Lisa Truax, Department of Art and Design, will be receiving a 2015 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant in Visual Arts to support her solo exhibition next summer at the Austin ArtWorks Professional Gallery.
One of the biggest ways that students and campus communities can have a major impact on supporting the Minnesota State Grant program is to participate in the Minnesota Private College Council’s Day at the Capitol.
On Thursday, March 27, Saint Mary’s students will have the opportunity to travel to the Capitol and tell legislators and the governor how important the Minnesota State Grant program is to them, their school and the state.
This grant program provides critical support, helping make higher education possible for one out of three Minnesota college students from low- and middle-income families. The state invested $120 million in aid in the most recent academic year, helping more than 88,000 students.
After meeting with state legislators, students will have an opportunity for a Q&A discussion with Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau, a 2003 SMU undergrad alumna and 2006 master’s alum, and Don Winger, program director of the B.S. in Police Science program on the Twin Cities campus.
Students interested in attending are asked to register online at http://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/day-capitol-registration. SMU hopes to send 50 students and employees to the Capitol this year.
For more information, contact Ann Merchlewitz at amerchle@smumn.edu.
One of the biggest ways that students and campus communities can have a major impact on supporting the Minnesota State Grant program is to participate in the Minnesota Private College Council’s Day at the Capitol.
On Thursday, March 27, Saint Mary’s students will have the opportunity to travel to the Capitol and tell legislators and the governor how important the Minnesota State Grant program is to them, their school and the state.
This grant program provides critical support, helping make higher education possible for one out of three Minnesota college students from low- and middle-income families. The state invested $120 million in aid in the most recent academic year, helping more than 88,000 students.
After meeting with state legislators, students will have an opportunity for a Q&A discussion with Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau, a 2003 SMU undergrad alumna and 2006 master’s alum, and Don Winger, program director of the B.S. in Police Science program on the Twin Cities campus.
Students interested in attending are asked to register online at http://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/day-capitol-registration. SMU hopes to send 50 students and employees to the Capitol this year.
For more information, contact Ann Merchlewitz at amerchle@smumn.edu.
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts was once again selected to receive grant funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
For the 2013 fiscal year, MCA has been awarded funding in the form of an operating support grant allowing the organization to continue to provide arts-based learning opportunities and programming to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds in Southeast Minnesota.
In 2010 and 2011 MCA was awarded funding through the State Arts Board’s Community Arts Schools and Conservatories grant division, and for the 2011-2012 year MCA was awarded formulary and merit-based funding for operating support. The consistent funding support by the Minnesota State Arts Board acknowledges MCA as a leader in community arts education for the state of Minnesota.
The Minnesota State Arts Board funding will help support and expand MCA’s current programming in dance, music, visual art, and theatre for children and youth. Furthermore, the grant will allow MCA to venture into new community outreach projects, expand its visual art and theatre divisions, grow the adult arts wellness program, and remain fiscally responsible with balanced budgets.
In 2012 MCA employed 31 teaching artists, served 1,032 local children/youth, 108 adult students, and over 3,500 people attended dance and music performances and events produced by MCA.
For more information , visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail MCA@smumn.edu, or call Ext. 5500.
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is offering tuition-free dance, fitness, and music classes to adults through the MCA Adult Arts Wellness Program.
Parents who have a child enrolled in a dance or music class/program at MCA may participate in their own class at no additional cost. Class options for parents include: Nia, Clogging, Power Piyo, Teen and Adult Ballet, Teen and Adult Tap and Jazz, and Adult Flute Choir.
All classes and programs are held at MCA’s Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St. Classes begin this week. Registration is currently being accepted at the Valéncia Arts Center, by mail, or online at www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org.
To accommodate the busy schedules of working parents, as well as stay-at-home parents, MCA adult classes are offered during the noon hour and in the late afternoon and evenings.
The Nia class, a fitness class for all levels, offers a dynamic blend of dance arts, martial arts and healing arts. Nia is held on Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the same time as MCA’s Creative Music class for 3- and 4-year-olds. Parents can sign up their young children for Creative Music while they enjoy the Nia fitness class.
Clogging I is offered for beginners on Mondays from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m., follow by Clogging II from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. for those with experience.
Power Piyo is a Pilates and yoga combination class focusing on yoga postures and Pilates strengthening to offer the perfect conditioning class. Power Piyo is held Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m.
Teen and Adult Ballet, held on Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., provides an introduction to ballet technique, allowing adult students to experience the artistry of ballet while gaining flexibility, placement, strength and fluidity.
Teen and Adult Tap and Jazz provides adult students with an introduction to tap and jazz dance, offering a rhythmic-filled class and a great workout. This class is held on Tuesdays from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m.
MCA also offers music programming for adults through the new MCA Flute Choir. The flute choir is open to all community flutists of various performance levels. Flute choir members will study and perform a variety of music from serious recital pieces to fun seasonal/pops favorites. The flute choir will meet on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.
For more information about MCA visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5500.
Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust, assistant professor of Theology, has received a 2011 Sabbatical Grant for Researchers from the Louisville Institute, a Lilly Endowment funded program supporting those who lead and study American religious institutions.
