Monday's updates

The holiday weekend has taken its toll. On you as well, I'm sure. Look for a new interview later today. And more throughout the week. In the meantime, here's some newsy, notey items to get you through the day in the office. 1. There are some July deadlines over at the Minnesota State Arts Board. Applications are due next Monday for grant money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/ Minnesota Arts Job Grant Program. Grants are from 10,000 to 25,000 dollars. If your organization fits the criteria, jeez, don't forgot to apply. I read somewhere recently that for every $30,000 invested in the arts, one job is created. The same statistic for construction? It takes one million dollars to create a job there. I knew art was stimulating, but I didn't know it was so stimulating. While you're there, please do scroll down to the news section and fill out the survey on the legacy amendment money. The state arts board will be receiving a good portion of the arts money in the bill, and you should not be silent about what you think will help. 2. Somehow the St. Croix Festival Theatre didn't get mentioned in our "On the road" issue last month. This is both A) a crime and B) a shock, since the St. Croix Festival Theatre is only 50 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul and full of all kinds of interesting events. They have a theater series in which they often hire Twin Cities artists. (Crimes of the Hearts was recently directed by the ubiquitous Matt Sciple.) They have a music series, an education program (including" creativity camp"), and special events. Shawn Colvin will be playing there on August 21. Plus -- here's the shock part -- they've got the must diligent marketing people in all of Minnesota. MinnesotaPlaylist gets lots of press releases -- most of which we ignore, to be honest, we're a small operation, and, you know, its hard to read everything -- but the Festival Theatre must send the absolute most press releases of anyone, including the Guthrie. I feel like I hear from the Festival Theatre more than I hear from my mother. And when I do read them, I have to admit that they're quite well written and often newsworthy. Sometimes, I wish I could cover that. So, check out the St. Croix Festival Theatre in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Hope you had a happy 4th of July. Look for our interview with Judith Brin Inger later today. Barbara Fields and Marcus Dillard later this week.