October 22, 2012
DUBUQUE, IA. - The winter installment of Art Gumbo, a quarterly soup dinner that supports local art projects with community-supported micro funding, is scheduled for Thursday, December 27, 6-8 p.m. at St. Mark Community Center, 1201 Locust Street in
Dubuque.
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 alternately 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 on December 27 entitles the attendee to soup and home-baked bread, the opportunity to review all submitted proposals, and one vote for their favorite. Art Gumbo Bowls will be sold during the event for $15. The bowls were commissioned by regional potters and funded by a Mediacom Arts & Culture Grant in partnership with the Dubuque Rescue Mission.
Patrons are encouraged to purchase the bowls and bring them back as "their own table setting" to subsequent events to promote sustainability and investment in the Art Gumbo collective. All proceeds from the bowls project will help commission more bowls
and support the longevity of Art Gumbo.
The December 27 soup dinner will feature up to seven proposals submitted by local arts organizations or creative groups whose project demonstrates an impact on the Dubuque community. The proceeds from the door will fund two proposals, first and second place, splitting the funding in a 70/30 fashion.
Art Gumbo 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 to build an all-arts network. Since the project's launch in September 2010, Art Gumbo has funded 14 proposals raising a total of $7,710 for creativity in Dubuque. Art Gumbo was a recipient of a 2010 Dubuque365 IMPACT award for achievement in arts, a 2011 Mediacom Arts & Culture Grant, and inclusion in Phonebook 3, a nationwide directory of innovative arts projects.
The December soup dinner is open to anyone interested in attending the event.
For more details about Art Gumbo visit artgumbodubuque.blogspot.com or contact Paula Neuhaus or Megan Starr at art.gumbo.dbq@gmail.com.
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