Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative December Newsletter

We hope you all are enjoying the many and varied arts and cultural offerings around town as 2015 comes to a close. Winter is a great time to experience the arts!

Here are the latest updates from RACC about the teams' projects, all of which will be welcoming community input and engagement so read on:

Public Art Master Plan (PAMP) update

There was a meeting December 7 of the steering committee overseeing the Public Art Master Plan development. Two RACC representatives, Mary Ellen Landwehr and Dave Beal, are members of this committee. The meeting, held at the Rochester Area Foundation, was open to the public, as all these meetings are, and a few people were in the gallery.

Dave Beal is also on the sub (management)- committee, which meets in between meetings of the larger group to do the administrative work necessary. They have created a project document, laying out components, process, and timeline.

The PAMP steering committee has divided into three teams:
• City-wide master planning team –  which will focus on how the project intersects with all the other master plans currently in the works.
• Community Engagement Team – which will focus on stakeholder research and outreach in various forms. Their first activity will be stakeholder focus groups and the team members contributed names of potential participants for one (or more) of six focus groups: hospitality & business, culture & religion, artists, students, educators, and neighborhoods. The focus group meetings will start in January. Other outreach efforts such as an online tool and input collection boxes (for team members to bring with them to other committees/groups they belong to) are also in the works.  Mary Ellen Landwehr is a member of this team.
• Plan development team –  which will focus on principles, priorities, and governance. Their first priority is a working definition of public art, which has yet to be determined by this group for PAMP purposes.  Dave Beal is a member of this team.

The next meeting will be in March. Watch for information about time and location and also watch for upcoming opportunities from the Community Engagement team to give input

Art4Trails Update

Mary Ellen Landwehr gave a status report on Art4Trails. After the SEMAC grant was declined and it looked like the project would have to be cancelled, an anonymous donor contributed $5000, and that, combined with current funds in hand and an offer by supporters to send out fundraising letters, led the team to keep going. They extended the deadline to December 14 and received 17 project proposals from 13 applicants (two submitted three proposals). The judging and selection of five projects will happen in January. The Rochester Parks Department will handle the installation work.

Next steps are the planning an event to announce the winners and also planning the events surrounding the actual unveiling of the art along the trail in June.   The Art4Trails committee has an events committee working on these plans, and the C4 events committee will collaborate. Involving cultural groups as well as artists in these summer "capstone" events is a priority of the team.  Let us know if you would like to be involved!

There is also discussion among various art leaders in town about the future of Art4Trails beyond this inaugural occurrence. Further updates on that as ideas coalesce.

Armory proposal Arts and Cultural Center update

Steve Troutman and Debi Neville of the Spaces team are working with a committee that is crafting a presentation in response to the RFP put out by the city for re-use of the Armory. The proposal is for an Arts and Cultural Center in that building; there is a small performance space on the third floor, meeting, office, classroom, and studio space on the second floor, and a commercial kitchen and large meeting space on the first floor. It is an exciting opportunity for small arts organization and individual artists who would benefit from shared resources and opportunities for collaboration.  Please let us know if you would like to know more about this vision.

For the RFP presentation, this team is working on a communication plan, an LLC and preliminary non-profit status for the group, a business plan, and communicating with other potential partners in the space (e.g., Veterans Museum).  

In other spaces news, there is no new official news about the Chateau Theatre, except we applaud Annie Henderson's column in the Post Bulletin regarding opening the theatre to artists and arts organization on a short-term basis while long-term use is being decided. Keep it activated instead of sitting dark and empty (or used only seldom for big meetings)! The DMCC board is certainly interested in moving ahead on plans for the Heart of the City District (with a possible RFQ being put out in January?) so it seems as though we are on the cusp of real change and opportunity.

Stay in touch with RACC

Please follow RACC on our Facebook page, read earlier updates on the blog, follow us on Twitter (@RACCMN) and reach out by email to raccnews@gmail.com.  

Other ways you can be involved:

• engage with the Public Art Master Plan when those opportunities arise 
• watch for updates about public events surrounding Art4Trails, including the winners announcement, and 
• express your interest or reach out with your questions regarding the Amory re-use proposal.

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative October Update

****Art4Trails call for Artists**** 

Please follow this link (and pass it on) for details about the call for artists for this cool project for 2016. Deadline is November 30. Five artists will be chosen to create installations along the river/bike trail and will receive a $2,000 stipend to do so.  Would you enjoy being a part of planning the public capstone event - a festive, fun, community-oriented opening parade along the trail from installation to installation? Please let us know. The hard-working public art/programming team would welcome your participation! raccnews@gmail.com

Other news from the RACC teams:

Dave Beal and Mary Ellen Landwehr area part of the 25 member steering committee for the Public Art Master Plan project that the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust is coordinating with Jack Becker from Forecast Public Art in St. Paul. Their first meeting was October 8 with three more meetings between now and May 2016.  The group was introduced to Jake Becker and his process and did some preliminary visioning exercises. Between meetings of the whole will be smaller fact-finding activities, such as focus groups comprised of representatives from various sectors such as education, art, business, tourism, etc. We will pass along any further information we get about these activities.

