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ROCHESTER ART CENTER IS AWARDED IMPACT GRANT FROM ROTARY US BANK HOLIDAY CLASSIC TOURNAMENT
A committee made up of members from all three Rochester Rotary Clubs reviewed and selected the recipient of the grant which was then approved by all three Rotary Clubs. Members of the committee were Dan Nistler, Greg Woodworth, Rochester Risers; Sara Gilliland, Jim Clausen, Rochester Rotary and Bill Oehler and Jay Beck, Greater Rochester. Cris Fisher represented the basketball steering committee and served as chair.
The Rotary US Bank Holiday Classic will award an impact grant for $30,000, to be paid in three annual installments of $10,000, to the Rochester Art Center. The project consists of the installation of three interactive, adaptable, multilingual kiosks which will offer in-depth information on exhibitions, artists, and activities as well as a companion online interface. Software development and infrastructure expenses will also be covered by the grant award.
The committee felt that this project fits all of the criteria of the project, 1 – Youth oriented – The Art Center gave over 60 tours last year to more than 1,500 school children. This project will also reach the many children who visit outside of the classroom, 2 – Locally-based, 3- Lasting Impact – these kiosks will be placed throughout the gallery (one added each year) and a plaque will be displayed on each kiosks recognizing Rochester Rotary Clubs as the donor, 4 – May qualify for matching funds – In receiving this grant the Rochester Art Center will have opportunities to leverage addition funding for its educational programs.
Other factors influencing the committee’s choice were:
1 – Rotary would be the primary sponsor,
2 - The project provides great recognition for Rotary service clubs,
3 – The grant provides much-needed funding for the arts, and
4 – The project will have broad community impact.
IMPACT GRANT PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM
THE ROTARY CLUBS OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA
Requesting Organization: Rochester Art Center
Requested Funding: $30,000 over three years ($10,000 in 2006, 2007, and 2008)
Proposed Impact Grant Project:
“Do not touch” is the phrase most children hear while exploring the galleries and exhibitions of any art museum. Unlike the interactive environment of a science museum, the fragile nature of artwork creates a distance between the viewer and the art. The challenge of any museum educator is to make the exhibitions exciting, interactive, and personally meaningful to a diverse population. Due to the continued elimination of arts education programs in school systems, the Rochester Art Center has become increasingly important as a cultural resource and education provider in both our local community and our surrounding region of southeastern Minnesota. With the support of a three-year Impact Grant from the Rotary Clubs of Rochester, the Rochester Art Center will install three interactive education kiosks throughout our galleries which will offer in-depth information on exhibitions, artists, and activities as well as a companion online interface.
The touch-screen kiosks will provide an adaptable, multi-lingual education experience for each visitor, creating a meaningful and lasting museum experience. For example, in conjunction with an exhibition of local photographers the Art Center will develop content for the kiosks that may include each artist’s bio, multimedia presentations of the artists at work, short video interviews, and historical timelines of the development of photography as an art form. The Impact Grant will help fund the purchase of computer hardware and interactive software, and content development for the kiosks.
As a companion to the on-site kiosks, the same content will be integrated into an interactive educational section of the Rochester Art Center’s website. Visitors of all ages will be able to access a virtual museum and explore current and past exhibitions through a multi-lingual web-interface. Teachers and students will be able to download free project and information packets for use prior to and following visits to the Art Center. The age-appropriate packets will include multimedia files, hands-on projects, and essays related to Art Center exhibitions. The Impact grant also will help fund website design and additional content development.
The development of an interactive kiosk system and online educational resources will have an enormous and lasting community impact. Since the beginning of this year, the Art Center has given over 60 tours to over 1500 children, ranging from pre-school to high school students. The Art Center also serves a very diverse student population ranging from children who are home schooled to Century High School Newcomers (primarily Somali immigrants). Demand for our tours continues to grow, with several requests from schools each day. The kiosk system and online resources will give students information beyond what they learn through the tour, making their Art Center visit more fun, “hands-on,” and educational.
This grant will help the Art Center leverage additional funding for its education programs and we will be pleased to recognize the Rotary Clubs’ generous support on a plaque on each kiosk and in a credit line that will appear in our newsletter, educational materials, and Website.
Organizational Contact: Denise Sorom, Executive Director, (507) 424-3307, dsorom@rochesterartcenter.org
Submittal Date: October 21, 2005
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Impact Grant Announcement '05-'07 