Give to the Max Day is almost here!

Don’t forget to support Twin Cities Fine Arts Organization (TCFAO) tomorrow, November 16th, for Give to the Max Day! Donating to TCFAO helps to ensure that we are able to increase the visibility of the arts in your community through:

• Events
• Email newsletters
• The annual Gallery Guide
• And more!

Give to the Max day is hosted by GiveMN, a collaborative venture to transform philanthropy in Minnesota by growing charitable giving, both online and overall. While your donations are greatly appreciated every day of the year, Give to the Max Day harnesses the generous spirit of Minnesotans to raise as much money as possible for nonprofits in a 24 hour period. With many nonprofits offering gift matching and prize money available to top earners, there is no better time to donate. Visit the TCFAO GiveMN page here.

One donor per hour will be chosen by GiveMN to be given a matching grant of $1,000. Please consider making your donation early in the morning or late at night to increase your chances of winning!
Don’t forget to look for our member organizations as well. Thank you for your support!

For more information on Give to the Max Day, visit GiveMN.org.

MCBA Book Arts Festival

The 10th Annual Book Arts Festival at Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) is coming up on November 19th! Free and open to the public, this is a great holiday event for the whole family.

Bring your holiday gift list as you browse items from more than 40 artist vendors. With choices like fine press artist’s books, hand-bound blank journals, decorative papers and letterpress cards, there is something that is perfect for everyone. This is a great place to buy local, handmade goods from independent sellers to support the Minnesota book arts community.

Participate in free art-making activities with your family or friends, including custom button-making and creating mini Japanese stab-bound books. Don’t miss the demonstrations taking place throughout the day and be sure to check out the special sales at The Shop at MCBA.

Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts
1011 Washington Ave. S, Minneapolis MN 55415

For more information, call The Shop at (612) 215-2520 or visit MCBA online.

Message from Minnesota Citizens for the Arts

Yesterday's Minneapolis Star Tribune held some great news for arts advocates:

"The idea floated recently of using Legacy funds, which are dedicated to  projects benefiting the environment, arts and cultural heritage, was  shot down by the poll respondents -- 77 percent opposed using Legacy  funds for a stadium, compared to 21 percent in favor."

This news comes after a chaotic week in which the momentum to hold a special session to fund the stadium came to a screeching halt when Speaker Kurt Zellers said that the House would prefer to deal with the stadium during the upcoming regular session. Gov. Dayton declared that he would not, therefore, as previously planned, come out with a stadium proposal today after all. It is clear that there is no agreement on how to pay for the stadium, which is why crazy ideas like using Legacy funds are being tossed around. At the moment, using upgraded electronic pull tabs as the main funding source seems to have the most legs, but things remain fluid and could drag on for some time. 

The other good news is that you arts advocates have now delivered over 14,500 messages to your elected officials in opposition of using Legacy funds for the stadium. Some of this response has come from our friends at Conservation Minnesota and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, who put out alerts to their members to oppose the move to use Legacy funds because it would set a bad precedent for misuse of the land, water, and parks funds. It's great to see our coalition from the campaign in 2008 still working together for the good of all.

While the Legacy idea seems to have lost some steam due in part to your overwhelming response, it will not go away entirely until a funding package for the  stadium is put together, or until it is clear that the team doesn't have  legislative support to build one at all. We will remain vigilant until this is resolved, as it may come back to life. If you haven't had a chance to voice your opposition, it's not too late. You can send letters to the Governor and legislature here.

Call for Artists: Crafty Pancakes

The FAIR School Crystal is looking for artists to show at their Crafty Pancakes 2011 event on Saturday, December 3rd from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is an arts and crafts fair to benefit the school. Artists must be 18 or older and all art must be appropriate for viewers of all ages. Artists with small items to offer (i.e. wearable art and jewelry, textiles, ceramics, ornaments, prints, etc.) are especially encouraged to participate. The exhibition fee is $25 and 20% of all sales are donated to FAIR Crystal PTO. Artists should carry their own insurance and are responsible for watching and selling their  art during the event.

For more information email Mcgrillart@q.com.