Arts and Culture Grant

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In partnership with the City of SLP and the SLP Community Foundation, FoTA has been instrumental in supporting projects that connect the community to the arts. These funds are awarded annually to local organizations and artists to support community pride and build bridges between artists and communities in St. Louis Park.

The Arts and Culture Grant helps fund projects that:
  • Support community pride and build bridges between artists and communities in St. Louis Park,
  • Engage people in creative learning experiences through the arts,
  • Provide opportunities to increase and promote artistic production and cultural experiences

2011 Arts & Culture Grant Winners

2012 Arts and Culture Grant Application

It is our great pleasure to invite you to apply for a grant from the St. Louis Park Arts and Culture Grant Program.

Grant applications for 2012 will be available May 28, 2012.  Applications will be due August 10, 2012. 

This program is provided in partnership with the St. Louis Park Friends of the Arts and St. Louis Park Community Foundation.
Click Here to Apply (May 28, 2012)

Arts & Culture Grant Recipients

2012 Grant Recipients

- The Park Theater Company- more information to come about their production!

 - Mn Public Theater- more information to come about their production! 

2011 Grant Recipients

  • Theatre OR (at the Sabes Jewish Community Center) – for their theater production of “Oyl” by Rich Orloff in May 2011. This production will feature over 20 artists from the community of St. Louis Park.
  • The Park Theater Company - for the St. Louis Park’s Community Theater production of Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town”.
  • Georgia Kandiko - for a Cartooning Mystery Art Hunt. Georgia Kandiko will be installing nine cartoon story signs paired with nine mosaic tables telling a story of a mystery solving superhero, and a series of cartooning classes offered to St. Louis Park residents.
  • Children First - to display a photo exhibit introducing the residents of St. Louis Park to their neighbors from diverse backgrounds. This project will help build bridges as residents discover what they have in common with their neighbors and what rich traditions others bring to St. Louis Park’s tapestry.
  • Joanne Bongaarts/William Hessian - for an Art in the Park Hunt. This project will motivate community members of all ages to explore parks for miniature paintings. Artist William Hessian will be creating the miniature art work that will be hidden and sought out by adults and youth with the help of clues throughout the summer. Winners will be acknowledged during the St. Louis Park summer celebration, Parktacular.  