According the Institute, “The Louisville Institute seeks to identify and support ecclesially-engaged academics and intellectually-astute pastoral and religious leaders whose scholarly research work can contribute to the vitality of Christianity in North America. The Sabbatical Grants for Researchers program supports year-long sabbatical research projects that can contribute to our enhanced understanding of important issues concerning Christian faith and life, pastoral leadership, and/or religious institutions.”
The grant enables Dr. Windley-Daoust to take a full year sabbatical during 2011-2012 to research and write on “Theology of the Body, Extended: The Spiritual Signs of Childbirth, Disability, and Death,” a constructive theology on what it means to be created to be an incarnate sign that points to union with God.
Saint Mary’s has received a $4,000 grant from the Xcel Energy Foundation to support its 2010-2011 arts educational programming.
This grant has helped to fund the following events in connection with the Page Series and the School of the Arts:
• a masterclass and pre-show talk by Anat Cohen,
• a school matinee by the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble,
• a school matinee by Theatreworks USA’s production of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,
• Houston Ballet II’s masterclass,
• The Nutcracker school matinee, hosted by the School of the Arts
• a masterclass by the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble,
• a masterclass by Ensemble Galilei
• a school matinee performance of Let Freedom Ring by the Pushcart Players,
• a workshop by Darrah Carr Dance, and
• two school matinees of Stuart Little by Theatre IV.
The Xcel Energy Foundation supports efforts to increase accessibility to artistic and cultural activities. In 2009, Xcel Energy Foundation committed $788,200 to programs providing access to arts and culture throughout its service territory.
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) was selected to receive grant funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
MCA was awarded the funding through the State Arts Board’s Community Arts Schools and Conservatories grant division, which funds organizations that provide open access and arts learning opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. The formulary and merit-based funding acknowledges MCA as a leader in Minnesota community arts education.
The Minnesota State Arts Board funding will help support and expand MCA’s dance, music and theatre programming for children and adults. Furthermore, the grant will allow MCA to venture into new community outreach projects, move into the implementation stages of a visual arts division and remain fiscally responsible with balanced budgets.
“Writing the Community Arts Schools and Conservatories grant was an intense and time consuming process, but it was well worth it,” said managing director Christine Martin. “This grant helps solidify the future of MCA.” As a non-profit organization, grant support allows MCA to offer quality arts programming to the Winona and surrounding area communities.
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts exists to provide quality arts education and performance by nurturing and encouraging artistic expression in children and adults. MCA’s service to the community ranges from recreational to pre-professional dance and performing arts curriculum and programming designed to provide physical and aesthetic benefits, heightened self-respect, discipline and confidence. MCA is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s.
For more information about the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org.
The Minnesota State Arts Board awarded an additional grant to Saint Mary’s to support the Performance Center’s general operating budget.
This additional grant, in the amount of $16,970, is in addition to a previous award of $11,876 and will be paid to SMU in two installments, one in February and the other in April.
This is a two-year grant. Next fiscal year, the Performance Center expects a total additional award of $28,846. The two-year total award for general operating support will be more than $57,000.
Saint Mary’s will receive $3,000 from the Winona Community Foundation to support the 2009-2010 Page Series educational programming. Each year, on average, over 3,000 grade-school students from the region attend educational arts programming in the Page Theatre.
The National Science Foundation has awarded Saint Mary’s a $10,890 grant for a Women in Mathematics Colloquium Series, to be held over the next two years.
The support from this grant provides the funds for the Mathematics and Statistics Department to continue an annual colloquium highlighting successful women mathematicians and to support undergraduate travel to national conferences.
Organizers hope that through these events, high school and college-aged students will become engaged and inspired by the opportunities and challenges presented to women in the ever-progressing field of mathematics.
“This series encourages the recent upward trend of women in mathematics at Saint Mary’s and introduces undergraduate and high school women to role models who are not only successful in their mathematical profession, but also in their lives,” said Kevin Dennis, chair of the Mathematics and Statistics Department. “This project intends to keep inspiring women to pursue terminal degrees in mathematics and also to enhance the SMU mathematics community.”
The Winona campus Theology Department won a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning Theology and Religion on the project “Teaching and enabling spiritual formation for Catholic undergraduate students interested in serving others through the Church.”
This grant funded a workshop held Aug. 17 on assessing how the three primary theology majors (Theology, Pastoral and Youth Ministry, and Religious Education) have met the spiritual formation guidelines required in the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministry. Student self-assessment skills and practices throughout life, and how to provide greater student-awareness of the spirituality, vocation and appropriate role(s) of lay ministry in the Catholic Church were also discussed. Participants included Theology Department faculty, the director of Campus Ministry, and the rector of Immaculate Heart of Mary seminary. The grant was written and is being administered by Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust, Theology.
Volunteer Services received a $350 Grant from Campus Compact as recipient of the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service mini-grant, administered by Minnesota Campus Compact on behalf of North Carolina Campus Compact and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Other recipients include Gustavus Adolphus College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Concordia University, Lake Superior College, North Hennepin Community College and Normandale Community College.
In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action. The King Day of Service brings together people who might not ordinarily meet, breaks down barriers that have divided, leads to better understanding and ongoing relationships, and is an opportunity for service organizations to recruit new volunteers.