has reviewed 10 applications from Dubuque organizations requesting $ 57,513.50 in funds from the FY 2016 Arts and Culture Grant Program for Special Projects. This memo transmits the Commission's funding recommendations. Background There is $35,000 budgeted for the Arts and Culture Grant Program for Special Projects. This grant program was designed to "encourage the development of new or expanded arts and cultural programs in the Dubuque community." This is the twelfth round of competitive grants for this program. Seven years ago, the City Council approved the commission's recommendation to limit funding to no more than two consecutive years per organization and that applications had to score at least 75 points out of 100 to be considered for funding. The commission established a minimum point threshold to ensure that only high quality projects are recommended for funding. The scoring criteria were changed for this funding round so that 115 points were available, and this year's recommended grant recipients all received above 90 points. In 2013, the Council accepted recommendations of the Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission to revamp the program. The purpose of the grant now is, "The City envisions that Dubuque will be an inclusive community, remarkable for its social and cultural vibrancy. The City of Dubuque seeks to fund artistic, creative projects that utilize community engagement at their core. Engagement describes an active, two-way process in which one party motivates another to get involved or take action—and both parties experience change and growth. It promotes consistent community interaction that is a step beyond the conventional." Other major changes include six newly stated goals, establishing clear criteria for rating applications, extending eligibility to organized groups who may not have 501 c3 status, suspending the minimum point requirement of 75 out of 100, lowering the minimum grant amount to $1500 from $2500, establishing a maximum amount of$8,500 per year, and adjusting matching requirements. Discussion The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission solicited applications for the grant program in February. Media releases were issued, applications were available on the City of Dubuque's website, all known arts and cultural organizations were notified of the grant opportunity, and two grant workshops were conducted by staff in March/April. Staff has also met with a number of grant applications to provide technical assistance. On June 2"d, the commission reviewed and ranked the applications based on the established criteria. • Special Project Description: How well the project is explained. (10 points) Mission and Goals: How well the project addresses the organization's mission and the purpose and goals of the grant program. (15 points) • Artistic Merit: The potential of the project to advance the caliber of the arts in the community. (10 points) • Quality: How your project's concepts, leaders, artists, and collaborators demonstrate quality and best practices. (15 points) • Importance: The value to target audiences, the organization, the City of Dubuque and its residents and visitors. (10 points) • Access: The potential of the project to reach new and underserved audiences and increase availability to diverse groups. (15 points) • Evaluation: How the project will be evaluated. (10 points) • Feasibility: The likelihood the project will be successful based on careful event and financial planning. (15 points) • Uniqueness: How the project is unique to the organization and the City of Dubuque. (15 points) Recommendation The Commission is recommending that the top five ranked applicants be funded at their full grant request and to partially fund the sixth place project at 26.12% of amount requested, with the requirement that those funds be returned to the City if the project is unable to proceed with this partial funding. This funding scenario would utilize the entire grant budget of$35,000.00. We recommend grant awards to: • Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Giselle, $6,000 • Clarke University, Theatre on Tour: Elephant and Piggie's We Are in the Play, $4,350 • Dubuque County Historical Society, Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery, $8,500 • Steeple Square, St. Mary's Church Stained Glass Restoration, $8,500 • Dubuque Area Arts Collective, EARTH: a DAAC Sustainble and Art Initiative, $5,429 • Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, Stars and Smiles, $2,221 (26.12% of requested amount) Grant requests were also received from Dubuque Chorale, Great Midwestern Educational Theatre Co, Music Men of Dubuque Barbershop Chorus, and Rising Star Theatre Company. There were not adequate funds to award grants to all of these organizations. Action The Council is requested to approve the six FY 2016 Arts and Culture Grants for Special Projects and authorize the City Manager to sign the grant agreements. The Commission is very appreciative of the City Council's support of this grant program. We are extremely pleased with the quality of the grant applications and the multitude of quality arts and culture projects that have been funded through this program. We enjoy working closely with the City of Dubuque in promoting arts and cultural activities in our community as well as utilizing the arts to promote community engagement. Sincerely, Susan Riedel, Chairperson Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission Encl: Executive Summary of Recommended Projects FY2015 ARTS AND CULTURE GRANT PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS Executive Summary of Projects Recommended for Funding Dubuque Museum of Art, Iowa Public Art Network Conference, $4,100.00 The Iowa Public Arts Network (IPAN) is a state-wide advocacy group under the auspices of the Iowa Arts Council and Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. The group seeks to promote and address contemporary issues of public art and strives to bring together artists, arts administrators, public officials and the general public to foster dialogue on all aspects of public art as well as to inspire the creation of more public works of art. In October 2014, IPAN plans to bring their state-wide conference to Dubuque and due to Dubuque's geographic