Schools and high school students 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 March 2012 postmark deadlines. They include our Legacy Arts Grants, Student Artist Training Mentorship Grants, and Arts Project Grants for school arts equipment.
The Legacy Arts 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 app licant may apply for a maximum of $10,000.00 with a 10% cash match requirement. One-on-one assistance is available with the application form. Examples of projects already funded include a music recording studio at the Fosston Community Arts Center, a large metal sculpture in Roseau, 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.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org in the grants awarded section. The next deadline is March 1, 2012. If funds remain, additional deadlines will occur on the 1st of each month in this category.
Schools can apply right now for artistic equipment grants.
In the Arts Project Grant program we are holding a special Arts Equipment Grant deadline on March 1, 2012. Schools may apply for up to $3,000.00 for the purchase of artistic equipment for their music programs, visual art programs, theaters, or media arts programs. Schools must provide a 25% cash m atch.
High School Student Artist Grants for $500 also available.
March 15, 2012 will be the deadline for students to apply for $500.00 grants to attend a summer arts camp. Applications are available on-line or by calling 218-745-9111. Visual art students are also encouraged to enter our Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit. 1st Place student award is $300.00. The deadline is March 30 to submit to the call for entries. The form is on-line at www.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org in the exhibit section; or by emailing mara@nwrdc.org to request a form.
Mara Wittman will be holding a grant informational workshop at 3:00 pm in Warren on Monday, February 27, 2012. Please RSVP if you will be attending to (218) 745-9111 or mara@nwrdc.org.
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.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org 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.