Debi Neville and the Spaces team are meeting to strategize about and get to work on a submission in response to the city's RFP for re-use of the Senior Center/Armory. If you would like to be a part of this project, please get in touch. Whether it turns out to be this particular building or not, there is a need for a dedicated arts and cultural space for not only various possible performance uses but for shared administrative space, meeting space, event space, rehearsal space, gallery space, studio space, and so on. This is an important vision for our community, and we welcome input and participation in presenting this opportunity to the city and our fellow citizens.

As always, like RACC and share news on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @raccmn

Art4Trails open call for artists

The Art4Trails project is officially underway with an open call for artists. The information and submission form is on the MNartists.org website Please pass along to your friends and fellow artists!

This is going to be a fabulous addition to the riverfront next spring. Amidst all the talk about "activating the river", this Public Art/Programming team that grew out of initial RACC meetings is doing it!  They have been working hard and meeting regularly to get this project off the ground.  Now we need some of our talented artists to take the next step and create the installations.  We can hardly wait until June 2016 to see what they all come with!

A hearty thank you to the Art4Trails committee: Mary Ellen Landwehr, Tom Erickson, Jon Allen, Tony Rostvold, Kelly Corbin, Seamus Kolb, and Alison Good.  Also,  we recognize on their behalf Mike Nigbur of the Rochester Parks Department who has contributed valuable advice and assistance and will continue to do so.   

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative September Update

Greetings all!

The new arts season is upon us, giving us the chance to fill our calendars with one of a kind offerings by all the talented artists, professional and amateur, we have at our doorsteps. Reverb.mn, Rochester Music Guild, Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Post-Bulletin and KTTC events calendar, Rochester Now and Marquee Rochester apps for your phone - these are just a few ways to find a cure for "nothing to do here blues".  Beyond art events, there are various cultural activities going on as well, such as the IMAA Pearl Gala September 25, or the Latino Fest, Saturday, September 26 at Cooke Park with fun activities for the whole family.

Also, the Dolores Jean Lavins Center for the Humanities in Medicine at the Mayo Clinic would like to extend an invitation:

We are very happy to host Joseph Haj, the new Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater, for an informal gathering on October 1 in the Mayo Clinic Landow Atrium. Please join us in welcoming him, and hear his comments on a new vision for the Guthrie.

RSVP to the Guthrie Theater at 612-377-2224.

We hope to see you October 1 at 7 pm.

Paul D. Scanlon, MD
Johanna Rian, PhD

A few updates from Collaborative partners:

• Art4Trails has made a lot of progress. With the Rochester Area Foundation as a fiscal agent, they have secured grant money from the RDA, the Judy and Jim Sloan Foundation, sponsorship from Forager Brewpub, some in-kind logo and brand development design work from emen design, and are completing a SEMAC grant application, due Oct 1. Call for artists will be posted on mnartists.org by October 1, and we will be sharing that link.  Panel of judges is being created from the representatives of city, artists, neighborhoods. Kelly Corbin of WeBike Rochester will work with the parks department to pre-permit the sites so the artists won't have to.  Publicity plans are also underway so watch your local news sources and spread the word!

• The Chateau Theater Task Force met for the first time Thursday, Sept 17. Here's the Post-Bulletin article about it if you missed it.  RACC member  and local music producer Jim Fricker reported on the meeting, which basically covered preliminary introductions and procedures. There is no plan in place as yet for how the committee will proceed but there is a lot of expertise on the task force so it is expected that a process will be forthcoming. These meetings are open to the public so they will also work on ways to inform the public as well as gather input. 

• The Request for Proposals for Armory/Senior Center re-use is on the consent agenda for Monday evening's (Sept 21) City Council meeting. The Agenda packet is on the city website and there you can see a copy of the RFP. It looks like there will be a March 2016 deadline, with occupancy available probably first quarter of 2017. The Spaces team will be studying the RFP to learn how we can best approach this project based on needs assessment and organization/individual interviews that RACC members undertook over the last few months. If you are interested in participating in this process, let us know! raccnews@gmail.com

• Please complete the Artists Thrive survey for the Minnesota State Arts Board if you haven't yet and pass it along! It's for all individual artists, all over Minnesota, in all disciplines.  The Minnesota State Arts Board is funded by all of our taxes, so help them serve us the best way they can!

Follow RACC on Facebook and Twitter (@RACCMN) and reach out with ideas or to help.  See you at the (fill in the blank) show!

