MISSION STATEMENT

MISSION
Why do we exist?
The Bloomington Art Center exists to stimulate creativity by making high quality arts programs accessible to people of all ages, skills and abilities.

AUDIENCE
Whom do we serve?
1. Citizens, primarily from the southwest metro region, seeking creative experience either as artists or viewers of art.
2. Families with children, providing art education to all ages and abilities.
3. Artists, primarily at the emerging level, from the five-state region, providing opportunities for exhibitions, performances and employment.

VALUES
What principles guide our decision making?
1. We value the importance of art in every day life.
2. We value creative work of high artistic integrity when measured by accepted critical standards of artistic quality.
3. We value freedom of artistic expression within the
acceptable norms of the community we serve.
4. We value service to our audiences and respect for our customers.
5. We value stewardship of all resources.

VISION
What does success look like five years from now?
The Bloomington Art Center is the model of a highly visible, vibrant and financially stable organization offering quality arts, education and entertainment programming with broad participation by community members.

ABOUT THE ART CENTER
Founded in 1976, the Bloomington Art Center is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Operating funds are generated by membership donations and special events, as well as corporate, government and private contributions. The Art Center is also supported by the City of Bloomington, a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as a grant from the McKnight Foundation.

The Bloomington Art Center is a member of the Bloomington Fine Arts Council, Twin Cities Fine Arts Organization, Local Community Arts League, American Association of Community Theaters and Minnesota Association of Community Theaters.

EDUCATION
The Bloomington Art Center offers classes for children and adults, for beginners and those more advanced. Sessions are offered each fall, winter and spring. The summer offerings consist of art day camps for children as well as shortened, flexible sessions for children and adults.

The studio spaces allow for work in painting, drawing, printmaking, pottery, ceramic sculpture and stained glass. Classes incorporate art history and the renowned artists, as various techniques and skills are explored. In addition to regularly scheduled classes, the Art Center offers advanced-level workshops featuring nationally-known instructors.

The Art Center's theater program, the Gallery Theater Company, provides participation opportunities for community players of all ages. Productions are presented in the Black Box Theater.

Nine Mile Creek Theater is our youth theater program that presents an ensemble production each Spring. Classes in stage performance for youth are offered Fall and Winter Sessions, and a three-week workshop is held each Summer.

ARTISTS' RESIDENCIES
The Art Center has established an Artist Residency Program in which professional artist/instructors go into the schools to teach special classes or workshops. The residencies may incorporate aspects of the school curriculum or special topics requested by the individual schools. The goals are to expose students to artists and their profession, culturally enrich their scholastic experience, and encourage creative thinking.

OUTREACH
In addition to the Artist Residency Program, the Art Center brings youth hands-on art experiences by providing after-school enrichment classes to area schools. Classes are offered to preschool and home schools as well.

EXHIBITIONS
The Bloomington Art Center's Exhibition Program shows artwork of professional artists residing in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin. There are usually six exhibitions per year showing quality artwork executed in a variety of media and styles. In addition, an annual 3rd District Congressional High School Art Competition is held each spring at Wells Fargo Bank, Bloomington. Free guided tours of the Bloomington Art Center Gallery are available by appointment.

MEMBERSHIP
Membership to the Bloomington Art Center is open to individuals, families, businesses and clubs. Members receive such benefits as priority registration, reduced rates for classes, eligibility to enter our annual Members' Juried Exhibition, invitations to special events and exhibit openings, reduced fees on Birthday Parties and the loan of books from our library.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer opportunities allow members to assist with exhibit openings, special events like our annual antique sale and gala, and general office responsibilities. Call Susan at (952) 563-8745 if you would like to volunteer.

BAC DONORS

The McKnight Foundation
Minnesota State Arts Board
Allan and Debby Schneider
Katherine & Michael Carney
Charlotte Davis
Diana & Craig Llewellyn
The Malm Family Foundation
Sharon & Bruce Hendry
Don G. Davis Memorial
Eleanor Lee Memorial
Henry Thibault Memorial
Sandra & Richard Jacobson
Phyllis Meredith
William Muchow
Kathleen Pettit
David & Jolene Phillips
Glen Prairie Press

BLOOMINGTON FINE ARTS COUNCIL "GRAND GIVERS"
Thank you to the following businesses, foundations and individuals who support the Bloomington Fine Arts Council at the $1,000 level or higher:
Bloomington Acura Subaru
Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
Buuck Family Foundation
City of Bloomington
Crowne Plaza Bloomington
Donaldson Company Inc.
HealthPartners
JNBA Financial Advisors
Kraus-Anderson Realty Company
Mall of America
Park Nicollet Foundation
Park Nicollet Health Services
Ramada Mall of America Hotel
Richfield Bloomington Credit Union
Rotary Club of Bloomington Noon
Allan and Debby Schneider
The Toro Giving Program
Wells Fargo Bank

