Thursday, March 24, 2011 @ 6:00 PM
Dubuque Museum of Art The spring installment of Art Gumbo, a quarterly soup dinner that supports local art projects with community supported micro-funding, is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, 6-8 p.m. at the Dubuque Museum of Art, 701 S. Locust Street. Art Gumbo is an independent community- based initiative that funds local arts projects using money collected at quarterly soup dinners. During each Art Gumbo funding cycle, artists and arts organizations are invited to submit a brief project proposal that demonstrates an impact on the Dubuque community.
The public is invited to attend and vote for their favorite proposal. A $10 donation at the door entitles the attendee to an organic soup and bread dinner prepared by The Food Store and the opportunity to review all submitted proposals and to vote for their favorite. The Art Gumbo fund’s nightly proceeds will be awarded to the proposal that gets the most votes. Art Gumbo sessions will be hosted at new locations each quarter featuring soup by a regional food source.
Art Gumbo soup dinners and micro-funding program are an independent effort initiated by local arts activists Paula Neuhaus and Megan Starr. The project’s mission is to bring artists together with art patrons to explore and fund projects, create working relationships, and build a network. Artist Tim Olson was awarded Art Gumbo’s Winter mini-grant during the December soup dinner for phase 1 of his project that involves a set of historical photographs taken during a two-week shoot by an unknown photographer in 1912.
“The photos capture workers in factories, offices, shops and other businesses,” Olson said, “I intend to recreate this project using the same technology and processes as the originals and create a second set of photographs of Dubuque factories, offices, and shops in 2012. Exhibited together, these two sets of photographs will make up a remarkable portrait of Dubuque during two weeks in 1912, seen literally through the same lens.” Olson will provide volunteer support and present a progress report of his project as part of the March 24 Art Gumbo Soup Dinner.
Art Gumbo has joined a network of likeminded projects across the nation. You can visit this network called Sunday Soup at www.sundaysoup.org to see what other communities are doing to support their local artists. For more information visit artgumbodubuque.blogspot.com.