Newsletter December 2022

In This Issue

AOTL Receives $100,000 Grant from Blandin Foundation
Holiday Open House December 3 at the Gallery
Member Holiday Party December 13
Learning and Teaching Opportunities

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Art of the Lakes Receives $100,000 Grant from Blandin

Proposed Arts Center Site

More info

contribute

Art of the Lakes Association has received a $100,000 Blandin Foundation Leadership Boost Grant to develop a creative center in Battle Lake. The center will use the arts as an incubator for community involvement and regional economic development.

More than 300 Letters of Interest were submitted for funding. Based on their interest letter, AOTL was invited to submit a full application for a Creative Placemaking grant. The grant was awarded in mid-November.

Art of the Lakes intends to use the funds as seed money to transform the former First Lutheran Church / LACC building in Battle Lake into a rural arts center. AOTL will work with the building's owner, Bruce Fuhrman, to reimagine and create both a maker space and a performing arts space in the building.

"The primary focus of this project is to use the arts to stimulate our region's economy and to create easier access to creative opportunities," said Kristi Swee Kuder, President of AOTL.

"This grant will help us establish and operate the center in its initial months, and create a blueprint for growth. We plan to seek additional financial support in order to meet the current and future creative needs of our rural community."

More information will become available as the project gets underway.

To help us leverage this grant even more, please consider making a tax-deductible year-end contribution!

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Holiday Open House
December 3 ​In the Gallery

Art of the Lakes will host a Holiday Open House in its Gallery on Saturday, December 3, from 9 am to 4 pm.
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Our Gallery in Battle Lake has many unique artisan-made gifts to fit your pocketbook! Every $10 spent on art gives you one chance to win one of many gifts! Complimentary bites and refreshments will be served all day long.

​Make art a part of your holiday this year. See you there!

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Member Holiday Party
​December 13

All members are invited to celebrate the holidays with your AOTL friends and colleagues on December 13, starting at 5:30 pm in the Gallery.

​Bring your favorite yummy dish to share. Also bring a gift (handmade by you or someone else) if you want to exchange with other members. And of course bring your singing voices, as there'll be caroling led by our wonderful Sandy Thimgan.

​Happy Holidays!

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Learning and Teaching Opportunities

Winter Workshops
We have an exciting winter of workshops planned. We would love to have you attend one or more of them! Better yet, why not volunteer to help make them happen?!

• Knitting with Heidi Hull, January 9 and 16
• Glass beads for youth with Jodi Peterson, January 21
• Snow dying for kids and adults with Kristi Kuder, February 18 & 19
• Felting for teens with Mary Jo Wentz, February 28 
• Felting for adults with Mary Jo March 18 
• Mary Williams will be doing a clay class in early March

We also need volunteers and instructors for "Parent and Me" workshops for parents of small children. These will be monthly workshops with dates to be determined.
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Please email Kathrine McDowell if you're interested in helping out.

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Teaching Opportunities
Are you interested in teaching a class? Submit an idea right here.

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Help Us Plan Classes 
​We would also love to get your input on classes you would like to take in 2023. Please email Kathrine with your thoughts. ​

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Got news? Send stories and images to Tom Kuder, [email protected]