(upbeat music) (upbeat music fades out) - Hello, and welcome to "Prairie Pulse."

Coming up a little bit later in the show, we'll meet Badger, Minnesota mosaic artist Sherri Kruger-Kukowski.

But first, our guest joining us now is Jessica Christy, the Executive Director of the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

Jessica, thanks for joining us today.

- Well, thank you for having me.

- As we get started, tell the folks a little bit about yourself and your background.

- Sure, yeah.

Well, I'm a North Dakota kid, born and raised.

I just came back from about 10 years in Chicago.

My parents are both artists.

They actually lived just north of here in Sanger, which is right off of the Cross Ranch State Park.

But I was raised on a farm just north of Valley City.

So, finished my graduate degree at UND about 15 years ago now, and proud to be back, and happy to be back in the state, so... - Well, so as we get started, what is North Dakota Council on the Arts?

- Yeah, we are a state agency.

We were designated in 1967.

So we're coming up on 60 years here as a state agency, and we're designated to support the arts and culture throughout the state.

- Okay.

Talk about maybe some of the programs, some of the grants that you administer, even, like, Art for Life program.

Tell us about some of that.

- Sure, sure.

So NDCA is often seen as primarily a granting organization.

So we have a number of grant programs that support arts organizations.

We support artists.

We support arts adjacent organizations, but we do have a number of other programs as well.

Like you mentioned, the Art for Life program supports the aging population.

So we bring artists to elder care facilities.

We pair them sometimes with schools.

So sometimes youth come and create art alongside the individuals at the aging facilities.

And it's a wonderful program.

It's a wonderful opportunity to make sure that we're getting arts in all areas of our community and throughout the state.

- Yeah, how do people find out about how to and when to apply for grants?

- Sure, yeah.

So we have a website.

Our website is arts.nd.gov.

All of our grants are listed there.

Feel free to reach out to us too.

So you can find our email or phone number there.

Even if folks have an idea or it's connected to the arts in some way and they're not sure if they can get support for it, please reach out to us.

We'd love to chat and provide support however we can.

- So the legislative session just completed recently.

How did North Dakota Council on the Arts fair in this session this year?

- I think we did fairly well.

It was my first session.

So, you know, I'm not sure that I'm the most seasoned person to give you that answer, but we did pretty well, and it was a really wonderful learning experience for myself as well.

We have a public art program called Arts Across the Prairie that we were trying to get some funding support for so we can get some large-scale public art works across the state.

And the legislature was supportive of that.

And yeah, it was, like I said, just a learning experience.

It was great to get to know more of our leaders and learn about the state process, you know, 'cause I'm an artist.

I didn't go to poli-sci school.

I keep saying I should have at least gotten a psychology degree maybe.

(laughs) But it was a interesting experience for sure.

- Now, you say you just recently got back from Chicago, back to North Dakota.

So how long have you been the executive director there?

When did you start as executive director?

- Yeah, I'm almost at my one-year mark.

So I've almost made a full calendar year.

It's been an incredible learning experience, but yeah, ready to celebrate the one-year mark for sure.

- Why are the arts so important in our lives?

- Yeah, we could talk at length about that.

You know, ultimately the arts allow us a way to communicate.

They allow us the opportunity to understand each other, understand other cultures, understand the world around us.

Specifically in North Dakota, it brings community together.

It's just a way for us to be able to connect in ways that other facets of our life don't allow for.

Whether it's through community theater, or performances, or, you know, even just sitting down to take an art class together, or getting creative with problem solving, the arts affect every aspect of our lives, and they're crucial in that regard.

- So with that said, and with session, and, you know, why is arts funding critical and important?

- Yeah, so specifically I could speak to, you know, thinking about investment of the arts.

The state invests just over a dollar per person in the arts in our state, but the return on investment on arts is fivefold.

It provides support to our educational system.

There's statistics that prove that chronic absenteeism is better and remedied through the arts.

It certainly is a way to help, and support, and heal through mental health services, general health services.

