Annual Award Recognizes Healing Potential of the Arts

PAA Panelists review applications in consideration of ArtFUND grant awards. Shown from left are Rick Risch, PAA Board Member; Robert Hawley, PAA Board Member; Laura Stewart, former grantee and Fred Alley Visionary Award Winner; and Ram Rojas, former grantee.

Following the Panel Review, the Peninsula Arts Association (PAA) hosted its Annual Meeting. Though quietly attended, a number of grantees were present.

The event lacked the celebration and festivity of prior annual meetings. Instead, one after another grantees quietly thanked the board and grant administrator for supporting their work. Again and again, they conceded that the experience of writing a grant application, and the process of the culminating projects, has changed their lives and their perspectives on making art.

“The experience of my project has changed the way I approach my work in the studio each and every day,” said Chad Luberger, awarded a grant in the amount of $4,800 last year. Andrea Jauquet agreed.

“An artists work elicits emotional responses that bind together those who experience the creative outpouring…creating pathways for sharing, discussion and bringing people together,” stated Jeanne Kuhns, awarded a grant to create a body of music called Lost Moth: Found. “I thank you with all my heart for the opportunity you gave me.”

Kuhns’ sentiments set the tone for the presentation of the PAA’s annual Fred Alley Visionary Award. Alley, founder of American Folkore Theatre, was one of Wisconsin’s leading theatrical talents. He had a vision for performers, for audiences, and for friends; his death at age 38 left that vision unfinished.

The PAA developed the award in recognition of the values demonstrated by Alley’s life and work – qualities of living well, celebrating the life around us, and embracing community.

In a place and era where dialogue surrounding the arts most often includes phrases like “creative economy” and “economic impact of the arts,” the PAA strives to remind individuals that the arts also provide a foundation for living well.

“We must remember the healing aspects of the arts; that creativity provides the means for healthy expression, communication and exploration of issues that affect the overall quality of an individual’s life. Healthy individuals contribute to the health of a community,” stated PAA Grant Administrator Jodi Brey as she presented the award.

Washington Island’s Trueblood Performing Arts Center (TPAC) was then named the recipient of the Fred Alley Visionary Award. In April 2007, in collaboration with the Washington Island Public Schools, TPAC brought the Minneapolis-based Climb Theatre Company to the Washington Island community.

Climb Theatre provided islanders with plays and drama classes, blending improvisation, role plays, scripted performance, and discussion around specific behavioral topics. Theatre actors worked with students K-12, their parents, and members of the community, using the expressive arts to help participants explore issues surrounding self control and decision making.

The project was originally awarded an ArtFUND grant in the winter of 2007.

For more information about the Peninsula Arts Association, PAA memberships, and ArtFUND, please contact Grant Administrator Jodi Brey at 920.854.1833 or email [email protected].