Armed with a total of $93,000 in new grant funding, the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph is about to embark on a $70,000 capital improvement project to support expanded public, programmable space on the center’s main floor, among other new improvements in the house.
The Krasl reports receiving grant funding totaling $93,000 from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), awarded through the MCACA fiscal year 2020. Funding includes $2,580 in federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and $3,000 of Emergency Relief Funds due to COVID-19
Additionally, $20,000 will support operations including monies for administrative costs, facility usage, travel, marketing, publicity & promotion, and artistic expenses.
The $70,000 capital improvement grant will support expanded public, programmable space on the main floor. Grant funds also provided for renovations to convert an old front office to a multi-function community lounge, updated fixtures and furnishings to enhance the guest experience in the museum shop and new lounge, and updated track lighting on the main floor. Those improvements support the Krasl’s long-term plan to optimize use of the campus and create comprehensive learning experiences for guests of all ages and abilities.
Organizations receiving MCACA Operating Support and Capital Improvement grants are required to match the funds with other public and private dollars, therefor the Krasl Art Center is seeking to raise $100,000 for the matching grants by September 2020. Gifts will be matched dollar for dollar by each MCACA grant – up to $100,000. Matching dollars for the center’s grants come, in part, through individual and corporate contributions and through exhibition sponsorship.
In Berrien County, 8 grants were awarded by the MCACA for a total of $207,916 out of the $341,322 requested. The association’s peer review process allows each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and cultural professionals. That ensures the taxpayers, who support the project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors and residents in Michigan have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.
Administrators invite you to stop by The Shop at Krasl Art Center throughout the year to see the improvements. Purchases made at the shop support the center and regional artists such as:
TJ SCHWARTZ – WOLVERINE WEAVER
St. Joseph, MI
Schwartz is a ceramicist and fiber artist living and working in St. Joseph. Gathering imagery from old family photographs and the natural landscape of Western Michigan, Schwartz depicts her own personal folklore in woven art, ceramics, and jewelry.
JAMIE HUBER OF JLH CERAMICS
St. Joseph, MI
Functional ceramics inspired by nature: colors, textures, and form. Jamie Huber is a local artist, educator, and Krasl Art Center Ceramics Guild Member who hopes that the love and bliss she feels when making ceramics is passed on to you in the piece you choose. Each design is hand-carved with carefully sanded and polished bottoms, giving a unique and one-of-a-kind feel. May they lighten your spirit and bring happiness to your home!
TINA TAVOLACCI
Coloma, MI
Tina Tavolacci is an artist from Coloma, working with hand-sawn copper forms, torch-fired vitreous glass enamel, and mixed media. Her inspiration is derived from nature as evidenced in the textures, impressions, color and subjects used in her work. As well as making art, Tina teaches art to Dowagiac middle school students.
GARY & TYLER DAVID – BRIGHT IDEA
Potosi, WI
Gary and Tyler David are a father and son woodworking duo. They started Bright Idea back in 2010 when 11-year-old Tyler discovered the process they use to color wood turned on a lathe. Now all Bright Idea pieces are colored with oil pastels, and together Gary and Tyler create colorful and whimsical works of home décor.
You can visit online at http://krasl.org/shop for a list of artists available in The Shop.
