Schools and arts organizations are all encouraged to apply for arts grants. The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council in Warren is accepting applications for a variety of grants in literary, performing, and visual arts. The Arts Council serves the Minnesota counties of Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau. Therefore organizations, schools, cities or individuals applying must be from those counties. Three grant programs have February 1, 2011 postmark deadlines including our Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund grant program that will award over $100,000 in Legacy Amendment funds!
The Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund grant category is mainly geared towards funding non-profit arts organizations but other agencies and schools and perhaps even artists within our region can also apply. New outcome measurement tools for evaluation are part of this application process. Each applicant may apply for a maximum of $10,000.00 with a 10% cash match requirement. One-on-one assistance is available with the new application form. Examples of projects already funded include a music recording studio at the Fosston Community Arts Center, a mosaic artist residency in Warren during the summer to document the historical flooding in 1996-1997, and a variety of artists for a Cinco de Mayo Hispanic celebration in Crookston. Public art projects and proposals that bring about lifelong learning and access to the arts are encouraged. More examples of highlighted projects are on our web site at www.nwrdc.org/arts.htm in the grants awarded section. The next deadline is February 1, 2011. If funds remain, additional deadlines will occur on the 1st of each month in this category.
In the Artist in the Schools program, public school districts may apply for up to $3,000.00 for the sponsorship of projects such as conducting an artist-in-residence program, hosting a visiting artist, conducting workshops for students and/or teachers. School Districts must provide 10% cash match. The postmark deadline is February 1, 2011.
In the Arts Project Grants program, organizations may apply for a maximum of $3,000.00 with a 10% cash match requirement. Grants are available for the creation, performance, or exhibition of arts. Grants also provide funds to host guest artists or touring groups. The postmark deadline is February 1, 2011.
Mara Wittman will be holding a grant informational workshop at 1:00 pm in Red Lake Falls on Saturday, January 15, 2011. Please RSVP if you will be attending to (218) 745-9111 or mara@nwrdc.org. There will also be a “High Tea” event in Crookston at 3:00 on February 10, 2011 where grant information will be provided and questions answered on the Arts portion of the Legacy Amendment by Sheila Smith, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. More information and locations related to these events will be posted to our web site.
Application materials for all the grant programs are available from Mara Wittman, Arts Council Director, NWRDC, 115 South Main, Warren, MN 56762, (218) 745-9111 or through the agency website at www.nwrdc.org/arts.htm in the grants section. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 and by funds from The McKnight Foundation