Artists Thrive survey now available

If you haven't seen this elsewhere, the Minnesota State Arts Board is hoping to survey all individual artists from all over Minnesota and from all disciplines:

The Minnesota State Arts Board is studying individual artists in Minnesota in order to learn what it might take for all artists in Minnesota to thrive. The ARTISTS THRIVE research study will survey hundreds of artists statewide about their needs. Then, the Arts Board will use what is learned to inform how it serves and supports artists.

Would you be willing to help ARTISTS THRIVE? Here are two easy ways–

·         Do you think of yourself as an artist? Or is creative expression an important part of your life? Then complete the survey found here: https://bitly.com/1MmQx06. It should take about 25 minutes.

·         Do you work with or know artists or creative people? Then help spread the word by posting or forwarding this message!

You can access the survey online, or request alternate formats in English or Spanish by contacting the Arts Board. For more information, please contact Renae Youngs, director of research and evaluation, Minnesota State Arts Board at renae.youngs@arts.state.mn.us or (651) 215-1607.

 

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative August update

Hello arts and culture friends and supporters,

a PSA

Please support C4 (Concerned Citizens for a Creative Community, in case you ever wondered) in their membership drive tomorrow! They serve creativity of all kinds and on a shoestring budget.  This is their first ever membership drive and sustaining memberships will help them keep the lights on. August 22, 6:00-11:00 pm, Cooke Park Design District (6th Ave and 7th St NW). 

Now here are updates from our Collaborative partners.

Art4Trails 

Rochester Area Foundation is acting as fiscal agent for this project of art installations along river trails, so team co-lead Mary Ellen Landwehr is in the process of working on three grants: Think Bank, Rochester Downtown Alliance and SEMAC.

In conjunction with the Park board, 10 sites have been chosen along the river, starting at Slatterly Park and ending at the southern end of Silver Lake, across from the RPU power plant. Two installations will be located in Mayo Park, on the east side of the river.

A capstone public event celebrating the project is in the planning stages but likely will be an interactive event, such as a parade along the bike trail to showcase all of the installations. This is tentatively scheduled for June 11, 2016.

The selection committee is forming; call for artists will open October 1 and close November 30. We will be sure to let you know about the call!

Senior Center/Armory

The Spaces team subcommittee working on the Arts and Cultural Center proposal for the Senior Center/Armory has compiled its information from input sessions and form submissions. The model is still in flux - how to serve many small tenants with a range of commitment abilities - and the team continues to meet with different interested parties to formulate the best and most creative use of the space to present to the City Council. It will be several months until the Senior Center vacates the building so there is still time for study and research

Chateau Theatre

At the August 18th City Council meeting,  Mayor Brede requested to form a Task Force for the Reuse of the Chateau Theatre. He will be drawing names from a number of sources, one of which is the Collaborative.  On behalf of RACC, Audrey Betcher will bring three names to the mayor for consideration from RACC membership: Dave Beal, Steve Troutman and Barb Depman. Jim Fricker of North Coast Productions will also be recommended as a musician/artist rep from the community. 

Brad Jones of the Convention and Visitors Bureau is also willing to give tours of Presentation Hall to interested groups. He hopes to be able to accommodate more local artists in the refurbished space but he also needs to know what any needs and/or limitations are from both sides. We are willing to facilitate putting tour groups together, so please contact RACC at raccnews@gmail.com if you would like to be a part of this tour. 

Public Art Master Plan 

Dave Beal from the Policy Team reported on the status of the Public Art Master Plan and the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust’s consultancy contract with Forecast Public Art of St Paul. The Trust board has put together a 25 member steering committee based upon recommendations of the consultant and local advisors. This committee, once officially confirmed, will have its first meeting in October, with three more to be scheduled through approximately February 2016. The understanding is that this group will follow open meeting laws and their meetings will be announced and open to the public. A smaller liaison/advisory team was also formed to assist the consultant in his work with the community in between the steering committee meetings. Dave Beal is a member of both of these committees and will keep the Collaborative informed.

Here's a repeat from last month, but it bears repeating 

There is a plethora of sources for information on all the happenings in and around our region. For a fine overall community (although primarily arts) information aggregator, check out ReVerb.mn.  Among other options, you can download RochesterNow and Marquee Rochester apps for your phone, follow the 507 Magazine from the PB, submit and find events on the PB events calendar, KTTC/Fox community calendars, the Convention and Visitors bureau and the Rochester Downtown Alliance online calendars, calendars of other arts organizations such as the Rochester Music Guild and the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust  - there are many ways to keep up to speed so bookmark your favorite!  We'll keep sharing things on our Facebook and Twitter feeds as we are able, and feel free to post on our page with any arts and culture news you want to let the community know about.