Like I said, it brings community together.

It helps us celebrate.

It helps make our lives more beautiful.

But I can always go back and speak to the return investment on arts.

There was a study that was done in our state a few years ago that showed that individuals who come and participate in cultural activities or performances or they go to an event, spend over $30 per person beyond the cost of admission.

So that's a pretty incredible value add to our communities that we're providing for the communities throughout our state.

- Do you find it difficult educating, well, lawmakers is what I've got here, but since it's your first session, but just lawmakers and people in general about the value of the arts?

- Yeah, I think a lot of people think that arts aren't black and white, right?

They can be a subjective thing, but ultimately the arts, like I said, are just, they're a part of the fabric of our lives.

So as long as we're able to speak to that and show that they're needed in our communities... We can have all the things in our communities.

You know, we can have the housing, we can have the new restaurants, we can have the grocery stores, we can have all those things that our communities need to thrive.

But if we don't have something for our citizens to do, to go out and celebrate... Not everyone's interested in going to the ball game.

So if our communities don't have the arts and the performances, what's going to keep our citizens here and interested in being a part of the fabric of North Dakota, you know?

So it's really easy to kind of tie it back to that.

And our agency as well is really focused on supporting and strengthening the capacity of our schools.

You know, we know that especially our rural schools can use support in the arts, and so we're really striving to support that.

So it's easy to make the case in that regard.

But, yeah, I would say sometimes it's a challenge because the arts can kind of be seen as a subjective thing when, to us, it's concrete needed investment.

- So what is the artistic community like in North Dakota?

- Oh, it's wonderful.

You know, and I tell this story all the time, that growing up in the state, being an artist in the state, you're kind of told, "Oh, you need to get out.

You need to go to the big city.

You need to go experience what real culture is out in the urban environment."

And so I thought, okay, well, I did it.

And yeah, it's wonderful.

Big cities are great.

They have amazing ecosystems.

But the thing that I learned there is that ultimately we have it here, and we have it throughout the state.

And not only do we have it in a real passionate way, like the larger cities do, the folks in North Dakota have to be really creative in the way that they build their creative structures and organizations because it's not always in place like it is in an urban environment.

So not only do we have the quality, we've also kind of got the scrappiness and the inventiveness that I would even say a lot of urban environments don't.

So I'm just thrilled to be back and supporting those minds and those ideas here in the state.

- Well, you mentioned you're a state agency, so how is your organization funded?

- [Jessica] Yeah.

- I mean, is it 100% by the state, or?

Yeah.

- That's a great question.

So we are funded partially by federal dollars, which come from the National Endowment for the Arts.

And those dollars come with a one-to-one state appropriation required match.

So the NEA could say, here's your money.

And if the state says, well, here's your money minus a dollar, we get nothing.

So the NEA really expects that the state show up and they show up for the arts agencies.

That's basically what our budget is made up of is the federal dollars as well as the state dollars.

But they're about half and half - All right, well, let's go to maybe some of your programs.

What is the Arts Across the Prairie about?

- Yeah, so the Arts Across the Prairie Program was a brainchild of the former director Kim Konikow.

It aims to put eight large public arts sculptures throughout the state, specifically in rural areas.

And the tagline is kind of no people, no buildings as a means to get folks to visit, you know, some of the quieter spots within our state.

So we have eight projects that will be going up in all regions of the state, all the way up to the very far northwest corner.

You know, we're working on a project in Balta outside of Gackle, Fordville up in region four.

They're really wonderful opportunities to not only get artwork in our state, but then also we provide artists trainings along with it.

So it's really important to us that we find ways to support the artists outside of grants in our agency.

So, you know, providing trainings, business support, all of that.

We're building out what that structure looks like, but we really hope to support the ecosystem of artists making public art in the state through this program.

- Yeah, can you tell us about the featured artists that work on exhibits that are in the state capitol, and how often does that change, or?

- Yeah, absolutely.

Actually, we just installed the governor's photo contest winners are up on the 18th floor now.

Before that, it was an artist named Linda Dalman, who wrote a book about Medora, and had her paintings on display.

They change out a few times a year, and it's just a wonderful opportunity to have something for the visitors to the capitol to be able to go see, see the artists of North Dakota, celebrate the arts of North Dakota, and see the incredible works that our artists make in the state.

- Yeah.

Well, so many programs.

Can you talk about maybe the Arts in Juvenile Justice?

- Yeah, it's such a wonderful program.

So our Artists in Residence program pairs artists in the schools, and this is a leg of that.

So we have a couple of artists, Fred Edwards and Joe Davis, who are both spoken word poets.

They go into the Youth Correctional Center, and they provide this residency opportunity where they teach the youth about writing poetry, performing poetry, self-confidence strengths, business building opportunities.

And then, the youth go through this week long process.

And even Fred has been cooking with the youth.

So at the very end, they celebrate through food, and sharing food, and sharing a meal together.

And then the students perform.

And it's really, really incredible.

It's a wonderful program, seeing the students just shine and be really proud of their words, but also their business plans, which was just a really wonderful perk of the last time I was there.

It's one of the highlights of the work that I get to do is seeing that program.

- Hmm, well, can you tell me about your journey as an artist, you mentioned, yeah, you're an artist, and what you specialize in?

- Sure.

Yeah, absolutely.

So, like I said, my parents are both artists, and I decided to go into the family business.

My father's a painter.

My mother's a print maker, and in graduate school, I decided to go the printmaking route.

So printmaking is a lot about process and about problem solving, things that serve me quite well in the job that I'm in now.

But, ultimately, I really like the way that process happens for art.

For me, it's less about the final product and more about how do I get to that final product?

How do I problem solve that?

And that's a lot of what printmaking is.

So I'm really proud to take those skills into this more of the office side of the work.

But it helps me get creative when, for instance, if we do have funding struggles, you know, I keep telling our team at NDCA that it's okay.

No matter what happens, we'll be fine because we're creative folks, and that's what we do, is we problem solve.

So I say being an artist, as much as I say, and maybe I should have gone to some poli-sci classes, the arts have served me okay, as well.

- Yeah, can you talk about the importance of indigenous artists and storytellers in North Dakota?

- Certainly, absolutely.

Yeah, like I said, so our designation is to support arts and culture throughout the entire state.

But focusing and supporting tradition and indigenous makers is absolutely crucial.

They're absolutely a huge part of the fabric of our state, and making sure that we are supporting tradition in all ways as it's seen through arts and culture is incredibly important.

We recognize that in some cultures, art is culture, and art is life, and that it's not up to us to designate what that looks like.

For instance, our apprenticeship program supports the training of traditional arts and making sure that they continue from generation to generation.

So the program supports supplies and paying the trainer and the trainee for their time to be able to pass along a skill.

And often that comes through traditional support and supporting traditional activities and arts, so those traditions continue throughout our state.

It's incredibly important.

- Well, let's talk about your structure a little bit.

How many people work at North Dakota Council on the Arts?

- Yeah, so we're probably one of the smaller agencies.

We have eight team members.

So, you know, we are small but mighty I'll say.

And each of us have a very designated role, but we work really well together.

I'm incredibly lucky to be a part of this team.

- So my understanding is you have a board of directors.

Can you talk about what's the makeup of that and what's their role?

- Sure, yeah.

Our board is fantastic.

We have nine members.

Eight of them are designated from each of the eight regions that the state is comprised of, that the state is made up of at the legislative level.

And they're kind of our eyes and ears for us.

So if we know that there's something happening up in region one, which I had to learn what these were up in the northwest corner of the state, you know, I can call up our board member and say, hey, what's going on in your area?

And they report back to us.

They're really crucial to making sure that we are aware of what's happening in our communities, in those specific regions of the state.

- And did you say how are they elected, or how are they appointed, or what?

- Yeah, so they go through a process.

They're ultimately approved by the governor.

- Okay.

- So it goes through that process, yep.

- Can the public get involved with you at all?

Volunteering or doing anything?

- Absolutely.

I mean, certainly, I would say that if somebody wants to get involved, to look at your community, look at what's going on in your community, look at the arts organizations in your community.

Perhaps there's a community theater that you can support, or maybe there's an artist in residence in your child's school.

If you're not interested in volunteering or being a part of an org, go to an event, go to a play, go to a symphony, try something new.

Supporting the arts is supporting artists and supporting the continuation of the creativity that we feel is so crucial in our communities.

So anything you can do, whether it's volunteering, or showing up at a summer festival, you know, just participating, it brings community together.

And every last bit of that is important.

- You know, as you talked, you've been there about a year now, so now you've completed that cycle, that first year.

So what is your vision or goals for the future?

- Yeah, I think at NDCA, it's really important that we make sure we're supporting every community in North Dakota, that we focus on areas that maybe we haven't been reaching prior, whether it's a rural community, or whether it's a part of the state.

We wanna make sure that we're also not just focusing on grants.

We wanna build out our services, so that the artists, the creatives, the communities who want more artistic opportunities in their community or for themselves, have that.

And what does that look like?

Does that look like supporting artists through business development?

Does that look like making sure that that artist who maybe isn't quite ready to move to the next step, but they're not quite sure what to do, gets support?

Does it look like maybe that artist, like myself, who was ready to say, I've done what I've done here, I'm gonna leave?

Maybe if there's more opportunity for support there, we won't be losing creatives, and we can keep them here in our state, and make sure that they are a part of our ecosystem here in the state.

- Okay, if people are interested, you know, how can people apply for grants?

You know, what's available out there?

How do they go about it?

- Sure, yeah, please go to our website, arts.nd.gov.

You can learn about our grants there.

Like I said, if you're not into computers, give us a call.

Our phone number is listed there.

We're happy to chat.

We're happy to help you problem solve and figure out if any of your projects would fit for funding.

We're also just happy to hear about what's going on.

That's one of the best things about my job is learning about the creatives and the creative initiatives in their state.

So I love to just chat and hear what's going on as well.

- Well, with that said though, what is the best part of your job?

- Oh, you know, get me away from the computer, get me outta my email inbox, and get me out to the orgs, and the activities happening in the state.

That makes me really, really excited.

Going to the YCC and seeing the performances there.

Going to a school.

I was at a school symposium a couple weeks ago.

It was wonderful.

The students were singing and dancing, and they were into it.

They were learning about musicians from Jordan.

It was a beautiful opportunity, and that's what makes me, you know, be okay with getting back, and clicking through the computer, and going to, you know, the capitol.

I just really love seeing what's going on in the state.

- Yeah.

Well, you've mentioned it a few times, but really, if people want more information, if they want to get involved, where's the best place for 'em to go?

What can they do?

- Yeah, we've got a website, like I mentioned.

We also have Facebook and Instagram.

So if you're more social media minded, you can find us there.

You can message us on there, if you've got questions.

Give us a call, Send me an email.

I'm happy to chat.

- Well, Jessica, good luck to you in the future, and thank you so much for joining us today.

- Thank you for having me.

- Stay tuned for more.

(upbeat music) For 30 years, Sherri Kruger-Kukowski has been creating mosaic art in her studio in Badger, Minnesota.

Her primary medium is stained glass, and she loves to incorporate natural materials, like driftwood and rocks, to add texture.

Each piece has intricate hidden details that evoke emotion and inspire interaction with the viewer.

(peaceful music) - I am a stained glass mosaic artist, but I also dabble in multimedia mosaics.

I have been a mosaic artist for approximately 30 years, and it started with seeing a stepping stone in a wayside rest.

(peaceful music continues) Stained glass is the type of glass that you see in your church window, so it allows light inside.

But the very cool thing about stained glass is it will also reflect light to you.

(tool clicking) So the process is making all kinds of little itty bitty pieces and putting 'em all back together again into a pattern, or design, or imagery.