"GRAND GIVERS: IN-KIND"
Thank you to the following businesses that supported the 2007 Taste of Chocolate with in-kind donations of $1,000 or more:
Award Baking International
Blue Water Grille, Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Hotel
B. T. McElrath Chocolatier, Inc.
Chop House Restaurant, Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington Hotel
Creative Confectionaire
From Nicole's Kitchen
Groveland Confections
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant
Minnesota Monthly
Muffuletta in the Park
Napa Valley Grille/California Café
Toro Giving Program
Truffles & Tortes
Woolley's Prime Steakhouse

OFFICE HOURS:
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:00 pm

GALLERY HOURS:
Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Saturday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, 1:00-10:00 pm

BAC STAFF MEMBERS

KATHLEEN H. CORLEY
Interim Executive Director
952-563-8745
kcorley@bloomingtonartcenter.com

RACHEL FLENTJE
Exhibition Director
952-563-8570
rachel@bloomingtonartcenter.com

DOHN THIBAULT
Producing Director
952-563-8571
dohn@bloomingtonartcenter.com

NANCY LAMBERGER
Publicity Director
952-563-8568
nanlamb@bloomingtonartcenter.com

DIANE MESKAN
Education & Marketing Director
952-563-8569
dmeskan@bloomingtonartcenter.com

CONNIE GUNDERSON
Pottery Studio & Gift Shop Manager
952-563-8571
cgunderson@bloomingtonartcenter.com

BAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2008
Diana Herman - President
Lisa McDaniel - Vice President
Sue Stein -Treasurer
Geoffrey Gothro
Karen Heintz - Secretary
Bob Hawbaker
Lynn James
Phyllis Meredith
Kate Pettit
Diane Wubbena

