Arts News
Accessible Arts Grant Program
Minnesota State Arts Board
Grant Opportunities: Accessible Arts and Arts Education
Accessible Arts grant program
Application materials are now available for the FY 2025 Accessible Arts grant program. Arts organizations and arts affiliates are welcome to apply.
Accessible Arts is a pilot program, offering project grants that support long-term investments focused on increasing arts organizations' accessibility for people with disabilities.
New for FY 2025: An arts organization or arts affiliate that received an Accessible Arts grant in FY 2024 is not eligible to apply for an Accessible Arts grant in FY 2025.
In this program, funds will be used for investments that will have a longer-term impact on the applicant and impact organizational change. Example investments include, but are not limited to:
Professional development related to accessibility;
Hiring accessibility consultants to conduct audits or develop accessibility plans;
Improvements to digital accessibility; and/or
Small physical or equipment investments (less than $5,000) that will make programming more accessible.
Applicants may request between $10,000 - $20,000.
The Arts Board will host a virtual Information Session for potential applicants to learn more about the program purpose, application process, and key accessibility resources for arts organizations.
Details, including full program guidelines, eligibility, and resources for applicants can be found on the Accessible Arts program page.
Minnesota State Arts Board Fiscal Year 2025 Grant Opportunities
Minnesota State Arts Board Fiscal Year 2025
Grant Opportunities Announcement
The Minnesota State Arts Board is pleased to announce the grant programs it will offer in its fiscal year 2025 grant cycle. In addition to the Operating Support program that was launched earlier, five project grant programs will be offered: Accessible Arts, Arts Experiences, Arts Education, Cultural Expression, and Creative Individuals.
The following are very brief descriptions of the programs:
Accessible Arts will invest in longer-term strategies to make the arts more accessible to persons with disabilities.
Arts Education will invest in age-appropriate arts learning experiences for people of all ages and abilities.
Arts Experiences will invest in a wide variety of programming intended to give Minnesotans access to meaningful arts experiences.
Creative Individuals will help individual artists and culture bearers develop or sustain their creative practices and meaningfully engage with Minnesotans.
Cultural Expression will invest in activities that share, explore, or celebrate culture through the arts.
Individual artists and culture bearers will be able to submit an application in only one of the following programs in FY 2025: Arts Education, Arts Experiences, Creative Individuals, or Cultural Expression.
Organizations will be able to submit an application in only one of the following programs for FY 2025: Arts Education, Arts Experiences, or Cultural Expression.
More information about eligibility, use of funds, grant amounts, and application deadlines is available on the Arts Board website.
FY 2025 Grant Program Overview Sessions
The Arts Board will offer two high-level overview sessions of the grant programs offered for organizations or individuals in FY 2025. These virtual sessions are intended to help potential applicants determine which program may be the best fit. Both sessions will be recorded and available for viewing on the Arts Board website.
FY 2025 Grant Programs Overview for Organizations: Wednesday, January 31
FY 2025 Grant Programs Overview for Individuals: Thursday, February 1
Details and links to join the sessions can be found in the Information Sessions section of the Arts Board Web calendar.
Arts Board Priority Groups
In order to increase demographic and geographic fairness of the distribution of funds, the Arts Board has identified priority groups for its project grant programs. The priority groups will receive a percentage of the grants awarded that is equal to or greater than their percentage of the application pool. The priority groups include:
Individuals or organizations that are based outside the seven-county metropolitan area
Individuals who are Indigenous or persons of color, or organizations in which individuals who are Indigenous or persons of color comprise 50 percent or more of the board and staff
Individuals with disabilities, or organizations in which persons with disabilities comprise 50 percent or more of the board and staff or are the primary population served.
Accessibility 101 for Arts and Culture Organizations
Accessibility 101 for Arts and Culture Organizations
Wednesday February 7, 2024
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Mark your calendars for this informative and interactive webinar, cohosted by the Minnesota State Arts Board and the National Endowment for the Arts Office of Accessibility.
This one-hour webinar is designed to help Minnesotan arts and cultural workers answer the question, "where do I start?" when creating inclusive, accessible spaces and programs for people with disabilities.
Attendees can expect to leave with a foundational understanding of
Requirements for accessibility when your organization receives a grant from the Arts Board or National Endowment for the Arts.
The importance of completing a self-evaluation or ADA checklist, and how to do it.
The many ways of providing inclusive and equitable access, beyond just physical / architectural.
The importance of appointing an access coordinator in your organization, and what they do.
This webinar is free, but registration is required.
MN State Arts Board Seeks Grant Program Reviewers
The Arts Board seeks grant program reviewers
Do you wonder who applies for Minnesota State Arts Board grants? Have you ever thought of applying for a grant, but don't have a lot of experience writing proposals? Do you love the arts and want to know more about activities taking place all across the state? If so, the State Arts Board needs you!
The Arts Board is seeking people from anywhere in the state, who have different backgrounds and experiences, who can help review grant applications. It's important for Minnesotans to play a role in deciding how public funding for the arts is invested!
Who can be a reviewer?
Any Minnesota resident who has a strong interest in the arts. You don't have to work in the arts, just an arts background or involvement is enough.
If you don't have a background in the arts but do have experience with nonprofit organizations, budgeting, planning, or project management; we need you!
