St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)

August 19, 2004

ARTS GROUPS TO SPLIT GRANT MONEY
COUNCIL MEMBER OPPOSES ALLOCATION OF $1.4 MILLION FUNDING

By Robert Ingrassia

Arts and cultural groups in St. Paul will split $1.4 million under a package of grants the St. Paul City Council approved Wednesday. The annual grants are made through the city's Cultural STAR program, which is funded by a half-cent sales tax.

Council Member Lee Helgen spearheaded an effort to boost the pool of grant money. He persuaded his colleagues to support using nearly $400,000 in previously unallocated STAR money to fully fund some grant requests and grant others that had been rejected by a residents' advisory panel or Mayor Randy Kelly.

Council Member Pat Harris voted against the package of grants. He said he opposed handing out the extra grant money in what he called an arbitrary manner. He said he also would have preferred to grant money for transitional space for the SteppingStone Theatre, which is aiming to leave the Landmark Center but has not found a new permanent home.

How arts and cultural groups will split $1.4 million

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Ordway Bridge Fund $250,000

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra SPCO Center 100,000

St. Paul Garden Club Blooming Saint Paul 75,000

Arts & Cultural Partnership of St. Paul Marketing campaign 50,000

Minnesota Opera Co. Nixon in China presentation 25,000

Science Museum of Minnesota Science Fusion Project 50,000

Park Square Theatre "Romeo and Juliet" 40,000

Vocal Essence Gordon Parks Project at Ordway 40,000

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Co. Prime target marketing campaign 30,000

Midway Contemporary Art Artist commissioning project 10,000

CAAM Chinese Dance Theater Construction of new dance space 25,000

Hand in Hand Productions Rondo oral history project 6,000

O'Shaughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine's Group sales marketing 15,000

The Rose Ensemble Organizational development 28,000

St. Paul Conservatory of Music Building development capacity 22,500

Center for Hmong Arts and Talent "Hmong! The CIA's Secret Army" 20,000

Penumbra Theatre Company Marketing campaign 60,000

Mounds Theatre Company Construction of dressing rooms 15,000

Minnesota Historical Society James J. Hill House operating support 25,000

Twin Cities Public Television SPCO in concert presentation 20,000

The History Theatre Raw Stages program 25,000

St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists Landmark Center capital project 100,000

University of Minnesota Department of Theater Minnesota showboat marketing 22,500

Minnesota Folk Festival St. Paul Celtic connection 8,000

American Composers Forum Music in Motion 20,000

East Metro Music Academy Web site marketing campaign 34,000

The Minnesota Boys Choir Organizational development 20,000

Theater Space Project Building fund raising and marketing 12,000

Minnesota Public Radio Developing the Fitzgerald Theater 30,000

St. Paul Festival Association St. Paul Festivals 10,000

Rice Street Festival 5,000

Community Festivals 15,000

Rondo Festival 5,000

St. Paul City Ballet "A Christmas Carol" Ballet 5,000

Remke Corp. Black Dog Arts Initiative 13,000

Theatre MU Art Trees -- promotion 12,500

Ballet Minnesota Marketing plan for 2005 30,000

Stages Theatre Co. Shakespeare in the Park 20,000

Circus of the STAR Circus of the STAR 37,183

Minnesota Sur Seine Minnesota Sur Seine Festival 13,300

Actors Theater of Minnesota Wigington Interactive Theater Project 25,000

Historic St. Paul St. Paul Cultural Heritage Tourism Initiative 12,500

Sounds of Hope Children's Music Catalog 10,000

2004 Dragon Festival 2004 Dragon Festival 10,000

Irish Fair of Minnesota 2005 Festival Expansion 5,000

Friends of the Library Central Library programming 27,700

Ramsey County Historical Society Bosse photo exhibit 5,000