Depot Quarterly reportthe F 0
depot
Quarterly Report — January - March 2009
The following is an overview of Depot activities prepared for Depot Partners and our supporters
in the community. Included are statistical figures as well as some of the highlights of the first
three months of 2009!
By the Numbers:
Numbers represent the total "visits' per month. No doubt many of our visits are by repeat
customers. (For example, there were 16 chess class students who met 5 times)
By the month: January
The January highlights included our first -ever Hip Hop
Residency with Kristoff Krane. This student - initiated
(Mainstreet School Senior Aimee Renaud) series was funded
by an outreach grant from The McKnight Foundation. The
format was designed to give student artists an opportunity
to perform original spoken word /hip hop material as well as
to experience several well -known local artists each night
ending with a "meet and greet" to continue the mentoring
possibilities. A true sense of community emerged over the
course of the month amongst the folks who attended. There
are current grant requests in to have another winter
residency in 2010. Starting in May the Friday evening
schedule will include Hip Hop artists on the first Friday of
every month. (Photo: Student participant Nelson Wedin: taken
by Todd Cole)
January
February
March
Open Mic /Tuesdays
143
136
118
Friday Live Music
423
305
340
Special Events
265- KK Res
12 - Wii
35 — HHS Comedy
80 - Chess
Numbers represent the total "visits' per month. No doubt many of our visits are by repeat
customers. (For example, there were 16 chess class students who met 5 times)
By the month: January
The January highlights included our first -ever Hip Hop
Residency with Kristoff Krane. This student - initiated
(Mainstreet School Senior Aimee Renaud) series was funded
by an outreach grant from The McKnight Foundation. The
format was designed to give student artists an opportunity
to perform original spoken word /hip hop material as well as
to experience several well -known local artists each night
ending with a "meet and greet" to continue the mentoring
possibilities. A true sense of community emerged over the
course of the month amongst the folks who attended. There
are current grant requests in to have another winter
residency in 2010. Starting in May the Friday evening
schedule will include Hip Hop artists on the first Friday of
every month. (Photo: Student participant Nelson Wedin: taken
by Todd Cole)
Also in January, Project Coordinator Ted Duepner and members of our Board were able to
spend the long King holiday weekend on a retreat at Camp Ihduhapi where long range plans
and governance changes were voted on. There was also ample opportunity to explore
outdoors with a ropes course and other activities coordinated by camp staff. Our Board
retreats are often some of the most memorable and significant experiences for many of our
students.
We hosted our first official Wii tournament organized by Ann Davy and Hopkins /Minnetonka
Parks and Rec!! Our Wii system and games were provided through a Park Nicollet grant.
February:
Some new additions this month include Saturday afternoon acoustic guitar music (Back Porch
Trio) provided for customers' pleasure during coffee shop hours and complimentary chair
massages on Thursday mornings! Resource Coordinator, Jo Clare Hartsig attended a Youth
Development event sponsored by the Wilder Foundation. The Depot hosted the Hopkins High
Comedy Sports team for two evenings of improv comedy. We said good -bye to Louise Miller as
our Outreach Coordinator. Her work in teaching and "greening" our space and our programs is
appreciated and will be continued. After evaluating the way outreach happens at the Depot,
we decided to focus on diversity in programming. Our outreach grant from the McKnight
Foundation was not renewed. Although Louise declined an offer to continue as program staff,
she will be turning up from time to time behind the coffee counter as a DE (Depot Express)
barista!
March:
After trying several other ideas, we had
great success with a Community Ed
sponsored chess class series during the
month of March. It was great to see pairs of
intensely concentrating youngsters playing
chess on a Sunday afternoon. Chess master
Igor Rybakov has expressed interest in
continuing this class in the future.
As part of our commitment to the Arts, DE
Ops Manager Lisa Clark hung the Hopkins
Photo Contest entries in our space. She has
been able to keep our interior walls lively
with a regular rotation of art created by
adults and students.
And on the walls OUTSIDE the Depot we are beginning to add new signage (and clear away the
old) as part of our "branding" work. Plans are in the works for more outdoor progress (garbage
"shelter ", shade structure for patio area, more storage, and new monument sign) in
partnership with Three Rivers. The DE participated again in Taste of Hopkins before the State
of the City event this spring. This year, instead of creating a "celebrity bowl" the Depot Board
decided to donate proceeds from the Friday before Empty Bowls to the effort. Board Chair
Patrick Williamson was able to deliver a check for $150 to Empty Bowls Coordinator, Barb
Westmoreland.
Depot staff members continue to "represent" out in the community, attending events and
meetings hosted by Community Ed, School and Community Partnership, HBCA, and One Voice
Coalition.
Board News — As of May, we will be transitioning into a new Board of Directors. We have an
amazing "class" of nominees who will be official by June. The process for Board selection
remains open all year so we are able to keep a full complement of members. The majority of
our Board members, and all the Executives, are students. Typically, there are 10 -12 student
members and 3 -4 adult members. A great deal of recruitment success can be traced to social
networking (Be our friend on Facebook!) and our beautiful and very useful web site:
www.thedepotcoffeehouse.com New Board Member profiles will be posted there in the next
month. We have developed a new cadre of volunteers call Depot Event Corps. A DEC volunteer
will be trained to take on various aspects of both the business and performance venues at the
Depot. His will give "retiring" Board members who will stay in the area ways to maintain
involvement. It will also give people (students and adults alike) a way to volunteer with the
Depot in a flexible time frame that fits their schedule.
Farewell and thanks to, Patrick Williamson, Board Chair, Todd Cole, Vice Chair, Travis Wagman,
Secretary, Linnea Bullion, Mike Johnson, and Alex Weir.
Looking Ahead — Keep checking our website, new events are added regularly!
May 11 —The Depot participates as
part of Girls on the Town taking
place throughout Hopkins. Depot
will offer "music, massage, and
moster cookies"
May 16 — Bike and Boat- day of
biking and canoeing on Minnehaha
Creek and another season of Bike
Scream Sunday, monthly group
rides to ice cream destinations on
the trail system, registration for
both through Minnetonka /Hopkins
Parks and Rec.
June 27 — Hip Hop Against Homophobia at the Depot, in conjunction with Pride Week activities
for youth and District 202.
July 15 — Raspberry Festival Battle of The Bands
For information about any of our upcoming programs, to make a suggestion for something we
should be doing, or to be part of a Depot event or project, (everything from Event Corps to
Raspberry Patch weeding!) contact Jo Clare Hartsig JCHartsig @gmail.com
The Last Word:
The Hip Hop Residency shows reach such an intimate level that I am sure would be impossible
elsewhere because the Depot is chemical free. Even the performers are impressed with this; 1
remember a band member saying something like, "If 1 had a place like this growing up, 1
wouldn't have done so much dumb stuff ".
The beauty of the Depot, for me, is the lack of dumb stuff. We're serious about community,
art, education, and good coffee. The people that come to the Depot are just as serious. It
makes for a perfect combination.
Aimee Renaud, Depot Board, 2009
Mainstreet School of the Performing Arts