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative July update

Midsummer is in its full glory and we Minnesotans are soaking it all up as we know so well how to do. The RACC teams are no exception, with many of us taking advantage of summer's offerings and focusing on those current joys. There are a few updates to pass along however:

The input survey team finished collecting responses July 1st and are collating results. From that information, they are working up the next stage as concerns an Arts and Cultural Center in whatever form or venue that may end up in.  They will still take input (send it to raccnews@gmail.com) but they are moving forward in their process.  More to come on that and on the Mayor's ideas for a kind of Chateau Theater use study as the Spaces teams gathers details.

News from the Policy team is that the Public Art Master Plan consultancy project with the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust and Forecast of St Paul will be confirmed soon. We look forward to sharing their next steps when we have more complete information.

The Finance team, headed by Cassandra Buck, is working with Rochester Area Foundation staff to learn more about options and avenues of funding and financing. Let us know if you'd be interested in working with Cassie on this team.

Public Art and Programming team, lead by Mary Ellen Landwehr, continues to make progress in its Art4Trails public art project for 2016.  They are finalizing the submission process, have a good partnership going with the Parks department, and hope to begin fundraising in early August. Keep your ears open for updates on how you can participate in this exciting new public art opportunity!

As you may have discovered, there is a plethora of sources for information on all the happenings in and around our region. For a fine overall community (although primarily arts) information aggregator, check out ReVerb.mn.  Among other options, you can download RochesterNow and Marquee Rochester apps for your phone, follow the 507 Magazine from the PB, submit and find events on the PB events calendar, KTTC/Fox community calendars, the Convention and Visitors bureau and the Rochester Downtown Alliance online calendars, calendars of other arts organizations such as the Rochester Music Guild and the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust  - there are many ways to keep up to speed so bookmark your favorite!  We'll keep sharing things on our Facebook and Twitter feeds as we are able, and feel free to post on our page with any arts and culture news you want to let the community know about.

We welcome any and all to come under our big collaborative tent and work with us. For example, would you like to be on a communications team to consider how to streamline all of these calendars? Do you know something about finance or policy and want to contribute to the work of those teams? You don't have to be an artist or an arts or cultural group administrator or a community leader - you just have to think it sounds interesting and fun. RACC is grassroots - it is YOU reading this newsletter, and we say come on in and join us!

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative June update

Things are still happening with arts and culture in Rochester, even as the lazy days of summer have hit. Although it's hard to be lazy in a city with so much going on!

What's happening 
First, here are a few "heads up" alerts:

• Art Blitz on Saturday 3:00-11:00 pm all over the block around the Creative Salon (4th St & 1st Ave SW). Stop by our booth and say hello! (and drop off some of your flyers or business cards)
• Look for a survey coming your way from the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) called Artists Thrive. They want to hear from individual artists they don't usually hear from to get a broader sense of Minnesota's artistic communities.  As the survey creator put it: "We need to reach respondents who represent the full diversity of artists and creative people in Minnesota, not just those who are already likely to respond to an Arts Board request."   Please take a few minutes to fill it out when/if you get it and let us know if you don't because we will be one of the sources distributing it. 
• Did you know that Charter House has a small art gallery, called the Parkside Gallery, with revolving exhibits? Their new show, featuring the art of Dr. Kevin Reid, opens July 16, with a reception from 4:30-7:00 pm.  The jazz combo CCB will be providing music. The gallery is open to the public so please stop by and take a look (the most recent exhibit showed art of C4's own Phil Taylor and Bobby Marines).
• Unfortunately the IMAA (Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association) event Walk Around the World, in celebration of World Refugee Day, was cancelled Saturday, June 13, due to bad weather. However, they are planning their second annual Pearl Gala for September 25 and would welcome your help in a number of ways.  Here is more information. 

Team updates

Spaces 
Interviews are ongoing to gather input and initial commitments in support of an Arts and Cultural Center in the current Senior Center/Armory. Feedback by July 1 is encouraged as the committee works to develop a viable business plan in advance of a Request for Proposal opportunity when the city council has defined its process.  An important part of the business plan is also having a management system in place, so the committee is actively working on that piece as well. Please contact raccnews@gmail.com to set up a meeting with a member of the interview & input team if you want to know more.

The Spaces team has also stayed in touch with the Mayor's office as he does preparatory work for a future Chateau Commission. The work of this commission will be to figure out the best use of the Chateau Theater once the purchase is finalized. We will keep you posted on the Chateau Commission as we learn more about the Mayor's plan and what the City Council proposes for this decision process.

Programming and Public Art
The #Art4Trails project is making great strides. The committee is finishing a proposal for a grant from SEMAC to help fund this exciting idea for public art along the bike trail in downtown Rochester. #Art4Trails is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2016, so be ready for a Call for Art to be coming your way in the fall of 2015.

