Both daily papers in the Twin Cities and a number of other media outlets carried the news that arts organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul had been selected to receive Wallace Excellence Awards, which fund efforts of exemplary arts groups in selected cities to build participation in the arts. The Star Tribune quoted Wallace Foundation President M. Christine DeVita as saying that the awards will enable “organizations to test out and develop strategies for bringing people in, and our hope is that in four years they're in a stronger place." The Pioneer Press noted that Wallace gave a separate grant, under its Arts for Young People initiative, to help the Minneapolis Public Schools strengthen arts education. It also noted that each year over the last three years, The Wallace Foundation has targeted its Excellence Award giving at two cities and that Seattle is the other site chosen for grants this year. The 2007 Award recipients were in Philadelphia and San Francisco, while the 2006 sites were Boston and Chicago.
To read the Star Tribune story, click here: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/art/34396969.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1PciUoaEYY_4PcUU
Pioneer Press (free registration required)
http://www.twincities.com/ci_10979681
Artdaily
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=27324
Minnesota Public Radio
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/13/wallace_grants/
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2008/11/10/daily34.html
Southwest Journal
http://www.swjournal.com/index.php?&story=12797&page=152&category=63
The Forum, Fargo, North Dakota
http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D94EMUAG0
TwinCities Business
http://www.tcbmag.com/dailydevelopments/dailydevelopments/106399p1.aspx
Twin Cities Daily Planet
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/2008/11/14/wallace-foundation-pours-cash-st-paul-performing-arts-organizations.html