location, IPAN also expects that this conference will draw artists and other attendees from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota as well as Iowa. The goals of the conference will be three fold: to showcase the incredible successes that Dubuque has accomplished with its various art programs, to inspire and educate artists and art administrators on the creation of public art, and to foster dialogue about and advocate for the importance of public art as a means of individual and community creativity, economic development and cultural vibrancy. Bell Tower Productions, Free Summer Musical Program, $5,000 In 2015, 225 kids will participate in the creation of"Snow White, a New Musical," for performers ages 7-16, and "The Addams Family," for high schoolers. This program is unique in that it allows kids to work on all aspects of the production. In addition to performing, kids build costumes, sets and props, run lights, write commercials, sell tickets, usher and more, all to build teamwork and reinforce that theater is a collaborative art and everyone is vital to the success of the show. "The Addams Family" will perform 8 times and "Snow White" 14 times, serving over 3000 audience members, including kids and families from St. Mark Youth Enrichment. All children involved in the program participate 100% free of charge. Grant funds will be used for scripts; Snow White books for elementary school participants including attendees from St. Mark Youth Enrichment; costumes, props and sets; and advertising and marketing to participants and audiences. Dubuque County Historical Society, Engaging Enactors!, $8,438 Engaging Enactors! is a new museum program engaging audiences with dramatic portrayals of Dubuque and the Mississippi River through character actors and living history demonstrators. Guided by contracted local theater professionals, the Dubuque County Historical Society will develop a corps of energized and energizing actors as well as volunteers of all ages. Engaging Enactors! will present dramatic portrayals of people of Dubuque and Mississippi River history at the River Museum and Ham House, providing programming for over 30,000 people during the project period. This project will also initiate a long term character portrayal program as a key way to connect with our audiences for years to come. The Children of Abraham, Laughing Together $3,500 The Children of Abraham program, a cutting-edge diversity collaboration in Dubuque, will host a special event that will engage the local community in reflecting on religious pluralism and humanitarian solidarity through the humor of stand-up comedian Azhar Usman. The project will involve Usman's unique stand-up comedy act, question and answer, and group conversation. A conversation will be linked to the event in which Jews, Muslims, and Christians talk about the role of humor in those traditions. The event will be held at Loras College during the 2014/15 academic year, open to the public and marketed throughout the Dubuque community, especially to high schools, colleges, churches and other religious organizations. Admission, transportation from downtown, and childcare will be free in order to encourage participation from a broad spectrum of Dubuque's community. Downtown Dubuque Christian Outreach, Ghost People: Seeing all the people in our community, $2800 HAAG plans to produce a dramatized film intended to open minds and hearts of local audiences and motivate them to compassion and action on behalf of the homeless. Upon completion of the film, we plan to print 100 DVDs and make them available to all of the local agencies working with homeless people. In addition speakers will be made available to present the video and lead discussions for religious, civic, school, and business groups. Ghost People: Seeing All the People in Our Community is a short (approximately 20-30 minutes), dramatic film, which will be produced under the direction of Suzanne May Wright of PSY-5 Productions, Dream Catcher Productions, and Brick Road Productions, all in Dubuque. The Downtown Dubuque Cultural Corridor, A Year of Creative Place making Campaign Video, $5,157 Dubuque Main Street and the Downtown Dubuque Cultural Corridor will create a scripted, promotional video production highlighting Dubuque as a cultural hub of the Midwest. The video's premise will include casual tourists on the Riverwalk, who suddenly experience local musicians streaming out from the amphitheater, with a dramatic scene performed by actors emerging from the Rivers Edge Plaza. The potential exists for additional artists from more varied art genres to be involved, to expand the scope of the concept and production. The completed video will showcase a variety of art "vehicles" and cultural partners, and will be shown on YouTube, at the JDIFF, at Travel Dubuque.com, and as part of a TV advertising campaign to promote Dubuque as an arts destination. A tentative premier for the video is at America's River Festival 2015. St. Mary Church Corporation, Creativity Program Development, $6,005 A committed faction of Dubuque area leaders have united to restore St. Mary's Church campus and preserve its cultural and community legacy. This project will restore and preserve St. Mary's 144-year old pipe organ and host a community cultural celebration in partnership with Loras College Intercultural Student Organization, Peace and Justice, and art/music students and professors; and the Washington Neighborhood Development Corp. The free event aims to honor the legacy of St. Mary's while welcoming the entire community to the re-imagined arts/cultural space and outdoor campus to celebrate its new, exciting era, with the following activities: unveiling/re- dedication of restored organ; live salsa music; student spoken word; community storytelling; and family art activities. FY 2016 ARTS AND CULTURE GRANT PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS Executive Summary of Projects Recommended for Funding Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Giselle, $6,000 The mission of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra is to engage the tri-state community and enrich its quality of life through live musical performances and educational programs.The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra plans to partner