Biennial Plan Draft: Five Priority Areas

Priority 1: Re-grant funds for arts activity in our northwestern region with state funds.

GOALS: Award arts grants to arts organizations, schools, and communities.

OBJECTIVES:

a. Publicize the availability of grant funds in the seven-county area in a timely manner prior to each application deadline. Send reminders of deadlines through our e-newsletter.

b. Provide technical assistance on the grant application process.

c. Administer the review and evaluation process.

d. Measure outcomes related to these re-grant programs and adjust the process.

OUTCOME: The variety and diversity of applicants and participants increases, as they enrich the connections to their communities through the arts.

Evaluation will occur through asking needs assessment and demographic questions to all applicants, grantees, focus groups, and panelists.

Success will be measured by an increased percentage of people stating that they were enriched through arts in community, and our office documenting at least four different types of applicants including nonprofit arts organizations, schools, cities, and other nonprofit organizations.

STATEWIDE INDICATORS: Arts are interwoven. Arts are diverse and accessible.

Priority 2: Provide professional stewardship through executive and contract staffing, board orientation and equity training, and accessible office space.

GOAL: Provide Arts Council Director staffing to the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council to ensure planning and procedures are met and progress is made on equity training within board and staff.

OBJECTIVES:

a. Executive staff and maintain the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council.

b. Provide orientation as well as education on equity for Arts Council board members and staff.

c. Assess office space, programs and services related to accessibility for constituents with special needs or from marginalized racial communities.

d. Build relationships and communicate regularly with arts interested public.

e. Fulfill administrative requirements of the Minnesota State Arts Board, including preparation of: arts plan, budget, annual final report; needs assessment; and re-grant activities reporting.

f. Participate in statewide "arts system" planning/strategy within the Forum of RAC’s, MN Citizens for the Arts and MN State Arts Board.

g. Active arts advocacy efforts throughout the year

OUTCOME: Regional residents experience increased access to the arts via a reduction in cultural and/or physical barriers.

Evaluation will occur through our needs assessment and focus groups.

Success will be measured by Board, staff, and volunteer personnel reflecting the demographic of our area in terms of age distribution and race. Respondents say that they are highly satisfied with service and our office/showcase spaces.

STATEWIDE INDICATORS: Arts are diverse and accessible. Arts system is trusted.

Priority 3: Showcasing artists and arts organizations from our northwest region primarily through our annual NW Art Exhibit, our gallery, and display case exhibits.

GOALS: Organize and implement the Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibition in 2024 and 2025 funding the student portions with state funds. Schedule four exhibits with McKnight funds including one featuring artists of color, and two exhibits with state funding including a rotation within the display cases by the gallery.

OBJECTIVES:

a. Hire/train Showcase Specialist contract position.

b. Publicize the Call for Entries and contact artists.

c. Select and contract with the juror.

d. Coordinate and implement registration, hanging the exhibit, creating programs, volunteer coordination, and prompt wrap-up.

e. Coordinate and implement all Artist Receptions.

f. Organize the touring library schedule and administer the tour.

g. Measure outcomes and evaluate the program yearly.

OUTCOME: Minnesotans participate in the arts as creators and those interested gain inspiration, support, and encouragement to create new pieces of art and sell their art. (percentage increases)

Evaluation form completed by artists who display work in our gallery and evaluation on-line by artists who show pieces in our annual exhibit. Collect information from artists on whether they created new work and sold pieces while on display.

Artists state in the form that our showcasing opportunities stimulate an increase of at least 10% in new creations and report sales occurring during our showcases.

STATEWIDE INDICATORS: Arts are vital. Arts are diverse and accessible. Arts system is trusted.

Priority 4: Promotion and marketing of artists and arts activities in northwest Minnesota primarily through our e-newsletter, website, social media, and podcast interviews.

GOALS: Focus on podcasts, social media, website posts, and e-newsletters that feature artists, arts organizational leaders, and staff and board members within our various promotional activities.

OBJECTIVES:

a. Hire/train Promotions Specialist contract position.

b. Coordinate at least 40 Radio interviews that become podcasts on our website with a minimum of 4 being people of color.

c. Publish one e-newsletter per month with artists opportunities and arts leadership opportunities.

d. Increase performing artists, writers, and venue listings in the next Artists of Northwest Minnesota booklet.

e. Increase engagement in social media.

f. Increase individual artist pages on our website.

g. Measure outcomes and evaluate the program semi-annually at the NWMAC board meeting.

OUTCOME: Minnesotans value and view participation in our promotion and marketing efforts as enhancing their organization and individual careers.

Evaluation will occur through surveying participants in our booklet and podcasts to chart both the facet of community life and the population that they represent, and whether this activity enhanced their marketing efforts.

Success will show different facets of community life and diverse populations participating at an increased rate from last biennium.

STATEWIDE INDICATORS: Arts are vital. Arts are diverse and accessible. Arts system is trusted.

Priority 5: Training and networking of creative people, artists, and arts leaders in our northwest region through in-person and online workshops.

GOALS: Provide monthly training and networking experiences that appeal to and are attended by a diverse group of creative people.

OBJECTIVES:

a. Hire/train Training/Networking Specialist contract position.

b. Train artists in our resource rooms: grant writing station, recording studio and photography room.

c. Hold Tending the Creative Soul monthly gatherings for networking and trainings.

d. Announce one teaching artist roster program cohort with a training series, implement training for new and existing artists.

e. Announce a Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists series, implement training with artists.

f. Measure outcomes and evaluate the training program statistics semi-annually at a NWMAC Board meeting.

OUTCOME: Minnesotans develop a variety of skills through our trainings, including creating professional work samples within our resource rooms.

Evaluation will occur through surveying all participants who attend our workshops, trainings, networking sessions and those that use our resource rooms.

Success will show that at least 80% of participants say they had specific growth as they participated in our NWMAC training or networking session.

STATEWIDE INDICATORS: Arts are interwoven. Arts thrive.