Arts & Cult. Affairs FY 07
City of Dubuque
.Jtrts & Cu{tura{ .Jtffairs Advisory Commission
June 27, 2006
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The Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Dubuque
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
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Re: Arts and Culture Grant Program for Special Projects
FY 2007 Funding Competition--Applications and Recommendations
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:
Introduction
The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission has reviewed twelve applications
from Dubuque organizations requesting $70,595 in funds from the FY 2007 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
for FY 2007. This is the third round of competitive grants for this program.
Discussion
The Special Projects grant program was designed to encourage the development of
new or expanded arts and cultural programs in the Dubuque community. The Arts and
Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission solicited applications for the grant program in
March. 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.
The Commission received twelve grant applications. The grant requests totaled
$70,595. The Commission reviewed and ranked the applications based on the
established criteria,
. Priority funding will be given to new or expanded programming
. Degree to which proposed project furthers the cultural arts goals of the
City of Dubuque's Comprehensive Plan
. Degree to which proposed project reflects careful planning and can be
implemented in a timely manner
. Impact of project on broader Dubuque Community
. Organizational experience and capacity of applicant
The Commission reviewed the applications and determined final funding
recommendations at their June 12 meeting. Attached is a chart indicating the rank
order of all applications and the recommended grants.
Recommendation
The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission recommends that the City Council
approve the following grant awards for the FY 2007 Arts and Culture Grant Program for
Special Projects:
Dubuque Museum of Art
Dubuque County Historical Society
Clarke College Quigley Gallery
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra
Dubuque Main Street, Ltd.
The Grand Opera House
Famous Dead Artists Lectures
Mississippi Wetland Cabin
Big Muddy Ceramic Exhibition
Rigoletto
Dubuque Architectural Days
Orchestra for "Joe Sent Me"
2,500
8,731
6,522
9,583
3,622
4,042
An executive summary of each project recommended for funding is attached.
Action
The Council is requested to approve the five FY 2007 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.
This $35,000 grant program is leveraging another $123,410 in arts and culture
programs for our community. We are extremely pleased with the quality of the grant
applications. We are very pleased to be working closely with the City of Dubuque in
promoting arts and cultural activities in our community.
Sincerely,
Mark Wahlert
Chairperson
Enc!.
FY 2007 ARTS AND CULTURE GRANT PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS
Executive Summary of Projects Recommended for Funding
1. DUBUQUE MUSEUM OF ART -
"Famous Dead Artist Lecture Series-Inside the Artist's Studio"
Grant Amount: $2,500
Total Project Cost $6,338
Working in collaboration with actors associated with Dubuque's Fly By Night
Productions, the Dubuque Museum of Art proposes to create an initial series of
educational and entertaining "discussions" with four renowned visual artists from the
history of art. Museum staff will develop highly detailed dossiers on the lives and
careers of the selected artists and then, working with actors will assist them to "become"
those artists for presentations within the Museum initially and then to service agencies
within the greater Dubuque community.
2. DUBUQUE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY - The Mississippi Wetland Cabin
Grant Amount: $8,731
Total Project Cost $19,565
This program will develop the interpretive programs for the National Mississippi River
Museum & Aquarium log cabin making it a rich experience for visitors. The wetland log
cabin is a historic cabin built in a backwater slough on the Mississippi River in the 19111
century. The cabin was going to be demolished by the owner, but instead was donated
to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. The cabin was moved by
towboat and barge, and the donor of the cabin contributed substantial funds for this
transfer and initial restoration. The grant requests the funds to create the daily
interpretation of the cabin and its pioneer history.
3. CLARKE COLLEGE QUIGLEY GALLERY - Big Muddy Ceramic Exhibition
Grant Amount: $6,522
Total Project Cost $15,600
Clarke College Quigley Gallery will sponsor and host a juried, regional ceramics
Exhibition, Big Muddy, February 8 through March 2, 2007. This exhibition will
Complement the Dubuque Museum of Art Invitational Ceramics Exhibit which
is scheduled to run from November 28, 2006 to February 11,2007. While the Dubuque
Museum of Art will be an invitational event that features the work of eight to ten
nationally known ceramicists, Clarke College's Big Muddy will accept entries from the
entire Mississippi River Region (ten states that border the Mississippi River) and will
provide an opportunity for area residents, artists, and students to view current trends in
functional and decorative ceramic forms.
4. DUBUQUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - Rigo/etto
Grant Amount
Total Project Cost
$9,583
$66,590
The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra will present the operatic masterpiece Rigo/etto by
Giuseppe Verdi on September 30 and October 1, 2006 at the historic Five Flags
Theater. This staged production, which will impact the community for a number of
years, will be made possible through the partnership and support of many individuals
and organizations. With Rigo/etto, the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra expects to reach
even greater artistic achievement, audience development, and impact.
5. DUBUQUE MAIN STREET, LTD. - Dubuque Architectural Days
Grant Amount
Total Project
$3,622
$19,125
The foundation of the two-day event in March 2007 would be lifetime (all ages)
education about the art form that is architecture. The event will include a
workshop/conference, targeted at Dubuque and tri-state area resident adults, as well
with other individuals possibly traveling from out of town. In conjunction with the
Dubuque Community Schools and the Dubuque Museum of Art there will be an
architectural modeling contest for fifth grade students, complete with winning entry
displays and a reception at the museum. The event will include an architectural
scavenger hunt for citizens of all ages conducted in conjunction with the Telegraph
Herald and the Dubuque Historic Preservation Commission.
6. THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE - Orchestra for "Joe Sent Me"
Grant Amount
Total project cost
$4,042
$31 ,200
"Joe Sent Me!" is an original musical comedy based on the legend and lore of Dubuque
during the Prohibition Era. Dubuque playwrights Don and Lauretta Stribling spent many
hours interviewing persons who were directly involved in the business of illegal booze,
speakeasies and organized crime as it existed in Dubuque during the 1920s. The script
was crafted as fiction based on fact. Dubuque composer Paul Hemmer took their ideas
and crafted an original musical score which accurately reflects the style of the era in
songs and dance numbers distinctly Dubuque. Grant funds will pay for the professional
orchestra for this production.
FY 07 Arts Commission S ecial Pro' ect Grants
Funding Average Average Funded
Or anization Re uest Score Rank Amount
Dubuque Museum of Art $2,500.00 92.00 1.00 $2,500
Dubuque County Historical Society $9,565.00 90.83 2.00 $8,731
Clarke College Quigley Gallery $8,000.00 89.67 3.00 $6,522
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra $13,515.00 88.00 4.00 $9,583
Dubuque Main Street Limited $5,000.00 86.83 5.00 $3,622
The Grand Opera House $5,600.00 86.20 6.00 $4,042
Bell Tower Productions $3,900.00 85.00 7.00 $0
Northeast Iowa School of Music $5,000.00 82.50 8.00 $0
Dubuque County Extension I
Multicultural Center $6,000.00 75.71 9.00 $0
Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical
Gardens $4,125.00 72. 71 10.00 $0
Dubuque County Fine Arts Society $4,998.75 58.60 11.00 $0
Four Mounds Foundation $2,390.89 56.50 12.00 $0
Total Requests: $70,594.64 $35,000