BAC FACULTY
MARY AXELSON has studied with Cheng-Khee Chee and Marian Alstad and has widely exhibited and sold her work. Mary teaches watercolor for adults at BAC.
PATRICIA BARANEK-WEBER (BS/University of Wisconsin-River Falls) will be teaching art day camps this summer.
JOANN BENSON is a long time Honeywell employee that has always enjoyed crafts, crocheting, cross stitch, etc. She learned to make jewelry using a technique called Viking Knitting and has been doing it for over three years.
SUSAN BOECKMANN (BFA/ University of Missouri-Columbia and Studio Art Centers, International) has been a Minneapolis College of Art and Design Continuing Studies Faculty member for four years. She teaches Life Drawing and Art Anatomy there, and at many other area art centers, and has been conducting school arts residencies as a Minnesota State Arts Board roster artist since 1999.
TODD BRIDIGUM (BA/Hamline University) teaches welding and metal fabrication at Minneapolis Community & Technical College. He is an artist/printmaker who builds his own printing presses.
DENISE BUNKERT (BS University of Wisconsin-Stout) worked as a graphic designer and teacher for 13 years and has painted exclusively since 2002. View her work at www.paintedplaces.net.
CLAIRE CAMPBELL-TOKAR is a singer, licensed teacher, and vocal coach who has taught for over 25 years. A member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing, and The Voice Care Network, Claire is a frequent presenter at Speech and Music conventions.
SARA CHURCH (MFA/College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, BFA/Goddard College, Vermont) is an art teacher in the Burnsville school district and teaches in our Summer Day Camp program.
SUSAN COLLENTINE (BFA/ Kansas City Art Institute) has been a potter for the last 15 years and has shown her work in galleries across the country. She uses a porcelain clay body and fires in a gas kiln. She now has her own pottery studio where she and other artists work and share ideas.
SAUNDRA TROM CORLISS (BFA /U of M and studied at Ray College of Design in Chicago) has a studio at the MN River School of Art and serves on the Burnsville Public Arts Committee.
BONNIE CUTTS (BFA/University of Minnesota) has widely exhibited her work, and lectures and teaches acrylic painting techniques.
FRED DINGLER (graduate/American Academy of Art, Chicago) has had a successful career in illustration and is an acclaimed painter in both watercolor and oil. Fred has taught at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul and the Minnesota River School of Fine Art. View his work at www.dinglerart.com.
DANIEL GARDNER (MFA/Indiana University-Bloomington, BFA/Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, BA/Southwestern University) is a recent transplant from Bloomington IN. He will be teaching Intermediate/Advanced Wheel Throwing for adults this Winter.
CONNIE GUNDERSON has over 25 years of experience creating beautiful works of art from stained, fused, and slumped glass as well as clay. Connie is our clay studio manager and brings her unique expertise to stained glass classes well as clay classes at BAC.
HEIDI HAFERMANN (BFA/Minneapolis College of Art and Design) will be teaching Story Quilts this Winter.
SHELLEY HOLL (BES/ University of Minnesota, post graduate studies in painting/Washington University, St. Louis, MO) has exhibited extensively in Louisiana, Minnesota and Montana. She is the author of Louisiana Dayrides: 52 Short Trips from New Orleans (a bestseller!).
DOUGLAS HOUSE (BFA and MS/University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) will be teaching Landscape Painting.
KIM HUSEONICA (MFA/University of Florida, BA/Moorhead State University) is an actor, director and acting instructor who teaches theater for children.
BARB JANISCH (MFA & BA/University of Minnesota, MA/Hamline University) is an artist and educator who teaches classes for both adults and children.
GINA JOHNSON (BA/Hope College, Holland, Michigan) is an elementary school teacher in addition to teaching in our Summer Camps program.
KARI JOHNSON (BS/Northwestern College-St. Paul) is an elementary school art teacher who will be teaching in our Summer Camp program.
TRACEY JOHNSON has taught at Veberod Gem Gallery in Minnetonka for over 6 years. She will be teaching jewelry technique and photography classes this Summer.
JENNI KUHR (BFA/The School of the Art Institute of Chicago) is a textile surface designer teaches various paper arts classes.
KIRSTEN SHAHEEN (BS/University of Wisconsin-Stout, M.Ed./St. Mary's University) teaches art in the Prior Lake school system. At BAC, Kirsten teaches in our Summer Day Camp program.
REBECCA MCPEEK (BA/Metropolitan State University) is currently working toward her Masters in Arts & Liberal Studies at Hamline University. In addition to being a ceramics artist, Becky is the Residency Coordinator at Young Audiences of Minnesota and also a Master Gardener.
MOLLY MILLER (MS/University of Montana, BA/Mount Holyoke College) has been doing ceramics for 12 years and sells her work through galleries and art fairs.
HOLLY NELSON (BFA/University of Minnesota) is an artist, illustrator and juror who has studied African art in Nigeria. She will be teaching two workshops this Winter.
CHIAKI O’BRIEN is a certified SAORI instructor who worked at the head office in Japan. She teaches this unique weaving technique to both youth and adults at BAC.
CLAIRE O'CONNOR (MA/University of Regina, Saskatchewan, BA/University of Minnesota) is our Pottery Studio Manager..
LINDSAY PALCZEWSKI (BS/University of Minnesota-Moorhead) is a certified K-12 teacher with extensive art
ELLEN RICHMAN (BFA/University of Minnesota) has work in collections in the U.S. and Mexico. View her artwork at www.ellenrichman.com.experience who will be teaching in our Summer Camps program.
PENNY RICHTER (BS/Bemidji State University) teaches art for youth during the school year and in our Summer Day Camp program.
TESS SCHMIDT (ME/Lesley University-Cambridge, MA, BFA/University of Minnesota-Duluth) is an Art Specialist in New Prague area schools and will be teaching in our Summer Camps program.
JANNA SCHNEIDER (BA, cum laude/Macalester College, St. Paul) will be teaching children's classes in drawing and painting as well as ceramics.
LAURIE TOTH (BFA/Minneapolis College of Art & Design) has been teaching art for 20 years and is an accomplished pastel artist. Laurie teaches pastel drawing classes for adults at BAC.
TOM TYLER (BA/University of Minnesota) is a highly awarded painter who is teaching Acrylic Painting for adults.
ANDREW URCH (BA/St. Olaf College-Northfield) has extensive training in clay body and glaze
development. He will be teaching Advanced Wheel Throwing for adults this Winter.
JUDY VAILLANCOURT-YERHOT (BS/University of Minnesota) works in the Richfield School District and teaches in our Summer Day Camp program.
SUSAN FRYER VOIGT is an award winning-artist and has taught at White Bear Center for the Arts and other art groups. She is President of the Northstar Watercolor Society. Her website is www.susanfryervoigt.com.
JIM WITTSTRUCK teaches art in the Burnsville School District and shares his hobby of bookmaking with adults this Winter in Simple Folded Books.
MARTHA WITTSTRUCK (MFA/University of Nebraska-Lincoln, BA/ Millersville College-PA) is a Pennsylvania native who is currently a ceramics instructor at Normandale Community
College..