North Dakota - Dakota West Arts Council
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Dakota West Arts Council |
Linda Olsrud |
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Tel.: (701) 222-6640 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 1 |
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The mission of Dakota West Arts Council is to support and encourage artistic opportunities to area residents and visitors. Founded in 1979, Dakota West Arts Council serves as an umbrella arts organization with approximately 80 members and member organizations. Dakota West Arts Council provides services to support artistic endeavors, expand cultural opportunities for artists and audiences, and develop programs that make the arts affordable and accessible to all. Dakota West Arts Council reaches more than 25,000 people through member organization participants and by outreach to Bismarck/Mandan and surrounding communities.
All activities have two main purposes. The first is to provide ways, proven or new, to promote the arts, individual artists, and arts organizations within the community; the second is to make arts activities and events visible, accessible, and available in public settings at minimal or no charge so all people can experience them.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
VSA arts, in association with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Qwest; CVS/pharmacy; Target; MDU Resource Foundation; North Dakota Council on the Arts; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; Starion Financial; Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation; City of Bismarck; North Dakota Community Foundation, Impact Institute Foundation; Midwest Business Machines; Eckroth Music; Pagel, Weikum, PLLC; Elks Home Association Charities; Eye Center of the Dakotas
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Art Venture Program
The Art Venture program provides unique art experiences for three- to six-year-old students who have disabilities or who are considered “at risk,” and students in grades kindergarten through sixth who are disadvantaged and/or have disabilities. Classes are also offered at the middle and senior high level if necessary.
Teaching artists, who create and teach innovative arts lessons, are hired to do six week residencies. Current Art Venture sites include the Missouri River Educational Cooperative (MREC), with several after school program locations; Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program (BECEP); Head Start; Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch; Manchester House; Center High School; and The Banquet.
Lessons are offered in visual arts, creative movement, script writing, filmmaking, photography, and theater. These do not replicate regular classroom programming but enhance the overall educational experience for students. Art lessons are designed to enhance and improve the students’ cognitive thinking, social skills, fine and large motor skills, sense of teamwork, and self-esteem. Art Venture classes provide a means of creative expression for the children, without prejudice or preconceived expectations.
Parents of children who have disabilities face inherent challenges, and Art Venture provides a cooperative, supportive way to help them address those challenges. Families report improved interaction because of their children’s involvement in Art Venture. Every spring there are two free public Art Venture exhibitions showcasing the work of the participating students. One art show is for the students at BECEP. The other is for all other participating students.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Live Art in Motion
Dakota West Arts Council sponsors Live Art in Motion, which provides an opportunity for member artists and arts organizations to demonstrate their artistic genres to the public. Live music, dance, and theater performances take place at a local mall throughout the day on a Saturday in early February. There is a hands-on pottery demonstration as well as artists who sketch, sculpt, or paint on site. Local art groups sell season tickets, promote programs, recruit volunteers, and build collaborations with other local arts organizations. There is always a VSA arts/Art Venture booth at Live Art in Motion. This booth generates a lot of attention and gives Dakota West Arts Council the opportunity to explain, promote, and encourage participation in the program.
arTView
Dakota West Arts Council, North Dakota Council on the Arts, and Community Access Television partner in presenting arTView. Using a conversational format, arTView is a taped half-hour show hosted by someone familiar with the arts community. It features different member organizations and programs, including the VSA arts–affiliated Art Venture. The tapes air on a rotating basis for up to 18 months.
Brown Bag Concert Series
Dakota West Arts Council member organizations provide free concerts and performances during the noon hour every Wednesday in July and August at Custer Park in Bismarck. Community members are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and a blanket or lawn chairs for seating while they eat lunch and enjoy live music, theater, and dance. Brown Bag in the Park concerts have been a summertime tradition for the past 19 years. Notification is sent to area group homes and other organizations that provide services to people with disabilities. Attendance at Brown Bag in the Park by people with disabilities is very common.
(F) 202-429-0868