with the Heartland Ballet and the University of Dubuque for a fully staged production of Adam's Giselle in April 2016. This event,scheduled to take place at the Heritage Center, will be included as part of the symphony's signature Classics series and serve as Heartland's spring ballet. With two performances,an estimated 1,110 people are expected to be in attendance. Money from the grant will be used to underwrite the fees of the Heartland Ballet, including costs for costumes, sets, lighting and other ballet-related expenses. Clarke University, Theatre on Tour:Elephant and Piggie's We are in the Play, $4,350 Clarke University's Drama Department will produce a children's musical, Elephant and Piggie's We Are in a Play, in spring 2016. Involving a live pianist and a cast of five characters,this project aims to bring the production directly to a maximum of 16 Dubuque public and parochial elementary schools in the tri- state area beginning in March 2016 and continuing until the first week in May at no cost to students or teachers. Elephant and Piggie's We Are in a Play is a lively and interactive musical which introduces live theater and music to young audiences. Prior to the elementary school visits,a PDF packet designed to help teachers prepare students for the theater experience will be distributed electronically. Following each performance, an electronic survey will be available for each teacher to report on the learning that has occurred among students as a result of the performance experience. Dubuque County Historical Society, Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery, $8,500 Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery is a traveling exhibit which will incorporate elements of history, literature,and the dramatic arts for every participant. The exhibit will run from January 15 through April 17, 2016.This popular exhibit is based on 19th century history,the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and an actor's portrayal. It tests visitors' powers of observation and deductive reasoning and engages them in history, drama and literature. "Clues" are carefully placed as physical evidence among the many historical period objects within the 3,500 sq. foot exhibit. Once visitors feel that they have solved the mystery,they enter the study to experience a group interactive consultation with one of the characters of the story, who is played by a live actor furnished by WonderWorks,the exhibit creator.The actor, who has been presenting this program for fourteen years and travels with the exhibit, engages the visitors in a fifteen minute discussion about their conclusions and the mystery is solved in a dramatic finale. Steeple Square,St. Mary's Church Stained Glass Restoration,$8,500 Steeple Square will host a Stained Glass Restoration Workshop for two weeks in June 2016.The workshop will result in the restoration of two large stained glass windows and their frames in the St. Mary's Church. Steeple Square will hire a stained glass restoration professional to oversee workshop participants and assist them in their work. Workshop participants will include college and graduate students seeking internship credit, high school students interested in art,architecture,and building trades seeking high school credit(preference will be given to HEART participants and students residing in underserved neighborhoods) and individuals in the community interested in learning a new trade or interested in historic preservation. Participants will expand their knowledge of art, architecture, historic preservation,and traditional building trade skills. A multitude of new learning experiences are presented in this workshop: to develop new skills with the guidance of a stained glass participants and the experience of fellow workshop members. Dubuque Area Arts Collective, EARTH:a DAACSustainable Art Initiative, $5,429 4 artistic and educational projects will engage a diverse population, bringing attention to Dubuque's sustainability efforts and the Washington Neighborhood's community garden. The Washington Neighborhood Project and DAAC will create a visual makeover of the Washington Community Garden. Community residents will select a mural design, painted by community members and DAAC artists. A mini-library featuring cookbooks and gardening tips and a work area for gardening will be built with recycled materials.The EARTH Exhibit will feature works created with recycled materials, addressing environmental issues. Opening reception will host a recyclable art workshop,with speakers sharing artistic ideas focused on sustainability,community engagement, and urban gardening. Grain Arts Magazine will focus on environmental art and creative gardening and recycling tips. Grain will give a voice to a diverse cross-section of the community, and showcase individuals and organizations that promote sustainability. We will have a photography contest highlighting the unique blend of nature and architecture in Dubuque's downtown and Washington Neighborhood. Community members will be encouraged to take photos and upload them to a dedicated Facebook page. Artists and non-artists are encouraged to participate. Julien Dubuque International Film Festival,Stars and Smiles, $2,221(26.12%of requested amount) JDIFF will partner with dynamic arts/cultural partners to present Stars and Smiles: a Night of Laughter, in October 2015.This multi-faceted cultural project will engage both emerging and professional artists to present compelling,entertaining,educational art. NISOM students, led by Tracey Rush and a guest artist, will learn about musical scoring with a day-long session centered on film score composition. They will ultimately compose a musical score for a short silent film (i.e. Laurel & Hardy) that will be perfected and performed as a silent film showcase by the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra at the project's culminating event.The event will also feature a student mime performance by the Rising Star Theatre Company, led by co-founders Megan Schumacher and Nick Halder, and their award-winning troupe. The evening will conclude with a film panel discussion on the curation of film hosted by Film Preservationist and native Iowan David Shephard, curator for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.