If you have already served as a reviewer in 2023, you cannot serve again on these panels.
What would I have to do?
Be able to commit to five weeks of service beginning January 2024.
Review 25-30 applications online, on your own time.
Participate in a one-hour virtual training session.
Participate in a one-day, virtual review meeting.
Grant application reviewers receive a stipend of $200 for their service.
How do I become a reviewer?
Fill out our online interest form today!
If you have questions before filling out the form, call (800) 866-2787 or send a message to panelists@arts.state.mn.us
Not able to serve as a reviewer right now? Please forward this message to one or two friends or colleagues who might like to participate.
State Arts Board FY 2025 Operating Support Grant Program + Virtual Information Session
Minnesota State Arts Board FY 2025 Operating Support Grant Program + Operating Support Virtual Information Session
Minnesota State Arts Board launches FY 2025 Operating Support grant program
Application materials and online application forms are now available for the FY 2025 Operating Support grant program. Applications must be received before 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 19, 2024.
Operating Support provides general support to high quality, established arts organizations and arts affiliate organizations that produce, present, or exhibit works of art; to organizations that provide a broad range of services to practicing artists; and to community art schools and conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and abilities.
For full details about eligibility, guidelines, and application instructions, please review the FY 2025 Operating Support Program Overview and Application Instructions document posted to the Arts Board website.
Want to learn more? Join the Minnesota State Arts Board for a virtual information session on the FY 2025 Operating Support grant program.
The free session will be hosted virtually on
Tuesday, December 12, 2023, from 12:00 - 1:00 PM
First-time applicants, or those new to roles applying for support, will find this session particularly valuable. Attendees can expect to leave with a better understanding of eligibility requirements, full versus interim applications, review criteria, and required financial information. There will be time for attendees to ask questions in a live Q&A at the end of the session.
The session will be recorded and posted to the Arts Board website for later viewing. No registration is required. For instructions on how to join the session, visit the Arts Board website Information Sessions page.
About Operating Support
Operating Support provides general support to high quality, established arts organizations that produce, present, or exhibit works of art; to organizations that provide a broad range of services to practicing artists; and to community arts schools and conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and abilities.
To review the full FY 2025 Operating Support Program Overview and Application instructions, visit the program page.
Questions and Accessibility Information
For questions about eligibility or the content of the application, please contact:Lindi Holliday, program officer(651) 539-2653Lindi.Holliday@arts.state.mn.us
For the virtual information session, automated closed captions will be provided. The Arts Board offers other accommodations (i.e. real-time CART captioning, ASL-interpretation, large print or alternate format materials) upon request. If you would like to request an accommodation, please contact the Arts Board accessibility coordinator by Wednesday, December 6, 2023, using the contact information below.
Annick Dall-Desbois, outreach and accessibility coordinator (651) 539-2651 | Minnesota Relay 711 Annick.Dall-Desbois@arts.state.mn.us
Minnesota State Arts Board Grant Opportunities for Organizations & Individuals
Minnesota State Arts Board
Grant Opportunities for Organizations and Individuals
The following grant programs are now accepting applications:
Arts Education: Project grants to help Minnesotans develop personal relationships with an art form(s) by supporting learning experiences for individuals of all ages and abilities.
Arts Experiences: Project grants to provide Minnesotans with arts experiences and opportunities they value within their communities.
Cultural Expression: Project grants to support activities that express, celebrate, explore, or share culture through the arts.
Each program is open to both individuals and organizations. Organizations may submit an application in only one of these grant programs. Individuals may submit an application in either Creative Individuals OR one of these grant programs.
Applicants may request between $5,000 - $35,000.
Deadlines vary; see the Arts Board grant cycle calendar for specific program deadlines.
Information Sessions
The Arts Board will host free, virtual information sessions for each of the grant programs listed above.
Wednesday, April 19: Arts Education Virtual Information Session, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16: Cultural Expression Virtual Information Session, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 14: Arts Experiences Virtual Information Session, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Each session will provide details about the program purpose, eligibility, and application process. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend a live Q & A with a program officer at the end of the session. No registration is required.
Sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing on the Arts Board website.
Automated closed captioning will be provided. For other accommodations, please contact the Arts Board accessibility coordinator: Annick.Dall-Desbois@arts.state.mn.us.
For questions about the eligibility or content of the application, contact:
Jamie Marshall or Rina Rossi, program officers
ArtsEducation@arts.state.mn.us
ArtsExperiences@arts.state.mn.us
CulturalExpression@arts.state.mn.us
For questions about the technical aspects of the application forms, or how to submit the online forms, please contact:
Justine Pearson, WebGrants administrator
Apply.Arts@state.mn.us Email preferred.
(651) 539-2663
For accessibility inquiries or accommodation requests, please contact:
Annick Dall-Desbois, outreach and accessibility coordinator
Annick.Dall-Desbois@arts.state.mn.us
(651) 539-2651 | Minnesota Relay 711
All staff can be reached toll-free at (800) 866-2787 or via Minnesota Relay 711.
The Minnesota State Arts Board is a state agency that stimulates and encourages the creation, performance, and appreciation of the arts in the state. It works to ensure that all Minnesotans can participate in and benefit from the arts.