Policy
The policy team is keeping abreast of what is happening with the Public Art Master Plan consultant proposal. The latest from the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust is that the work will probably start in July. As the consultant begins to put his oversight committee together, our understanding is that it will comprise representation from a broad swath of the community.  We look forward to fresh eyes and a fresh perspective for a sorely needed piece of policy.

Communication

As always, you can be in touch with the Collaborative through our email raccnews@gmail.com, our Facebook page, our Twitter feed (@RACCMN), or this blog. We welcome and exist because of feedback and participation. Don't be shy - if something interests you or you see a need, reach out.  Join us in our big tent of collaboration, creativity and community!

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative May Update

We are hearing from people and organizations on a regular basis who are excited by what is happening with the Collaborative, and we want to say welcome! Join the conversation and the fun.

It hasn't been said for awhile, so we want to remind you of the RACC aspirational statement:

Rochester will be a vibrant, active, diverse and inclusive arts and cultural community for all. Local artists and arts and cultural organizations will be supported by each other and the broader community as a vital resource for the community's health and growth.

Informational interviews ongoing

In light of those aspirations, members from the RACC steering committee have been reaching out to arts organizations, cultural groups and individual artists and meeting with them one-on-one.

The meetings taking place have two primary goals:

1. To learn more about activities, missions, needs, dreams, and about how RACC and individuals and organizations can interact and support each other in all sorts of capacities, and 
2. to gather input and feedback specifically about potential interest in and uses for an Arts and Cultural Center - uses such as shared office space, meeting space, performance space, kitchen space. A center which can serve all those needs would be an incredible asset to our community.  As it happens, there is an opportunity right now to create such a place in the soon-to-be vacated Senior Center (aka the Armory or the Castle).  Information gathered will be highly valuable when the time comes to offer proposals through to the City Council. 

At these meetings, interested parties are also requested to return by July 1 a non-binding statement of intent to become a member of the Arts and Cultural Center. This will enable any proposal going forward to demonstrate a foundational level of support by potential users.

The interview team has an extensive list of people and groups to contact so if you haven't heard from them yet, you probably will soon. Feel free, however, to contact RACC at raccnews@gmail.com and make sure we know about you.

Update: Master Plan for Public Art

On our other exciting front, as has been previously blogged about, the Policy team has been busy since April working with the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust vis a vis their plan to bring a consultant from Forecast Public Art in St Paul to come down and help develop a Master Plan for Public Art in Rochester. The Trust requested in April and the City Council agreed to provide at their May 18 meeting matching funds to help pay for this consultant.  That plan now is moving forward.

Two important things of note: we learned that when Forecast Public Art does these kinds of projects, it always does so with a steering committee comprised of a broad swath of the community, which was the recommendation also of the RACC policy team. The other item of note is that this request was approved in large part because members of RACC stepped up immediately to offer their support and particular expertise to the members of the Trust, the offer was quickly accepted and acted upon, and it was thus demonstrated to the city leadership that arts groups can work together for a common goal. The road is not always smooth, but it can lead us all forward.

Did you know: event calendars 

You are probably familiar with event calendars from the Convention & Visitors Bureau, Downtown Alliance, Post Bulletin, KTTC, etc, and these are great comprehensive resources. However, there are some out there focused especially on arts and culture happenings in town that may highlight offerings you are unaware of.  Here are a few to get you started - let us know about others!

• reverb.mn
• Rochester Music Guild
• Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust
• SEMAC  (grant funded events)
• Zumbrota Area Arts Council
• Lanesboro

Logo design

The work of the Collaborative is important, and we want the community to know that we are living out our aspirational statement as best we can.  To that end, we would love an exciting logo that represents! Email raccnews@gmail.com if you would like to help with that.


Remember to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Public Art Master Plan proposal update

Since the April  City Council Committee of the Whole meeting where the request was made by the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust for $15,000 in matching funds for a consultant to help develop a master plan for public art, there have been several meetings between Trustees and representatives from the Collaborative.

The outcome of these talks has been the formation of a committee to advise the consultant in his work (he comes from Forecast Public Art in St Paul).  It is important to note that this work is going forward with the understanding that public art is being defined as anything that activates a given space, whether an installation or a performance of some kind, permanent or temporary.  The committee membership, which is still being confirmed, is made up of people who can speak to and represent the various constituencies: visual arts , performing arts - both of these at the organizational and individual level - , logistical concerns, policy concerns, etc.

The City Council originally had this request up for a vote at its May 4 meeting, but now it is scheduled for the May 18th meeting.

Further information will be posted as the arts and culture community continues its work to develop a shared vision and voice,  starting with this first important initiative.

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative April 2015

Things are moving quickly in Rochester on many fronts, including arts and culture, indicating the time was ripe for the formation of a body such as RACC.  The Collaborative strives to offer a conduit for the voices of this varied community to come together and speak in a unified voice, and it is making a difference!

