PAA Awards Support Life-Changing Endeavors

On the cold winter afternoon of January 27, members of the Peninsula Association Grant Review Panel met to evaluate applications and disperse ArtFUND monetary awards.

The atmosphere inside of Svalhus, Ephraim, was warm as the panel discussed the life-changing merits of the applications. Though not an eligibility criteria for application, each proposed project elicited this potential. Additionally, the panel strongly supported the projects for their far-reaching community impacts.

In this grant cycle, each applicant received an ArtFUND award. In total, $10,000 was invested in five projects. The funded works will ultimately involve 736 artists and community participants. The projects are expected to reach a local audience of at least 6,325 individuals.

With excitement and anticipation, the Peninsula Arts Association announces the winners:

Island Players, Washington Island, was awarded $2,300 to present Oliver, The Musical. The award will support Island Players’ largest production to date, and will encourage a multi-generational, family-oriented, community-based process. Oliver will be performed in July 2008.

Nik Garvoille, Baileys Harbor, was awarded $1,100 to present Knock: Arts & Literary Journal ’08. Garvoille’s project will feature the original works of unknown, young, foreign, and/or outsider-artists of Door County, and will be a place where language and visual arts speak freely about the lesser-witnessed undercurrents of the community. The free journal will be carried out in a classical design sense, itself crossing the boundary into fine art. Look for Knock to distribute in late May 2008.

Citizens for Our Bridge, Inc., was awarded $2,000 to support two local high school students in this year’s Construction Zone Songwriter’s workshop. Construction Zone is designed to promote collaboration among professional, nationally recognized songwriters and young aspiring songwriters in an intense four-day workshop. Songs will be performed live at the Steel Bridge Songfest in June 2008, and the music will also be saved for CD production and artist’s portfolios.

Mary Blotti Anderson, Fish Creek, was awarded $1,100 towards New Media Records the Gibraltar Sesquicentennial Farming. The award allows Anderson to purchase a body of art supplies as she branches out from her current work in pastel, and into a new process involving acrylics. Further, Anderson will interview local farmers, record their agricultural processes, and donate several works to the Gibraltar town archives – where the paintings will remain as artistic documentation of this era of town history. The project will culminate with a presentation and open house in August 2008.

The School District of Sevastopol received $3,500 to bring Milwaukee-based Kho Thi Dance Company to the school for a weeklong-residency involving each and every student in grades K-12. Students will receive instruction on African history and culture via dance and drumming, also providing an opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and interaction. The residency will take place in March 2008, culminating in an all-school performance before the public.