Riverfolk secures over $34K in grants to support local arts and music

The Carpe Diem String Quartet performed at Klager and Riverside schools last month, and also at an impromptu barn concert.

Submitted by Board Members Elaine Osterbur, Carol Palms and Aileen Rohwer

What happens when a global pandemic shuts down live performances across the county, state, and nation? The Riverfolk Music & Arts Organization found out exactly what happens, as they had to switch gears this past spring and summer to continue their programming to the Manchester community.

Riverfolk President James Horton says, “In a world where instant gratification and popular culture take the lead, arts education and live performances have really taken a hit. People are really struggling and hurting. For the granting organizations to recognize the importance of enriching the community, is really very promising and gratifying. This will pay off deeply in the long run.”

Riverfolk Music and Arts is proud to announce it has secured over $34,000 in grant dollars to support local arts and music programming in Manchester:

• $5,000 Kiwanis Foundation of Ann Arbor July 2020 Educational Outreach
• $15,000 Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) October 2020 Operational Support
• $2,800 MCACA and NEA October 2020 Artist in Residence Westbound Situation
• $12,000 Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation October 2020 Neighborhood Concert Outreach and Educational Outreach

Riverfolk wants to recognize the many donors who generously gave to help us build our matching requirements for these grants. Without these matching dollars from private donations, we would be unable to qualify for many grant opportunities. Our records show that for fiscal year 19-20, we raised more than $12,000 in private donations. For fiscal year 20-21, we’ve already reached more than $9,000 in donations.

The process of obtaining these grants would not be possible without the tireless efforts and volunteer hours of the Board of Directors. This past year, the board appointed Jacob Warren, bass instructor for Cultural Art Strings, as String Coordinator. In addition, cello instructor Aileen Rohwer, stepped down to make room for new cello instructor Zachary Brown. Both of these changes in staff roles, allowed volunteer Director Rohwer to focus on seeking grant opportunities and applying--a job that takes many hours to complete.

Programming Since March

Since COVID restrictions went into place, Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization has presented an impressive
number of musical performances, both online and in person. Following the recommended precautions, we interrupted the Blacksmith Shop series starting with the March 2020 concert with the hope of eventually rescheduling our last three concerts. It was not long after that cancellation that we started up the gazebo concert series with a new, safe online option called “Live from Riverfolk.” We featured two performing groups every Thursday evening, beginning April 16 and ending August 20.

While we certainly missed the shared interaction that takes place between performers and audiences at in-person events, we experienced two surprisingly positive outcomes: 1) our online audience “attended” the concerts from just about everywhere and 2) our performers presented music from all around the world,
including California, Brazil and Ghana! Overall we amassed over 22,000 views and raised over $10,000 in donations.

On September 26, our new season of Blacksmith Shop Concerts started up with more online events that will take place on the fourth Saturdays of each month. Musicians, who are often masked and always socially distanced, perform in the familiar setting of Manchester’s historic blacksmith shop while audiences listen in online.

In addition to these “live” online presentations, Riverfolk has also managed to hold a number of in-person events, including some brief, outdoor neighborhood concerts, outdoor school assemblies and one barn concert.  When weather permits, we will continue to bring more concerts to the Manchester community, with COVID safety recommendations in mind.

Present and Future Programming

The Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization has been busy planning for music and arts programs for the greater Manchester community. With the aid of recent grant monies, Riverfolk is moving ahead within the health and safety guidelines county officials recommend. Our very popular Blacksmith Shop Series has taken the form of virtual Crowdcast concerts on the fourth Saturday of each month. Links for these concerts are available via our
emails or Facebook event page. The next concert will be performed by Westbound Situation on November 28, now Artists-in-Residence.

The Board was pleased to arrange programs of the Carpe Diem String Quartet at Klager and Riverside Schools in October. The group was sponsored by the Great Lakes Performing Arts Associates and Riverfolk. It is our plan to continue outreach to our schools, due to the enthusiastic response of the students to these concerts. In
addition, Riverfolk donated art supplies to Klager obtained through the support of the recent Kiwanis of Ann Arbor Foundation, to be used in their after-school programs.

Additional enrichment classes including a Creative Writing class, a Small Ensemble class, and a Ukelele instrument class were also offered online.

An exciting new proposal for the community is a “Passport to Manchester.” This program will be an outreach program coordinated by Riverfolk and in conjunction with the Manchester Area Historical Society, Acorn Market, The Village of Manchester, and several historic farm and artistic properties in our community. It will be underwritten by a pending NEA grant expected in June as well as other future grants. Stay tuned as these exciting plans come to fruition!

The Riverfolk Board is also planning now for a summer Gazebo Concert Series, hoping that this outdoor venue will be COVID safe as we learn to adjust to its reality. We look forward to hearing music on the village green again. In addition, we plan to continue the Neighborhood Concert Series, with local artists appearing on our driveways and yards on summer afternoons. This was a fun way to stay connected through music this past
summer, and we were encouraged to continue it.

And lastly, our Cultural Arts String Program continues to offer string instrument lessons through our talented professional teachers, under the direction of String Coordinator Jacob Warren. This is an important part of securing the future of music and art in Manchester. You may see some of these talented youth, adding some music to our December Thursdays in the Village. Check them out!

Art supplies donated to Klager's after-school program by Riverfolk Music & Arts Organization.

Mr. B's piano bike visited Manchester neighborhoods this summer and fall!

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.