Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA)’s mission is to provide quality arts education and performance by nurturing and encouraging artistic expression in children and adults. Last year, MCA received a $4,590 grant from the Winona Community Foundation to help store and preserve a large costume collection from Home and Community Options (HCO), with the goal of making it available to local schools and arts organizations.
Former MCA Director Mark Roekers helping to sort costumes
Since then, MCA recently reported their success in achieving this goal. This past summer, storage racks and bins were installed at MCA while volunteers helped to haul the costume collection to its new home. While MCA continues to organize the collection, they are also working notifying other local arts organizations of the collection’s availability.
“For more than 20 years, HCO’s summer musical productions brought joy, laughter, and inspiration to countless audience members while providing meaningful opportunities for the individuals we support to showcase their talents. Over time, as community inclusion and opportunities within local arts organizations expanded, our performers became increasingly involved in a variety of community productions. As their talents were recognized and celebrated throughout Winona, it became clear that they no longer needed HCO to serve as the conduit for participation in the arts. Instead, they were being welcomed and valued as artists in their own right. While stepping away from hosting our summer productions was bittersweet, HCO remains incredibly grateful for the tremendous support we received from the community over those many years. We are especially thankful for the dedicated volunteers, costumers, directors, musicians, and supporters who helped make each production possible. As these costumes begin a new chapter and find their place in future performances, all of us at HCO are excited to see them once again being used to inspire creativity, tell stories, and support the vibrant arts community that makes Winona so special.” – Suzanne Horstman, HCO Executive Director
“A very important part of costuming is proper storage and organization. We are so happy to be able to extend the lives of these wonderful costumes so they can be enjoyed by performers and audiences in Winona for many more years! ” – Megan Larkin, MCA Costume Shop Supervisor
To learn more about the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, visit cotterschools.org/mca.
An important part of the Winona Community Foundation’s mission is realized though awarding community grants to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. Funding for this program comes from generous people, like you, who invest in the community and the Foundation. Whether through direct donations, establishing endowments, or holding charitable funds at the Foundation, these diverse sources of funding are instrumental in supporting the community grant program. As a result, local nonprofits in the Winona area greatly benefit from this program, which has become an essential asset in meeting the needs of the community.
