An arts and cultural center planned for Lac du Flambeau is getting a financial boost.
The USDA has awarded the project $88,000 towards job training for the Living Arts and Cultural Center.
The center is being planned to replace the Indian Bowl, a venue that’s currently in disrepair.
Georgine Brown is chair of the project’s board of directors. She says the grant will lay the groundwork for staffing once the center is built.
“The 88-thousand dollar grant that was awarded to our project is a ‘train the trainer’ grant, to train the board of directors and the executive director to train a staff so we can run a successful business operation for a successful cultural center.”
She says the job training grant is expected to be implemented later this year.
Brown envisions the arts center as a hub for the region’s arts and culture…that could host powwows, performances and traditional craft classes.
“We are really looking forward to getting our new Indian bowl up and running – of course getting it built first – so we can start planning our programming, and it will be a really nice place for people to visit up North, a tourist attraction like it once was back in the heyday in the 60s.”
The group is looking to hire an executive director for the project. One of the tasks ahead is raising the rest of the necessary funds. So far the group has netted almost $800,000 toward the $3.1-million pricetag. Brown says their efforts include a fundraiser dinner at the end of July…featuring traditional Ojibwe foods and dance.
