Arts News
Minnesota State Arts Board offers Cultural Expression Funding Opportunity and Evaluation Capacity Building Webinars
Funding Opportunity: FY 2027 Cultural Expression
Evaluation Capacity Building Webinars
Grant Opportunity for Individuals and Organizations:
FY 2027 Cultural Expression
Application materials are now available for the FY 2027 Cultural Expression grant program.
Cultural Expression provides project grants to support activities that share, explore, pass on, express, or celebrate the culture of a community through the arts. Cultural communities may be defined by a common ethnicity, tribal affiliation, geographic or regional identity, language, or other significant characteristics, and will have shared beliefs, customs, traditions, and ways of life as a community. Projects may be designed to explore or pass on culture within a community, or to share or celebrate culture with Minnesotans outside the community. The program supports projects that express culture through traditional art forms that have been passed down within a community, and contemporary art forms rooted in cultural traditions.
Funds could be used to support community members learning or practicing a traditional cultural art form, presenting cultural festivals or performances, exhibitions that share or explore the culture of a community, apprenticeships with master artists or culture bearers, or documentation to preserve and pass on cultural traditions, etc. Projects that are intended to engage a particular demographic group or community in the arts, but that do not explore or express that community's culture, are not a good fit for this program.
Applicants may request between $5,000 - $35,000.
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. Details, including full program guidelines, eligibility, and resources for applicants can be found on the Cultural Expression program page.
Cultural Expression Program Page
Important Dates
May 5, 2026: Virtual Information Session and Q & A. This will be a real-time virtual session. Potential applicants can learn about the Cultural Expression grant program and how to submit an application. The session will be recorded and available for later viewing.
June 5, 2026: Application deadline; all application materials must be submitted before 4:30 p.m.
January 2027: Arts Board approves grant awards.
March 2027 - February 2028: All funded activities must take place within these dates.
Building Evaluation Capacity for the Arts
Free, Webinar Series
The Minnesota State Arts Board is pleased to announce a two-part, free evaluation capacity building webinar series. This opportunity is being offered to any individuals or organizations that provide arts programming. This year’s series will focus on evaluating change—how we understand the change our programs have on participants and communities. As part of this, the focus will be on examples that highlight ways to better understand the populations benefitting from programs. Do you want to learn about how to understand the larger community impact of your arts programs? If so, this series is for you!
The goal of Building Evaluation Capacity for the Arts is to enhance evaluation skills in arts programs and to create a community of learners committed to evaluation. Participants can attend one or both sessions.
Please note participating in this training is optional and will not influence your current or any future grant applications with the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Webinars will be held from 1:00-2:30 PM. The following are dates and brief descriptions of each session:
May 7: The art of evaluationLearn more about evaluating arts programs and how you can develop outcomes to drive your evaluation. The discussion will also include ways to better understand the populations that your programs serve.
May 20: Evaluating change and impact Learn methods that are particularly useful for evaluating the impact of arts programs.
If you are interested in participating, please register by selecting each session you are interested in attending.
Thursday May 7:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/OS_XIlllQUKOGcc6aK2O0gWednesday May 20:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cNadXxPERzioOVTw3hRbdg
Individuals who attend will have the opportunity to interact with others interested in the arts, ask questions of the presenters, and apply their learning through interactive activities. The trainings will be recorded and available at a future date for those who are unable to attend.
If you have any questions reach out to Jeffrey Niblack, Arts Board research and evaluation director, at jeffrey.niblack@state.mn.us
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.