Arts Organization Access Points For Amendment Resources:
As of 1/19/10
From Sheila Smith
Executive Director, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts

After our many years of work and struggle to pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, I am happy to report that the benefits of the amendment in terms of grants are beginning to take shape. I wanted to make sure you were aware of current MSAB plans so that you will be ready to respond to potential opportunities and partnerships as they begin to become a reality over the next 2-8 months.

The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed by the voters in November, 2008, created new resources for land conservation, water conservation, parks and arts. The agencies and programs that received legislative appropriations from the four funds are working quickly now to create programs to make grants across the state. Many of these plans are not yet finalized, but a road map is now emerging for arts and culture organizations and artists in terms of how to access the resources in the Arts and Culture Fund. Because the funds have gone to multiple agencies, artists and arts organizations would be well advised to pay attention to these multiple “Access Points” for Arts and Culture Fund dollars. I have included a quick description of where each agency is in their planning process.

THE MINNESOTA STATE ARTS BOARD AND REGIONAL ARTS COUNCILS

Minnesota’s state arts funding system includes a state agency (MSAB) that does statewide programming and grant-making, and 11 regional arts councils (RACs) which each serve a set of counties with local grants and services. They are the state’s infrastructure for supporting the arts in Minnesota. Collectively, they received $21,650,000 for grants and services for 1. Arts, and Arts Access, 2. Arts Education, 3. Arts and Cultural Heritage.

STATEWIDE:

MINNESOTA STATE ARTS BOARD (MSAB):

In addition to some administrative money, 70% of the MSAB/RAC appropriation goes to the MSAB for statewide projects and services. After a lengthy and exhaustive set of regional meetings and public input, the MSAB has nearly completed its plan to get grants out to Minnesota communities. They will be doing a combination of beefing up current programs for artists and arts organizations, and creating new programs to promote arts education partnerships, to fund touring and festivals, to fund free public access to arts events, and to fund new opportunities for artists. These new programs & application forms are now posted on www.arts.state.mn.us.I will send out updates as more specific information becomes available.

NEW GRANT PROGRAMS:

I am thrilled to report that today the Minnesota State Arts Board, after a very lengthy and extensive public input and strategic planning process, met today to formally create the new grants programs made possible by the passage of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The Board created four major new programs as well as a number of smaller initiatives. The four major new programs are:

  1. Touring and Presenting: $2M: Giving Minnesotans greater access to high-quality artists and arts organizations, regardless of geography. This program will support presenters in presenting the arts in communities accross the state, and producing artists and arts organizations to tour to locations within Minnesota. In addition, the MSAB will create Festivals Grants with $250,000 to help Minnesotans engage in festivals that celebrate the arts, build community, and expose communities to diverse art forms. (Arts and Arts Access, and Arts and Cultural Heritage).
  2. Arts Participation Grants: $2M: Allowing people of all ages, abilities, economic backgrounds, cultural heritages, and geographic areas to be able to participate in the arts. This grant program will include two parts. First, grants to arts organizations for strategic, sustained work to engage underserved audiences. ($1.5M). Second, grants to social service organizations to enable clients to participate in high-quality arts events. ($.5M). (Arts and Arts Access).
  3. Professional Development for Artists and Organizations: $370,000: Providing opportunities for artists and arts organizations to increase their business and career skills, making them equal to their exceptional artistic quality, and making Minnesota a state in which artists want to live and work because they can be successful. This includes professional development, activities, opportunities and resources. Plus, an additional $593,000 for Artist Initiative Grants. (Arts and Arts Access).
  4. Life-Long Arts Learning Opportunities: $2.3M: Creating new opportunities for Minnesotans of all ages to participate in arts learning and develop their creativity. Grants to arts organizations and community organizations to create or increase arts learning programming. (Arts Education).

Smaller new programs include a census of artists and arts organizations, a touring folk/traditional visual arts exhibition, and additional traditional and folk arts grants. These programs are in addition to the Board’s previous decision to provide stabilization grants for arts organizations and presenters (the checks for stabilization grants will go out in Feb. and April, 2010).

Most of these new programs will have application deadlines in February, 2010, with award panels held in March/April, and grants made in June, 2010. The MSAB will of course be making more comprehensive announcements about their new programs and related grantmaking criteria over the next month or so. They will be your best resource for further information.

And remember, these larger grant programs are in addition to all of the many new Arts, Arts Access, Arts Education and Arts and Cultural Heritage programs being launched across the state by our eleven Regional Arts Councils.

So, congratulations! All of the arts community’s work over the past many years to pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment will result in greater access to the arts for all Minnesotans.

REGIONAL ARTS COUNCILS (RACs):
The RACs are receiving 30% of the appropriation, and each RAC is determining independently the new programs it will create in their region based on local community input. The appropriation is split between the councils on a formula primarily driven by population but includes additional factors such as size of region. For various reasons they are each on a different timeline, for example, Region 9 in Mankato started making their grants in November 2009. Region 2, in Bemidji, will be launching later, with grants going out in May 2010.

  • The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (Region 11) was the first out of the gate in starting a new program in Oct. 2009. MRAC announced that it would award $220,000 in grants through VSA arts of Minnesota for arts groups to make arts programming and activities more accessible to people with disabilities. This funding will help arts groups in the seven-county metropolitan area with budgets under $4.46M make building and program enhancements to improve accessibility. “Arts organizations have demonstrated great awareness of the need to be accessible but some of the specialized equipment available today is often too expensive for a smaller arts group,” explained MRAC Executive Director Jeff Prauer.
  • The Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council (Region 9) will be the first to award a comprehensive set of grants from amendment funds on November 19, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in Mankato. Twenty-four grants to arts organizations in south central Minnesota will receive grants ranging from $4,000 to $8,000 to support programs in their area.

To find out what opportunities are available in your area, contact your local Regional Arts Council. Contact info. Can be found at “http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm.

Click here to learn about other grants available through the amendment funds.