The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed by Minnesota voters in November, 2008, created new resources for land conservation, water conservation, parks and arts.
Because of that amendment, Minnesota’s twelve regional library systems have received $4.25 million via an Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Great River Regional Library (GRRL) will receive approximately $400,000 in grant funding for arts and cultural heritage programming to take place in the first half of 2010.
That means each of the 32 GRRL branch libraries will be able to provide terrific programming for various age groups and interests. Here are some of the things already planned:
The Minnesota Zoomobile will present interactive presentations about nature and animals using real live animals.
StoryCorps will document local history through personal oral history interviews that will then become part of a local historical record and the collection of the Library of Congress.
Mixed Blood Theatre will provide professional, small scale plays in facilities partnering with libraries.
A virtual art museum will be created so the region’s artists can display their work to an unlimited audience.
GRRL’s laptop computer lab will tour the region together with experts on genealogical research. Up to 10 residents per session will be able to research family history.
And, each branch will have discretionary funding with which to book authors and musicians to speak and perform in their buildings.
Performers are being booked now, and calendars will be made available soon to inform the public of specific activities and dates. Keep watching for more news as it becomes available.
This project is funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage.