Several of our CAFAC board members have recently been featured in the media, and even though these stories aren't about CAFAC specifically, both discuss a big part of what makes us tick!
Board members Ryan Knoke and Montana Scheff were recently featured in an article in the Star Tribune about their efforts to research the history of our neighborhood, and draw attention to restoration and preservation work in the community. Check it out at: http://www.startribune.com/local/west/91983789.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU
And our very own Heather Doyle was featured in MN Original, a new weekly series on PBS celebrating Minnesota's creative community. http://www.mnoriginal.org/art/?p=607
Way to go, guys! Don't forget us when you're famous!
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our fundraiser at the Parkway last Thursday! It was a wonderful event, and we are so grateful for our amazing volunteers who made this night possible:
To the spectacular Charmin Michelle and the amazing Kevin Anthony and their bands for sharing their musical talents with us. They had the joint jumpin'!
To Kevin Obsatz for his amazing work making our documentary!
To Betsey Giles and her team for the beautiful set decoration, and to Janet and her friends at Richfield Floral for the beautiful bouquet. Breathtaking! To Joe Senkyr Menjares, our host for the evening, and his entire family, for sharing their beautiful building, the delicious treats, and most of all the incredibly warm welcome--thank you so much everyone!
To the fabulous Julie Denning, who took these lovely pictures!
To our volunteers Brian, Connie, Matthew, Jen, Molly and Elise for keeping the show running!
And especially to our supporters, who came, who gave, and shared a fantastic night with us!
Thanks so much everyone! We can't do this without you!
With heartful thanks for helping us get those sparks flying! Ryan, Heather, Montana, Victoria, Scott & Maren
We're delighted to announce our next big event, "A Fundraiser to Remember," which will take place on April 22, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis.
This is one fundraiser that promises to live up to its name! We’re honored to have two critically acclaimed—and entirely unique—local musical acts lending their incredible talents in support of CAFAC: Jazz vocalist Charmin Michelle and Cajun Country musician Kevin Anthony & The Twin City Playboys. We're also proud to present the world premiere of the short documentary about how CAFAC got started.
The Swingin' Sophistication of Charmin Michelle
With savoir-faire to spare, Charmin Michelle will deliver the kind of swingin’ sophistication that has made her a fixture on the Twin Cities jazz scene for more than 20 years. No stranger to such prestigious local venues as the Dakota Jazz Club, Charmin has also been featured on Minnesota Public Radio and performed at jazz festivals around the world. Charmin will be joined by an intimate trio, including long-time collaborator and jazz guitarist Joel Shapira. Read more about Charmin at www.charmsongs.com/.
The Hot Cajun Country Vibe of Kevin Anthony & The Twin City Playboys
Critically acclaimed local musician—and neighborhood resident—Kevin Anthony will bring his unique blend of Cajun and Country to the Parkway Theater, along with his band The Twin City Playboys. A smooth, soulful singer, guitarist, and lyricist, Anthony’s vintage Country vibe is at once reminiscent of an entirely different time in music—and yet entirely fresh and modern. Check him out at www.tcplayboys.com/Home.html.
The World Premiere of All Fired Up: Igniting the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center
The event will also feature the world premiere of the short documentary by local filmmaker (and fire artist!) Kevin Obsatz, All Fired Up: Igniting the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center. The film chronicles CAFAC's story, from a mere spark of an idea to what it is today. Visit Kevin's website at www.videohaiku.com/.
Catering by Pepitos
Delicious hors d'oeuvres will be catered by Pepitos and a cash bar available for attendees to enjoy a famous Pepitos margarita or other libation of their liking. A sincere thank you goes out to our good friend and neighbor (and owner of Pepitos and the Parkway Theater) Joe Senkyr Minjares!
Please Join Us...and Help Spread the Word!
With the anticipated opening of the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center just months away, your support now is critical. In order to open our doors, we are raising funds to equip our glass and metal working facilities, to install a state-of-the-art ventilation system, and to complete the renovation of our building's facade. We need your help to stoke this fire, and bring a unique nonprofit arts resource to our community! Please mark your calendars, bring a friend, and join us for this exclusive, one-night-only engagement to show your support for CAFAC. Indeed, it should be a memorable night filled with good food, lots of fun, and superb entertainment—and all for a great cause!
Date: Thursday, April 22, 2010
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Kevin Anthony @ 6:30 p.m.
All Fired Up @ 7:30 p.m.
Charmin Michelle @ 8:00 p.m.
Location: Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis
Suggested Minimum Donation:$25
If you're not able to join us for the event, but would like to show your support with a tax-deductible donation, we have a number of ways for you to do so:
Just wanted to give everyone a little update on how things are progressing with the renovations. As with any construction project we've had a few surprises--some good, some not so pleasant, but things are moving along a good pace!
We went to check things the past weekend and managed to snap a few pics, so here's a quick peak at how things are going.
First, the gallery area is coming along nicely. After taking apart the existing office, we realized it would be relatively easy to raise the ceiling by a few feet, so we now have much more vertical space in what will be the gallery. This is what it looks like from the shop area looking back at the front entrance.
And here's Victoria in what will be her office:
As you can see, much of the original blond brick is still in great shape.
The projection room will eventually be a multipurpose room and conference area, but there is obviously still a lot of work to be done!
One of the not so pleasant surprises we've had to deal with is that the ceiling and roof are in worse shape than we had hoped.
This was an expensive surprise, but there always are a few with any construction project! As you can see, our contractor has found a way to work around it by adding additional I-beams that run perpendicular to the original ones.
If you look closely, here you can see the five 10x10" cutouts in the middle of the photo where the south side of the building is being prepped for the I-beams that will support the mezzanine. Once the ceiling repairs are done, the next step will be construction of the mezzanine, and then we'll probably be putting a shout out for volunteers to help with some clean-up around March 6th.
Seems like we've been pumping out grant application after grant application over the past few weeks, and we just received some fabulous news about a couple of them from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC)!
CAFAC was one of a number of organizations who were awarded capital grants to fund infrastructure projects. The $10,000 grant we were awarded will go towards our ventilation system which is a critical component of our building plans. The ventilation system we have planned is a point-of-source system which will be used to filter particulates out of the air, to ensure that CAFAC provides a safe working environment for our students, studio artists, instructors, and our neighborhood.
We also received a smaller grant to work with a fundraising consultant to help us keep moving towards our goals. We have come a long way since our first fundraiser (a yard sale in which we raised about $300!), but we've still got a long way to go, and having some professional help to keep us moving in the right direction will be a tremendous step towards making sure we meet our goals.
embers Ryan Knoke and Montana Scheff were recently featured in an article in the Star Tribune about their efforts to research the history of our neighborhood, and draw attention to restoration and preservation work in the community. Check it out at:
