Grant money is available from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council. Grants are awarded to performing artists, visual artists, media artists, and creative writing artists from our seven-county Minnesota service area, including Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau counties.
To be eligible, you must be out of high school and at least 18 years of age. College tuition is not an eligible expense. This is the main category that individuals use to support their artistic business or advance their technical skills. This category is for non-hobby artists who make substantial yearly income from their art. Grants are awarded annually, with $1,500 going to four individuals and $5,000 going to four individuals. Support for this program comes from The McKnight Foundation. The deadline is October 1 for $5,000 level applicants and November 15th for $1,500 level applicants.
You absolutely must reside in our region (for one year prior) and remain living in our region during your entire grant year (2022). In the case of college students, your school or your home mailing address must be in our region. You will have to show proof of residency, usually your driver’s license.
Also available on a first come-first served basis are Quick Turn Around Grants for $500. These grants can be used for artistic training, arts marketing, and equipment purchases related to creating a body of artistic work, as well as the recent loss of income from canceled gigs due to the pandemic. Use the Quick Turn Around application in the Individual Artist grants.
To learn more about these grant programs and start an application, visit www.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org. The grant application process is conveniently online, and NWMAC’s Executive Director, Mara Hanel, can help walk you through the process of using the grants portal. You can also request a paper application or come, with an appointment, to our office to fill out the paperwork at our grant writing station. Contact her at 218-745-8886 or director@nwartscouncil.org to learn more.
