North Dakota - Dakota West Arts Council

215 North Sixth Street
Bismarck, North Dakota 58502

Linda Olsrud
Executive Director

Amy Kasten
Art Venture Program Coordinator

Tel.: (701) 222-6640
(701) 751-1175
Fax: (701) 221-3725

mailto:linda@dakotawest.org
mailto:akasten-artventure@hotmail.com

Organizational Profile:

Full-time Staff: 1
Part-time Staff: 1
Volunteer Hours: 5 hours/month
Projected Total 2008
Income: $40,000
(including In-Kind Contributions)
Direct Participants: 532
Indirect Participants: 1,539

Dakota West Arts Council has approximately 60 members and is considered the area's Chamber of Commerce for the arts. The mission of Dakota West Arts Council is to provide art and art-related programs at little or no charge to area residents and visitors.

Programming Partners and Other Funders:

MDU Resource Foundation; National Symphony Orchestra Residency Comm.; North Dakota Council on the Arts; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; Capital Electric Power Cooperative; Starion Financial; Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation; Tesoro; Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson, Eng.; Midwest Business Machines; Mr. B’s Estates; Zuger, Kirmis & Smith Attorneys; A&M Contracting; Eckroth Music; Pagel, Weikum, PLLC; Elks Home Association Charities; Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 2237; AMVETS Post #9; Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #302; Capital City Lions; Bobcat Company; Northern Improvement; Rainbow Gas Company

State Programs

Educational Programs and Artist Residencies

Art Venture Program

The Art Venture Program delivers art classes to the Bismarck-Mandan area school systems. Classes are conducted for three- to five-year-old students with special needs and fifth and sixth grade after school art classes for underprivileged students. Qualified artists are brought into the schools to focus on the development of students’ cognitive and social skills.

Public Awareness and Outreach

Live Art in Motion

Dakota West Arts Council sponsors "Live Art in Motion," an opportunity for all visual and performing artists in the area to display their talents to the public. Performances take place daily throughout the month of February at a local mall. Artists will sketch on site and local art groups sell season tickets, promote programs, recruit volunteers, and build collaborations with other local art organizations.

arTView

A partnership with North Dakota Council on the Arts and Community Access Television, arTView is a half- hour talk show that features a different art organization each week. This promotion of individual artists features performing groups, visual art groups, and cultural groups. arTView serves the Bismarck, Mandan area.

Brown Bag Concert Series

Concerts are provided to the community by members of Dakota West Arts Council, every noon in July and August at area parks. Community members are encouraged to bring a packed lunch and blanket and enjoy.