2010 Grant Recipients

  • Children First - to educate people in the community about the need to oxygenize young people’s “Sparks.” Sparks is a program that offers a step-by-step approach to help teenagers and parents, discover, celebrate and act on their unique gifts. The grant will allow for multiple Happening performances, interactive exhibits at the Children First Ice Cream Social on May 16, 2010, and a Sparks page on the Children First website. During the Sparks Fair at the Ice Cream Social, Children First will have 20 interactive exhibits by local people, both youth and adults, demonstrating and discussing their Sparks.
  • Stacia Goodman - to install a large, colorful mosaic mural for the main entrance atrium at The Rec Center comprised of traditional mosaic materials (ceramic tile, glass and grout) and reclaimed trash items contributed by St. Louis Park residents and businesses during the city’s spring clean-up event. The mural would be three panels (each 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall) hung next to each other. The Rec Center staff is in support of the project and will be providing the labor and power lift required for hanging the mural and have agreed to a three-year art ownership and upkeep agreement with the artist.
  • Harmony Theater Company and School – to assist in the creation and production of a series of short films that document the history of St. Louis Park through recording experiences of its citizens. The series will consist of three parts, each focusing on a specific time period: the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Every part will be based on first-hand interviews conducted with senior citizens who lived in St. Louis Park during the given time period, and will be made reflecting the development of cinematography in 1920-40s: silent movies, “talkies” (in black-and-white), and animation. The films will be created in the summer of 2010 with the participation of Harmony’s acting students (primarily aged 8-13) and Harmony’s staff, including its artistic director and film-making professional. Once completed, Harmony Theater will hold film-screenings at Harmony Theater, senior centers and nursing homes in St. Louis Park. The film will also be provided to the City and Historical Society to be shown at their discretion. Copies will also be donated to the St. Louis Park public libraries and schools.
  • Maggie’s Farm Theater/SLP Senior Program - to launch, produce and debut performances of a Reader’s Theater Program designed to function as an intergenerational program that serves the community through expressive storytelling and will feature senior community citizens. The goal in reader’s theater reaches beyond entertainment value to literacy encouragement and sharing the joy of reading. The goal for participants is to engage in an artistic expression of storytelling and creative interaction with peers. Rehearsals for the Reader’s Theater Program will take place in the fall of 2010, with each story prepared to easily tour throughout the community.
  • Mixed Precipitation Theater Group – to present seven performances of the Picnic Operetta at community garden sites in St. Louis Park. Mixed Precipitation is a theater group that provides an on-going experience in live performance forms presenting unique, entertaining, high quality events highlighting social engagement and providing opportunities for artists to work across disciplines exploring text, space and new dramatic forms. Mixed Precipitation will present a series of site specific performances in a unique form – picnic operetta – a hybrid opera performance.
  • The Park Theater Company - to produce and present six performances of “Axel and His Dog” by Don Stolz. This play is about the local children’s television program, hosted by local celebrity and broadcaster, Clellan Card, from 1954 to 1966. It includes comedy as well as an inside look behind the scenes of local TV. The play is family-friendly and will have a wide appeal to persons of all ages. These performances will take place in October/November 2010.
  • The St. Louis Park High School Choir - to present a fundraising gala production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in May 2010. These funds are to assist with the start-up costs of this initial gala production in the hopes of generating an ongoing source of revenue to help reduce or defray the costs of future tours in order to provide an opportunity for more, if not all, choir students to participate in the tours and Master Classes and Workshops.
  • Harmony Theater Company and School - to assist in the creation and production of a play about the Leningrad Siege, with a special focus on the children living in that city during WWII. The Siege of Leningrad (formerly known as St. Petersburg) was one of the longest and cruelest sieges in the world’s military history. SLP and other local war survivors will be interviewed. Based on 2005 American community Survey’s language records, there are an estimated 25,000 Russian-speaking residents in the seven county area. Performances are planned at the Sabes JCC Theatre June 2009.
  • Meadowbrook Collaborative - to assist in the creation of ARTWORKS a structured weekly program that will teach 10 motivated children in grades 3 to 6 the basic understanding of drawing. In addition to art exploration, the program will promote development of the participants cognitive, social and emotion skills. Local artist Jon Reiss will run the program beginning in mid-January 2009. The community will be invited to a celebration of the art created on June 11, 2009.
  • Denise Tennen - to assist in the creation of a series of ceramic relief panels to be permanently installed at Aquila Primary Center, Lenox Community Center and other publicly assessable buildings in SLP. The ceramic relief panels will be created by SLP youngest (Aquila Primary Center Students) and oldest (senior groups such as Lenox Senior Center members as well as senior residence, assisted living and nursing home dwellers) community members that will build awareness of the six of the six themes of the elementary level International Baccalaureate curriculum.
  • Zenon Dance Company - for a one week outreach dance residence at Peter Hobart Primary Center. Zenon Dance Company will work with four classes each day and approximately 100 student’s total. During the residency, student will learn basic dance skills and create dances around a curriculum topic which are structured to stimulate, challenge and entertain and educate. The residency will conclude with a final student performance open to the community at Peter Hobart. Participants will also be invited to attend a free matinee during Zenon’s fall 2009 season at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis.

2009 Grant Recipients

  • Whitney Blout (36 Arts Magazine) - to assist in the printing of an annual literary arts magazine of submissions by SLP High school students for distribution in May 2009.
  • Children First - to assist with the painting and reproduction of 40 original works of art representing the 40 Developmental Assets upon which Children First is based. Those 40 original works will be reproduced into a poster that will allow Children First to educate the wider community through art about the Children First philosophy. The paintings will be created by 40 diverse groups with the assistance of 40 yet to be identified artist with the assistance of Michael Christiansen, the illustrator of the Super Heroes Coloring book. Children First are anticipating a gallery opening of the 40 works of art at The Children First Ice Cream Social in May 2009.
  • Margaret Coleman - to work in collaboration with senior citizens to record and share, through the paper making, their memories, experiences and building of the SLP community. Coleman is an emerging Midwest artist finishing her Masters of Fine Arts at Pratt Institute in New York. She will be working with Joshua Hosterman, a member of the Tilsner Artist Cooperative in St. Paul, who works in sculpture and sound installation. The Project will begin in August 2009 with paper making workshops, manifesting itself in two mixed media art opening open to the public.

