1. Arts Midwest –  Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States, serving audiences, arts organizations, and artists throughout our nine member states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Its mission is to promote creativity, nurture cultural leadership, and engage people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. At the root of its work is a deep and unwavering belief in the transformative power of art and creativity. Created in 1985, Arts Midwest has positively impacted the lives of Midwest residents in communities large and small through our performing and visuals arts programs The current grant is to support Arts Midwest World Fest that will take place in Detroit Lakes, MN in April 2013. The Fest will involve Tarim from Uygur Autonomous Region of China. This group will connect with adults and children as performers, cultural ambassadors, and teachers on Chinese arts and culture.

2. Minnesota Historical Society –  “The Society is continuously engaged with communities of color and American Indian nations, and the diversity of Minnesotans is reflected in the Society’s collections, programs, staffing and governance.” One of six priorities outlined in the Society’s new strategic plan, June 2012. The purpose of the current grant is to build bridges between people via arts traditions. This grant will help underwrite the creation of a 30 minute adaptation, in partnership with TPT, of the MHS Press book Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota Since 1875. It will explore the story of immigrants and refugees making their way to Minnesota for new beginnings or looking for work to support themselves and their families. The program will look at families, chefs and restaurants, past and present that have introduced Asian foods to Minnesota over the past 140 years. Asian Flavors will explore a wide variety of cuisines, restaurants and personal stories. The program will be broadcast six times on six PBS affiliate television stations throughout Minnesota from February 2013 to January 2014

3. U.S. China People’s Friendship Association, Minnesota Chapter – This grant is for underwriting the development of the first-ever comprehensive Chinese shadow puppetry website by Annie Rollins for an English speaking audience: a full resource for new scholars, teachers, students, artist and general enthusiasts. Annie Rollins studied the art of shadow puppetry with a famous troupe in Shaanxi Province in China. Chinese shadow puppetry is a blend of live performance, visual arts, oral history, ethnography and storytelling. On a Fulbright Fellowship in China, Rollins did research and apprenticeships in seven provinces with the country’s last remaining shadow masters. After returning home in early 2012, she sought to bring her knowledge and experience to Minnesota. She conceived, wrote, directed and designed There’s Nothing To Tell, painstakingly hand-cutting the cast of leather puppets to begin the process of making the art form her own. She trained four new Minnesotan puppeteers and worked with a composer to incorporate both Chinese music and soundscapes as well as the group’s own aural aesthetic. What seemed like an experiment was an absolute success.

4. Chinese Heritage Foundation Friends – This grant is for the development of commissioning a contemporary opera based on the beloved Chinese literary classic, Dream of the Red Chamber, to be written by Chinese composer Bright Sheng, for a world premiere in fall of 2016. These activities promote understanding of Chinese cultural heritage to a wide, diverse audience; encourage creativity; increase dialogue; build friendships; and nurture future leaders.

5. Minnesota Chinese Dance Theater (MCDT) – MDCT has provided Chinese dance lessons by its Artistic Director and four public workshops by master artists from China of four distinct disciplines, and will present them at its 20th Anniversary concert on June 9, 2012 at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium featuring three famous vocalists from China. 

6. Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) – The current grant to MIA is for the support of the exhibition, “The First Emperor: Return of the Warriors,” which will open at the museum on October 27, 2012 in the Target Special Exhibition Gallery. The exhibition will feature newly excavated works from perhaps the greatest archaeological discovery of our time: the life-sized army of terracotta warriors buried in the subterranean mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, the local prince who became the First Emperor of China in 221 BCE. Through daily public tours, school tours, Family Day, and lectures, the MIA anticipates that the exhibition will serve approximately 100,000 visitors from the Twin Cities and across the region.

7. Stages Theatre – This grant is to support the development and presentation of the world premiere production of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, based on the book by Grace Lin. Funds will be used to help cover production expenses and for outreach efforts that will provide free and low-cost tickets to underserved communities. The collaborative approach of Stages Theatre’s CEO, Sandy Boren-Barett, with schools and school districts has led to the design of effective arts integrated program models and curricula. She has also served on the design team for the Minneapolis Public Schools’ initiative, Arts for Academic Achievement. In 2011Stages Theatre served 16 schools through its school-based programs. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a wondrous novel with an epic journey and memorable characters. It is a fantasy story crossed with Chinese folklore. In the Valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune.