Northwest Minnesota area schools can apply for up to $12,000 of grant funding from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) for the next school year, through next summer.
Funding can be used to bring in professional artists to work with students and/or to purchase arts equipment that is used by your community and your school, and stored/used primarily in the school building. To apply, schools complete an application indicating interest in funding, then submit add-on forms within our online grant software for specific project funding. The program accepts funding requests from July 1 until April 30 each year, but remember that it is first-come, first-served, so applying early is best. Each add-on funding request may request up to $3,000 in grant funds.
Artist Residency Grants
Schools can apply for a $3,000 Artist Residency grant. Schools can initially apply for two residencies. Then, based on remaining funding, you can request up to four residencies total. Each residency requires a 10% cash match. Our teaching artist roster is a great resource to view artists available to teach in our area and is available on our website at www.NorthwestMinnesotaArtsCouncil.org under the artists tab. We have many new artists on our list. Another resource to find teaching artists is COMPAS. Ideas also include children’s theater camp and/or arts camp during the summer at your school, and community education workshop series for adults on artistic techniques.
Arts Equipment Grants
Schools can apply to purchase artistic equipment for their visual art, performing art, media arts, or creative writing departments. Grants are for up to $3,000 with a 25% cash match. Equipment used by both the community and the school solely for the pursuit of the arts, such as auditorium lights, has a better chance of being funded. Please note that schools are eligible for only one grant of up to $3,000 per fiscal year. Once your school has already applied for and been approved for a grant for arts equipment, you cannot receive another one until the next school year. All previous arts equipment grants for your school must be closed before you can apply again.
Tips for applying
• Remember that most schools are already in our system as organizations, so you probably only need to call our office to add yourself as a User.
• The first thing to do is show interest in our funding by completing the very easy Arts Grant application and hitting submit. A tutorial is available.
• Next, our staff reviews your school’s interest and then assigns add-ons to the teacher/coordinator/administrator listed in the app who would like add-on forms.
• Teachers log in, complete, and submit their add-on follow-up form with details related to their project and their monetary request. This form is short and friendly to fill out.
• Then as your school waits to hear back, someone needs to complete the required data collection app online and submit.
Contact the NWMAC office with questions or for assistance with your application. We are happy to help! As with all of our grants, applications are accepted only from our seven-county Minnesota service area, including Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau counties.
Questions? Call the NWMAC office at 218-745-8886, extension 1, or email nwartscouncil@gmail.com.
