Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Offering Grants to Artists and Arts Organizations

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has recently started accepting applications for two new grant programs designed to assist the arts and cultural sector recover from the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. One program will offer operating support for regional nonprofit arts organizations. The second program will provide funding to individual working artists for projects that continue their artistic excellence. The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is the only organization in Minnesota, and one of only 66 organizations nationwide, to be awarded this opportunity to provide funding as a local arts agency.

The NEA-ARP Operating Support grant is funded through the National Endowment for the Arts with American Rescue Plan funding. Grants of $6,000 will be made to qualifying local arts organizations to assist with operating and staffing costs. This program will be offered only once. The NEA-ARP Working Artist Project Grant program provides project grants of up to $2,500 to individual artists and will be offered twice.

“We’re very excited to have been awarded these American Rescue Plan funds to further assist the artists and arts organizations in our region,” said Steve Wick, Artist Resource Manager of the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. “The last two years have had very serious negative impacts on the artists who call northeastern Minnesota home and the organizations that provide arts to our local communities. With these funds we hope to lessen the load and begin reinvigorating the arts throughout the region.”

Grant applications will be accepted now until Friday, May 27, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. Awards will be announced in June with funding available July 1, 2022. Interested artists and arts organizations are encouraged to contact the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council with any questions before applying.

For more information on the two grant programs being offered, visit www.aracouncil.org/nea-arp-grants.

For more information on the NEA’s American Rescue Plan grants, including the full list of local arts agencies funded in this announcement, visit www.arts.gov/COVID- 19/the-american-rescue-plan.