A year ago, MinnPost expanded Pamela Espeland’s Artscape column from two to four times a week.
More than 150 arts-loving donors chipped in amounts ranging from $3 to $2,000, generating a total of more than $23,500 to fund this expansion.
This year, we have assembled a pool of $9,500 from larger donors to match smaller one-time and recurring gifts.
Our goal in expanding Artscape was — and is — to try to fill the gap in ongoing arts coverage by other Minnesota media. We are continually hearing from artists and arts professionals how important it is to have knowledgeable journalists paying attention to what’s going on.
While much has changed in the local arts world over the past few years, we believe that the community’s core commitment to supporting the arts remains as strong as ever.
Here’s a quick update on what’s been happening in Artscape:
- MinnPost has published almost 200 Artscape columns in the past year, covering hundreds of different arts organizations, more than 1,400 events, and all kinds of arts news. Traffic to Artscape is up 73% over two years.
- We covered the major organizations and arts events, but also smaller events that rarely get any publicity outside the arts world: plays at tiny theaters, poetry readings, jazz and chamber music concerts, gallery openings, arts-related talks and lectures, small film festivals and the like.
- We are particularly proud of exclusive interviews with Osmo Vänskä, Theater Latté Da’s Peter Rothstein, the Jungle Theater’s Bain Boehlke, Park Square Theatre’s Richard Cook, librettist Mark Campbell, actor James Craven, the MIA’s Patrick Noon, playwright Alan Berks, MPR’s Kerri Miller, and VocalEssence founder and artistic director Philip Brunelle. We understand that many more are in the works.
Please consider making a one-time or recurring gift in the amount of your choice to keep the expanded Artscape going. And tell us why in the Comments box. We’ll publish comments as they come in.
Thanks for your support.
