Bad Attitude Productions - $4,175 to produce “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen. Chris McGahon, a St. Louis Park Resident, will be staged primarily with professional actors and will seek community members to assist with technical positions. For reduced tickets ($5), patrons can bring a canned food item or donation to benefit STEP. After the show, the actors will engage the audience in a discussion about the play and the production. This grant award is lower than originally proposed because of budget adjustments.
Harmony Theatre Company and School - $3,278 to produce a play based on Janusz Korczak, Jewish pedagogue, writer and doctor, and his Warsaw ghetto orphanage during World War II. This holocaust production is intended to promote tolerance, bring to light Janusz Korczak and his pupils who lived in the Warsaw ghetto, create a multicultural experience and encourage pride in the Eastern-European immigrant community. Harmony, at the request of committee, agreed to reduce their ticket fees to make the play more affordable and moved their venue to the High School to reduce fees. Approximately 35-40 tickets will be made available to low-to-moderate income residents free of charge and the city will approach Harmony about having a community discussion with the audience following the play. This grant award was reduced because the applicants moved their venue to reduce costs for renting performance space.
Homeward Bound, Inc. – $2,151 to build a mural in Webster House, which is home to individuals with disabilities and provides community gathering space. The mural will be on the north wall in the community gathering area and will be created by the residents of the home in concert with an artist, Mr. Micah Westby.
St. Louis Park Community Education - $5,900 to fund scholarships for low-to-moderate income students to attend a fine arts academy during the summer. This afternoon offering is new and will provide students who are participating in remedial summer school in the morning an opportunity to participate in dance, acting, singing and visual arts in the afternoon.
St. Louis Park Human Rights Commission – $1,000 to sponsor an international film series from June through December to draw diverse residents together to showcase diverse cultures and experience. Following the films, the Human Rights Commission will sponsor an audience forum to discuss the issues and movie. This award amount was reduced from the original request of $6,232.96 because the city will provide in-kind communication/marketing support to the film series.
Denise Tennen - $5,950 to create a ceramic sculptural mural in the main entrance at Lenox Community Center. The sculpture will be created on-site using Lenox kilns, and will be created with the help of community members. Ms. Tennen estimates that between 100 and 200 community members will be involved in the creation of this permanent mural.
Trolling for Olives Productions - $1,950 to produce a short film that will be filmed in St. Louis Park with the help of high school students and St. Louis Park film and television professionals. The film will be a creative commons movie, meaning that it will be in the public domain and is about a real-life event about a dog and a computer chip that is charming and funny. Once produced, the film will be shown at screenings in St. Louis Park and possibility at the Minneapolis Film Festival.
Marilyn Turisch - $3,235 to publish a book and companion study guide for STEP about a young boy whose family goes through a financial hardship and must rely on the food shelf. The books (500 copies) and study guides (200 copies) will be available at STEP and local libraries.