Some examples since the birth of RACC last September:

• The Policy team has in the last week begun the process of developing a relationship with the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust. Until recently, the Trust has been spending time out of the public eye developing their own vision to meet their own mission statement, and they are now bringing forth their first initiative: a Public Art Master Plan, beginning with a study conducted by an outside consultant.  In a recent meeting the RACC steering committee had with Brad Jones, Chair of the Trust Board, the Collaborative learned of this effort, and a conversation with our Policy team and members of the Trust has begun in order to formulate ways the Trust can collaborate and connect through this initiative and beyond with members of the Collaborative and the wider Rochester community.  A first priority is to ensure an open and inclusive process in crafting this Public Art Master Plan, a plan which has implications for the entire city of Rochester as it grows in size and vitality. Further details and opportunities for input coming in a follow-up post.

• When the news hit of the potential purchase of the Chateau Theater, the Spaces team, because of work already done, was prepared with a document to share with interested parties, including DMC and the City Council – a document that pulled together visions of creative uses for the space. A similar document is well underway for proposed uses of the current Senior Center (aka the Armory) as an Arts and Cultural Center.

• The Public Art/Programming team hit the ground running last fall with an idea for activating the bike trails with art, and it has brought together a group of  collaborators including We Bike Rochester, the RDA, and the organizers of ArtBlitz.  The team is still hopeful this will be unveiled the summer of 2016.

• The Communication team and the Finance team are also going about their business of assaying needs and developing processes that artists and arts and culture organizations can access to their advantage.

The constant refrain of  “the arts community doesn’t get along” was the impetus for Audrey Betcher to call people together last summer to brainstorm how to dispel that myth and also to facilitate communication. From that quickly grew a dedicated cohort and since then many passionate and committed people have come forward to join in what has become the Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative.  All are welcome and encouraged to be a part of this journey. Connect with RACC through Facebook, Twitter, or email and add your voice to the conversation!

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative March 2015

Team updates:

Spaces (Steve Troutman/Debi Neville):

The spaces needs inventory, while ongoing, is transitioning to talking to artists and arts and culture organizations in a preliminary fashion specifically about how they may see themselves in the proposed arts and culture center as a future use of the Senior Center.  The city council has initiated a new process for individual and organizations to indicate interest in using city owned buildings such as the Silver Lake fire station, the Armory/Senior Center (to be vacated in 2016) and the new addition of the Chateau Theatre (assuming the purchase is approved on April 6).  The spaces team has a goal of being prepared to participate in that process as soon as it officially opens. 

In advance of the Post Bulletin Dialogue event about the Chateau Theatre on March 19, Steve Troutman sent Jay Furst Spaces brainstorming ideas about the Chateau and members of RACC also were present and spoke about the positive implications for arts and culture in town that could come from this historic purchase.  Members of the collaborative were also quoted in a Star Tribune article published Sunday, March 22.  

Public Art/Programming team:

Mary Ellen Landwehr reported on the status of Art4Trails. After the most recent meetings, the team has changed their approach to a smaller concept. Joined by Kelly Corbin of Bikes for Rochester, spaces along the bike trails will be selected to be filled with various installations of local art. Goals include activating these spaces with this art and, when/where appropriate, with special programming, at the same time encouraging area residents to get out and use the bike trails.  Possible future collaboration in this with the Rochester Art Center is being investigated.  This team's next meeting is April 13.

Public Policy:

Policy team is meeting the week of March 22; One upcoming focus will be on the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts CreativeMN.org report on the economic impact of the arts locally and statewide.

Dave Beal also encourages all artists and organizations to attend the April 6 City Council meeting to thank the council and offer support for their foresight in going ahead with the Chateau purchase. Artists and orgs coming together with this one message will help demonstrate the need and excitement for city support for arts and culture.

As always, please reach out if you want to be involved with any of these teams. All are open to any one interested.

Chateau Theatre and Spaces team presentation

With the proposed city purchase of the Chateau Theater, conversations about its future use have exploded! RACC started this discussion earlier this winter and here is a summary of the Spaces team work thus far:

Spaces Committee
Chateau Brainstorm Report

Prepared for the Spaces Committee by:
Stephen Troutman
March 18, 2014

Rochester Arts & Cultural Collaborative:

Aspirational Statement
Rochester Arts and Cultural Collaborative acronym is RACC.
• RACC was formed, as a grass roots effort, from a confluence of community initiatives and events.
• Our aspirational statement clarifies our vision of a unified arts and cultural community.
RACC Aspirational Statement:
"Rochester will be a vibrant, active, diverse, and inclusive arts and cultural community for all. Local artists and arts and cultural organizations will be supported by each other and the broader
community as a vital resource for the community's health and growth."

Rochester Arts and Cultural Collaborative: Spaces Committee

The RACC Spaces Committee is quite literally interested in all types of “spaces” for any arts, arts related, or cultural activity:

 The focus on facilities includes:
• Art making, rehearsal, studio, practice, etc.
• Performance, exhibition, gallery, etc.
• Events, fundraisers, ceremonies, etc.
• Cultural gathering, celebration, sharing, etc.
• Office, meeting, administration, storage, etc.

 The Spaces team is currently focused on:
• The Senior Center/Armory
• The Chateau Theater
• Performing Arts and More
• Spaces NOW

RACC Spaces Survey Results: Space Needs

Across all respondents over 40% stating a need for:
Meeting spaces
Performance spaces
Rehearsal spaces
Event/rental spaces

A commercial kitchen, a very specific need, was listed by 8% of the respondents

8% mentioned a storage space need, which was not in the survey options, but showed up in write-in comments.

Status: Chateau Building

The Chateau building is vacant
 The DMCC Board members have made it clear:

• The Chateau as an important arts asset for Rochester.

The RACC Spaces Committee has already started a project:

•  “to investigate and propose uses for the Chateau.”

The City of Rochester has declared their intention to buy the Chateau, with additional funding from the Mayo Clinic

Spaces Committee: Chateau Sub-Committee Brainstorm

The Spaces Committee solicited members to form a Chateau Sub-Committee.
The sub-committee was formed and a meeting held on February
20th, 2015.  The purpose of this meeting was to:
• Brainstorm potential uses for the Chateau.
• Identify issues and concerns.
• Lead to developing a proposal for the Chateau.
• This meeting was scheduled and held long before any
announcements regarding the Chateau building.
• This early start was in accordance with the RACC’s goal to
be proactive in our approach.

Usage: Mixed use theater / gathering place
• Films - Independent and international films
• Music – individuals, bands, orchestras, chorales, etc.
• Performance – dance, poetry, etc.
• Theater – live plays
• Education – patient & adult enrichment
• Presentations – business & arts
• Events - Community and cultural

Usage: Commercial destination
• Snack bar / coffee shop
• Activate seating outside the theater
• Retail space
• Rochester unique merchandise

Usage: Information center
• Visitor kiosks
• Calendar of daily events
• Videos
• Visitor center
• Mayo visitor info
• Rochester visitor info
• Mayo museum (satellite)
• Changing displays

Our Concept: Always something going on
 “Round-the-clock” programming ;
• Continuous activities all day long
• Rapid reconfiguration between events
• Modular infrastructure
 Multi-use gathering place ;
• Information
• Entertainment from film to performance to education and more
• Food and shopping
 Targeted at multiple audiences:
• Mayo patients
• Mayo employees
• Rochester residents
• Rochester visitors

Spaces Chateau Sub-Committee: Brainstorm Thinking Big!

Include the Chateau as part of a larger performing arts complex

Chateau as adjunct:
• Could operate as part of the larger complex
• or standalone

Performing Arts Center:
• Much larger footprint
• Performance hall
• State of the art acoustics
• Rehearsal rooms
• Practice rooms
• Admin spaces

Complex location ;
• On Wells Fargo site
• Or over the river

Spaces Chateau Sub-Committee: Chateau Partnership Ideas

Partnerships to be investigated:

Performing Arts (local)
• Theater
• Music
• Film
• Dance

Educational orgs
• UMR
• RCTC
• Mayo Clinic
• RSD
• etc.

Cultural groups
• Indigenous people
• Ethnic communities

Others seeking space
• McPhail
• Children’s Museum
• Veteran’s Museum

Business & Community
• RDA
• RAEDI

Spaces Chateau Sub-Committee: Chateau Issues to be Considered

Issues to be considered:
• Who will manage the Chateau?
• How will operations be funded?
• How will remodeling be funded?
• What about parking and accessibility?

One major concern, during the Brainstorm, “Who will buy and own the Chateau?” has been resolved.  The recent announcements from the City of Rochester and the Mayo Clinic have eliminated this  issue.

RACC Community Forum March 2 Recap

There was a great community meeting this past Monday. Thank you for coming out for it! We were especially pleased to see so many new people interested in what is happening with arts and culture in Rochester through the facilitation of members of the Collaborative.  If you were not able to be there, here is the team activity presentation that was shared with those present.

If you didn't indicate it on the sign-in sheet, or you were not at the meeting, we would very much like to know what team you would like to work with. If you did indicate on the sign-up sheet, your information has been passed on the team leaders and you should be hearing from them soon. Right now, the main teams are

• Programming and Public Art
•  current focus: Art4Trails 2016

• Spaces, 
• current focus: potential Arts and Culture Center proposal for the Senior Center/Armory building; arts/culture needs inventory; Chateau Theatre possibilities

• Policy, 
• current focus: learning about existing and future policies both from the City and DMCC/EDA.  