And I like to use stained glass as my primary medium, but then I also bring in natural items such as rocks, driftwood, seashells, just different things to give it some texture.

Well, I have a piece on the counter behind me that I've started.

And it started with a picture.

And I take a piece of tracing paper and lay it over the picture, draw out the main lines of the imagery, then find a copy machine, and start blowing it up, and making it different sizes.

Sometimes I'll shrink it.

Sometimes I'll enlarge it.

Sometimes I'll only enlarge a portion of it.

And then it's to start picking the glass out of an assortment of colors to try to decide what mood are you trying to create?

And then you start cutting it, scoring, cutting, chipping, and then you start putting it back together piece by piece, gluing, and finally, once everything's in place and that's ready, you may do a final grout, and then we just clean it, and seal it, frame it if it needs to be framed, and then it's ready for your home.

(peaceful music) Seems like most of my artwork is around nature.

I'm more comfortable working with nature.

I've been really dabbling in a lot of abstract, but even the abstracts are based on colors in nature.

One of the pieces that I just finished is 20 little five by sevens.

They're seasons.

So it's the colors of the seasons as they transpire from one season into the next.

And that one still is all about the colors of nature.

(tool scraping) My favorite part is probably the actual just cutting.

And when I get a cut to go, just the perfect way.

It flows.

It comes across the line, and it just cracks right down the line where you want it and separates.

Those are probably my favorite moments 'cause I'm like, "Whew, look at that cut I just did.

That was pretty great."

(peaceful music) Everything is hand-cut now, completely, either with a chipper, which creates little chips of glass to work with, or slivers of glass, or we'll score major shape.

It's just a glass score.

It creates a little scratch in the glass.

And then use a breaking pliers to apply the correct pressure to make it break.

And just depending on what I'm doing that day and how I'm feeling, sometimes it breaks really nicely.

And sometimes you just put all your tools down, and you go find something else to do.

I also use a grinder to get some of those shapes or we call 'em glass boogers, where there's little sharp points or little bumps that you wanna take off.

We'll use that.

You've also got breaking pliers and running pliers, and there are just a plethora of tools available to try to make sure your edges get to where you need them to be.

I know I've completed a piece of work when, one, I'm satisfied with how it looks, but also I always have a size in mind.

I always start with a frame.

(peaceful music) I went to Philadelphia on a grant from the Northwest Arts Council to study public art.

And Bonnie Fitzgerald, the instructor there, said, "Start at home."

So I came back to Badger, thinking about trying to put together something about the history of our community.

The heritage wall in Badger is a 24 foot by 10 foot stained glass mosaic wall.

We had it inside a building on Main Street, and that way the community could come in, and they could work on it.

And I would just give them an area and a bucket of already cut glass and said, you know, "Fill this piece, fill this spot in this map."

(peaceful music) The mood of my artwork often goes with what mood I'm in or what colors I'm working with.

If you're working with yellows, and reds, and oranges, it's gonna be a much brighter, upbeat piece.

The piece I'm working on right now is a dark piece because it was shot at sunset, so you're working in a lot of dark, dark blues.

So it's getting brighter.

And then down here it's gonna get really orange, and then it's gonna get really dark again.

(peaceful music) When people come to see my art, I want them to feel something.

I want them to be able to come away with just a calmness or a quirky smile.

I like to hide things in my artwork.

It's just like the heritage wall, you know, unless you walk up to it, you don't see Otis that's an inch and a half high sitting below the porch, or the little chickens over on the far side.

There's a lot more to it than what you first glance at.

And what's interesting at art shows is people will make a quick lap, and then they'll start circling back.

And I like to see the ones that have made, like, three or four trips past my booth 'cause something has caught their eye.

And then, they'll finally engage with you so that you can visit with them about the process.

The fact that art can be interactive I think is very, very important.

(peaceful music) (peaceful music fades out) - Well, that's all we have on "Prairie Pulse" this week.

And as always, thanks for watching.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4th, 2008, and by the members of Prairie Public.

(upbeat music fades out)