2008 Grant Recipients

  • Julia Caston - to paint an indoor mural at SLP High School. Caston a SLP Resident and SLP High School student, will create the mural with the assistance of students of the high school and others in the community. Caston was a 2006 grant recipient and successfully completed an outdoor mural at Perspectives Family Center.
  • Margaret Coleman - to cast sculptures of plants native to SLP in resin, plaster and clay, and host a show open to the public in SLP displaying the cast sculptures. Coleman is also hoping to teach one casting class per week for a month in SLP to teach residents the art of slip casting. Coleman is an emerging Midwest artist currently residing in New York and returning to the Twin cities area for the summer of 2008.
  • Sharon Lyon - to run two six week, after school enrichment programs for 7th and 8th grade students to build creative and technical photographic skills. Participants will be given simple in class and out of class photo assignments relating to their community and people in their lives and be involved in a final photo board(s) production and exhibit at SLP Junior High School. Students will receive basic camera knowledge, resolution, digital transfer, composition, lighting, portraiture and critiquing skills. Lyon, a resident of SLP is a local artist, photographer and instructor.
  • Jonee Kulman Brigham - to produce an interactive environmental art project, The Children’s Nest Egg, at the Westwood Nature Center. This project will engage community members through sculptural spatial experience, engagement in construction milestone events, and by honoring their experiences with nature that they wish to leave the next generation by including their observations and poetry into the artwork. The project will remain at Westwood for a minimum of two years. Kulman Brigham is a Twin cities architect. The Community Foundation has requested that their $7000 donation to the Arts and Culture Grant Program for 2008 be devoted entirely to this project.
  • St. Louis Park Community Theater - for start up funds to formulate a plan for Community Theater in SLP. These funds will be used to hire a professional consultant with outcomes to include a mission statement, vision statement and short and long term goals. The SLP community will be solicited to participate in an informational gathering session to derive input from as broad a spectrum as possible. In addition, the committee will develop a 12-18 month production schedule for SLP Community Theater.
  • Laura Powers (36 Arts Magazine) - to assist in the publication and printing of an annual literary arts magazine of submissions by SLP High School students. These funds will assist 36 Arts Magazine in community distribution of the publication in addition to printing costs. Submissions from this magazine and others are displayed or read at their annual film festival – Open Mic Coffeehouses.
  • Susan Lindgren Intermediate Center - for art supplies for a canvas mosaic that will represent the diverse faces and culture of the Susan Lindgren Intermediate Center student community and a clay relief city mounted on the wall outside the Susan Lindgren Intermediate Center school office that shows the neighborhoods in SLP. The portable nature of the canvas mosaic will allow the work to be moved to other parts of the community for display and discussion. Students will work on both projects during the school day and in after school and evening groups.