Teams are not limited to these three. If you have a passion and vision for other projects, let us know! Use the email address raccnews@gmail.com and you will be connected.

And if you didn't see it in the Post Bulletin the next day, there was a nice article about the meeting. We want to keep the community informed about the activities of the Collaborative because all are welcome to participate. Keep sharing and spreading the word!

Save the Date! Community Update on RACC March 2

Please mark your calendars and spread the word about  the next community  meeting to share the latest news about RACC projects with the general public. It will be Monday, March 2, 6:30- 7:30 pm in the auditorium of the Rochester public library. See you there!

Rochester Arts and Culture Collaborative January 2015

Happy new year! Here is the latest RACC team update. This is news for you and you are invited to participate and share as much or as little as you choose. If you are interested in joining a team and working with other like-minded volunteers, email raccnews@gmail.com and you will get connected. 

Committee reports:

Spaces - Debi Neville and Stephen Troutman co-leads

            Debi Neville’s sub-team working on the repurposing of the Senior Center into an Arts and Culture Community Center (or whatever the best use turns out to be) is focusing primarily on these four steps:

1. complete the space needs inventory that’s been sent out – if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to complete this survey, please do so! This is the surveymonkey link.
2. complete the financial picture as far as possible, both for the facility as a whole and also for potential users – what their costs to be in the space may be
3. connect by phone or face-to-face with cultural groups and associations – find out needs and update them on this project. Debi needs assistance with this large task, so please contact her  if you have would like to help make these connections.  There is no art without culture!
4. Develop a timeline for a proposal, which should be contain a comprehensive vision and business plan, although it would not be necessary to have every detail finalized.

At least one other group in town has put together quite a comprehensive proposal that they intend to put forward to the city council and so this is a very important next step. John Hunziker has agreed to help with the Senior Center project, especially as we start to navigate the city’s political process. 

         

           The other Spaces sub-team, led by Stephen Troutman and primarily tasked with the bigger picture on Spaces, both existing and conceptual, met with Heidi Mestad recently to get more information about the status of the Chateau. There is no solid news except that space has been carved out in the DMC plan “Heart of the City” for the Chateau so we (or any group) are encouraged to bring something forward.  Similar to the Senior Center, ideas must be brought to the city from interested parties if the Chateau is to be preserved.

Supporting Systems - Anne Black-Sinak and Dave Beal co-leads

            The Supporting Systems team is splitting into two separate teams: Public Policy (co-lead Dave Beal) and Communications (co-lead Anne Black-Sinak).  This is a natural outcome from the first large public forum where participants concerns fell roughly under one of those two headings. Please contact Anne or Dave if you are interested in joining one of these two new teams.

Public policy team will focus on policy proposals for and from DMCC, holding the City Council responsible for adhering to current policies and helping develop new ones, and also will work on making connections with incoming developers, vis a vis arts and culture policies related to their projects and the overall city and DMC master plans.

Communication team will focus on communication within the arts and culture community – connect artists and orgs with each other, with projects, with information, with funding sources, etc.

Programming and Public Art –  Mary Ellen Landwehr and Tom Erickson co-leads.

            At the team’s last meeting they were joined by Jenna Bowman, Executive Director of RDA, who shared with them information about RDA’s upcoming Sculpture Tour (of public art in the downtown zone), starting in April.  She thinks RDA could be a potential partner for this team’s Art4Trails project (in 2016), possibly helping with marketing.  Bobby Marines indicated that he would be very interested in tying this event into his 2016 Artz Blitz – either as a kickoff to the tour, or the finale, or in some other way yet to be thought of.

            As the team goes deeper into their planning for their Arts4Trails project, they are researching various ways to handle logistics: transportation, installation, and protection of the art pieces are all major tasks with accompanying costs.

            This team’s next meeting is Feb 2, 6 pm, at the library. 

Finance –Bobby Marines, co-lead

            Bobby Marines has agreed to serve as co-lead of the Finance team. He is hoping to get to all the team meetings and learn about what their financial needs are and how the Finance team and RACC in general can assist. For example, RACC or the Finance team could host a session with staff from SEMAC about regional and state art grants.

RACC steering committee - Audrey Betcher and Annie Henderson, co-leads

          The monthly meeting, facilitated by Elaine Case, was held on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2015 for team leads to update each other about these various projects (information then presented in this newsletter). Minutes are also available upon request. 

All team meetings are open to any and all interested persons, so please contact raccnews@gmail.com (or a co-lead) for information on time and place. Also, find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/rochesterartsandculturecollaborative and on twitter @RACCMN Help us help others learn about RACC to get informed and involved.