AG #3 ...[Out Like a Hells Yeah!]

Dang Y'all! 118 patron votes & $1,300 in arts funding last night left  me teary-eyed on the sidelines. Dubuque, WHAT IS UP?! That was awesome! Dubuque Museum of Art had more patrons lining the walls than their permanent collection. We ran out of soup, bowls, bread, dessert, proposal packets, but... folks started sharing, the hits kept coming, and the patrons kept giving.  

While Doug & Dona Schleiser rocked the mic, we enjoyed Ginger-carrot soup and homemade bread by The Food Store racking up 118 patron votes generating $1,300 dollars, marking a record high since our launch in September 2010.

The winning project from Outside The Lines Art Gallery co-owners Connie Twining and Stormy Mochal, along with local artists Elizabeth Roberts and Cole Butler, proposes to hold a “Chalk the Block” contest on September 17 in Cable Car Square.  Chalk the Block participants are given a section of sidewalk where they create an image drawn in chalk. The public is invited to watch the participants create and are encouraged to vote for their favorites.  The proceeds generated from the Chalk the Block event will serve as a fundraiser to establish a visual arts scholarship for a graduating Dubuque high school senior. 

            “Both Chalk the Block and the Visual Arts Scholarship are a perfect fit with our community’s movement towards fostering arts and cultural opportunities,” Stormy Mochal said, “The way we have structured the event gives all of us the chance to pitch in and contribute to the next generation of artists.”

Team OTLAG: Connie, Cole, Stormy, & Elizabeth.
(Photo by Dubuque365)

Several high-profile artists from the community will be recruited to participate in Chalk the Block in order to create a terrific spectator event.  There will also be live music and food to attract an even larger audience.

“This event is colorful, approachable, and interactive, it brings art to the people,” Connie Twining said, “Neighborhood events demonstrate a sense of community which is especially important for young participants to witness, and it will encourage them to get involved and to support the arts.”

Seven projects competed for the Spring Art Gumbo funding including proposals from Brick Road Films, Julien International Film Festival, Hillcrest Family Wellness Center, independent artist David Young, DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival Kids’ Art Tent, and Dubuque Art Theatre.

We must thank DMA for helping us grow this event, grown it so well in fact, that we need to find a bigger home for the June 30th installment.

Local legend says "Build it and they will come." Dang, did we build it.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 30, 2011. Location: Eagle Point Park Riverfront Pavillion. Turkey brats by Cremer's Grocery with summer salads, and a beer tasting by Dubuque Society of Brewers.  Hells Yeah.


FACT: Since our launch in September 2010 we have funded 3 proposals raising a total of $2,490 for Dubuque Art Projects.