2007 Grant Recipients

  • Bad Attitude Productions - to produce “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen. Chris McGahon, a SLP Resident, will be staged primarily with professional actors and will seek community members to assist with technical positions. For reduced tickets ($5) patrons can bring a canned food item or donation to benefit STEP. After the show, the actors will engage the audience in a discussion about the play and the production.
  • Harmony Theatre Company and School - to produce a play based on Janusz Korczak, Jewish pedagogue, writer and doctor, and his Warsaw ghetto orphanage during WWII. This holocaust production is intended to promote tolerance, bring to light Janusz Korczak and his pupils who lived in the Warsaw ghetto, create a multicultural experience and encourage pride in the Easter-European immigrant community. A limited number of tickets will be made available to low to moderate income residents free of charge.
  • Homeward Bound, Inc. - to paint a mural in Webster House, which is home to individuals with disabilities and provides community gathering space. The mural will be on the north wall in the community gathering area and will be created by the residents of the home in concert with an artist, Micah Westby.
  • St. Louis Park Community Education - to fund scholarships for low to moderate income students to attend a fine arts academy during the summer. This afternoon offering is new and will provide students who are participating in remedial summer school in the morning an opportunity to participate in dance, acting, singing and visual arts in the afternoon.
  • St. Louis Park Human Rights Commission - to partially sponsor an international film series from June through December to draw diverse residents together to showcase diverse cultures and experience. Following the films, the city of SLP Human Rights Commission will sponsor an audience forum to discuss the issues and movie.
  • Denise Tennen - to create a ceramic sculptural mural in the main entrance at Lenox Community Center. The sculpture will be created on site using Lenox kilns, and will be created with the help of community members. Tennen estimates that between 100 – 200 community members will be involved in the creation of this permanent mural.
  • Trolling for Olives Productions - to produce a short film that will be filmed in SLP with the help of high school students and SLP film and television professionals. The film will be a creative commons movie, meaning that it will be in the public domain and is about a real-life event about a dog and a computer chip that is charming and funny. Once produced, the film will be shown at screenings in SLP and possibility at the Mpls Film Festival.
  • Marilyn Tursich - to publish a book and companion study guide for STEP about a young boy whose family goes through a financial hardship and must rely on the food shelf. The books (500 copies) and study guides (200 copies) will be available at STEP and local libraries.

2006 Grant Recipients

  • Asian Media Access - to stage a traditional Chinese Opera, “A Dragon Odyssey”, written by SLP residents Angie Hwang, Steve Lu and Qiang Yang.
  • Bad Attitude Productions - to produce William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour Lost”. Chris McGahon, a SLP resident will use a combination of actors from Bad Attitude Productions and SLP high school students.
  • Forecast Public Artworks - to coordinate and implement ONLY CONNECT…, which will result in a temporary visual art installation on the chain link fence on West 36th Street. Participants include artist and teens from SLP.
  • Harmony Theatre Company and School - to stage a bi-lingual theater production of the traditional Russian New Year Show, “Yolka”, planned for December 28, 2006 at Groves Academy in SLP. The review committee asked Harmony to consider a small adjustment to their proposed budget, and dedicate the $390 requested for audience favors for tickets instead. Agreed and now 35-40 tickets will be made available to low to moderate income residents free of charge.
  • Julia Caston - to paint a mural on the Perspectives building. Ms. Caston is a high school student and will be working with a mentor, artist Denise Tennen, to implement her project. Students at Perspectives and the high School will assist with the design and painting of the mural.
  • Meadowbrook Collaborative - to fund an 8 week multi cultural drumming workshop sponsored by Kenne Thomas for children at the Collaborative. Youth participants will hold performances for the public at Meadowbrook, Lenox Senior Center and other locations after completing the workshop series. Meadowbrook would like to videotape these performances for rebroadcast.
  • St. Louis Park Schools -  to fund a partnership between the school district and dance instructor/performer/choreographer Ann-Marie Draeger to engage 30-35 SLP students, ages 8-14 in a dance project. Participants will earn improvisational and modern dance skills and will perform at a free community event in December 2006. The theme of the dance centers on the railroad and the development of SLP.
  • The Lenox Little Theatre –proposed by bill Kenzie, originally submitted a request for $7600 to fund seven performances of “The Last Train to Nibroc” at the Lenox Little Theatre in November 2006. The review committee is proposing to use the remaining grant dollars, ($1246 after subtracting out requests for the above-mentioned proposals) to purchase tickets for distribution to low to moderate income residents. Mr. Kenzie is supportive of the proposed budget and will be able to move forward with the production without additional grant dollars. There will be seven performances and with only 48 seats in the theater and an approximate ticket price of $10-12 at least 100 tickets can be made available for residents who would perhaps not be able to attend.

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