Arts Access

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$37,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
November 2015
End Date
October 2016
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Anoka
Hennepin
Ramsey
Winona
Anoka
Hennepin
Ramsey
Winona
Project Overview
Arts Access
Project Details
Iraqi Voices is a community-run, collaborative art lab that gives Twin Cities-based Iraqi refugees an artistic platform to share their stories.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Rebecca Davis-Lee: Touring pianist, piano and music theory teacher; Wendy Dayton: Arts and community leader and philanthropist.; Sean Dowse, Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; David Glenn: Executive director of the Minnesota Project, ceramic artist; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies; Janice Sivertson: Gallery owner and visual artist; Dobson West: Private equity manager; board chair, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Kjellgren Alkire: Artist and researcher; faculty member, Winona State University; Heather Allen: Program officer, Central Minnesota Arts Board; Lorene Bruns: Arts adminstrator, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre; Melissa Cuff: Grant writer for Saint Paul College and the Friends of Saint Paul College Foundation; Katherine Dodge: Retired executive director, Itasca Orchestra and Strings program; board chair, Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission; Joanna Kohler: Filmmaker and Media producer, community storytelling; Summer Scharringhausen: Program manager, MacRostie Art Center; painter and multimedia artist; Anat Shinar: Instructor, Young Dance; independent project manager, Walker Art Center
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2015 Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$37,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$5,422
Direct expenses
$42,422
Administration costs
$500
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Iraqi-American participants produce and Iraqi-American audiences view a documentary about their community; Iraqis plan future arts programming with IARP. Success is a high quality, completed short documentary, as well as a new, community-directed strategic vision for Iraqi Voices. We will track audience of the finished film and an independent evaluator will assess the strategic vision of the group. 2: We provide a free, yearlong arts lab to participants who would otherwise face economic, language, and cultural barriers. Post-project interviews of each participant by an independent evaluator will include specific questions about these barriers and how well they were addressed.

Measurable Outcome(s)

New Iraqi-Americans produced and Iraqi-American audiences viewed a documentary about their community; Iraqis plan future arts programming. Measure of success was a high quality, completed short documentary film. Evaluation methods included in-depth interviews by an outside evaluator with the participants, staff and artists and survey feedback from the audience. The outside evaluator also observed film work meetings and public events. A second outcome was for the Iraqi community to plan the future of Iraqi Voices. The outside evaluator observed the process of the conversations and communicated regularly with IARP on the progress. 2: We provided a free, yearlong arts lab to participants who would otherwise face economic, language, and cultural barriers. The outside evaluator who assessed the outcomes of the project in previous years, continued to evaluate this project this year. Her ongoing familiarity with the progress of the project over the years helped to identify subtle changes and indicators of real or perceived barriers to participation. The evaluator spent time in one on one conversation with the participants, and sat in on community conversation sessions to observe.

Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Mohammed Raef Al Azzawi, Erin Hart, Salam Murtada, Kathy McKay, Paul Perkal, David Smith, Luke Wilcox, Kathy Adam
Project Manager
First Name
Nathan
Last Name
Fischer
Organization Name
Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project
Street Address
416 Hennepin Ave E Ste 116
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Zip Code
55414
Phone
(952) 545-9981
Email
nate.fisher@gmail.com
Administered By
Administered by
Location

Griggs Midway Building, Suite 304,
540 Fairview Avenue North,
St. Paul, MN 55104

Phone
(651) 539-2650 or toll-free (800) 866-2787
Email the Agency