Arts News
Minnesota State Arts Board offers Creative Individual Grant Program
Minnesota State Arts Board Offers Creative Individuals Grant Program
Grant Opportunity for Individuals:
FY 2026 Creative Individuals
Application materials are now available for the Creative Individuals grant program. This program is open to individual artists and culture bearers.
Creative Individuals provides support to help individual artists and culture bearers develop or sustain their creative practices and meaningfully engage with Minnesotans.
In this program, funds may be used to support an individual's creative practice and meaningfully connect to and engage with audiences, participants, students, and/or communities during the grant period.
Applicants may request between $2,000 - $10,000.
The Arts Board will host a virtual Information Session for potential applicants to learn more about the program purpose and application process. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions with program officers at the end of the session. See below for more information.
Details, including full program guidelines, eligibility, and resources for applicants can be found on the Creative Individuals program page.
Creative Individuals Program Page
Important Dates
January 29, 2025: Virtual Information Session and Q & A. This will be a real-time virtual session. It will be recorded and available for later viewing.
March 7, 2025: Application deadline; all application materials must be submitted before 4:30 p.m.
November 2025: Arts Board approves grant awards.
January - December 2026: All funded activities must take place within these dates.
See the full FY 2026 grant program calendar on the Arts Board website.
Arts Midwest Culture Bearers Award - Apply Now
Arts Midwest Culture Bearers Award — Apply Now
Now Open: Midwest Culture Bearers Award
Arts Midwest is now accepting applications for the Midwest Culture Bearers Award, a $5,000 award that celebrates and supports the work of Midwest culture bearers and folk arts practitioners.
Culture bearers keep their cultural traditions alive through craft, storytelling, dance, performance, visual arts, foodways, language preservation, and more. They are deeply connected to their communities and share their knowledge with new generations.
About the Midwest Culture Bearers Award
What is it? The Midwest Culture Bearers Award is a $5,000 award. It honors and amplifies the work of nine Midwestern culture bearers each year.
Who can apply? If you have been practicing arts and culture rooted in your heritage and ancestry for over 10 years and share your practice with your community, you can apply.
Where? You must live in the Arts Midwest region. This includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography.
When to apply? Applications close at 11:59 pm CST on July 29, 2024. The first awards will be made in September 2024.
You can get help from someone else to complete your application. Or, you can nominate someone with their permission.
Learn more about the Midwest Culture Bearers Award, review eligibility requirements, and read the guidelines on their website here.