Minnesota supports artists with more money than any other state. Two representatives of the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC)—Board Chair Erling Ellison and Assistant Director Samuel Black—were at the Grand Marais Art Colony in September 2013 to help artists find out how to access some of that support.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is one of 11 tax-funded regional nonprofit arts councils in the state that receive a combined total of $30 million a year through the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, legislative appropriations from the state’s general fund, and support from the McKnight Foundation.
Assistant Director Black explained that hunters, clean water enthusiasts, and art proponents got together and proposed the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Amendment that was passed by the citizens in 2008. Minnesota is the only state so far that has passed an amendment like this. The tax it authorized will be collected for 25 years.
Last year, the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, covering the largest geographical region of the 11 councils, gave away $500,000 in grants, and this year, it has an extra $70,000 to work with. The other arts councils, with the exception of the one in the metro area, award only about half of the number of grants that ARAC gives out each year, and the metro area council focuses almost exclusively on grants to organizations. ARAC funds about 65 percent of the organizations and 50 percent of the individuals who apply to it for grants.
Black understands the life of an artist. He received funding for about 10 years to help pay other musicians to perform chamber music with him in Lake and Cook counties. He is a pianist but, like many artists, has developed a range of skills that have enabled him to make a living while pursuing artistic goals. Besides working for ARAC and performing music, he can take apart and put back together two-cycle engines, maintains a boiler’s license, tunes pianos, and teaches college.
ARAC sponsors residencies for artists in places like the Grand Marais Art Colony and North House Folk School. It is creative with its use of money, changing the types of grants it offers and going with the ones that are most successful. “We are always an organization in flux,” Black said.
Black encourages artists to apply for grants. ARAC holds a workshop two weeks before each grant deadline. Applications that are received in advance of the four deadline dates each year are reviewed ahead of time, and applicants can get suggestions on what might need to be changed to increase the possibility of being awarded a grant.
Funding can be provided for a variety of endeavors. Grants to organizations are available to help cover the cost of community art activities, administrative and operating support, educational programs, and projects that need funding within 60 days. Organizations can receive up to $20,000 a year in funding.
Career development, artist fellowship, technology, and community arts learning grants to individuals are available to help cover the cost of pursuing an artistic or career development goal, advanced study not related to a degree program, purchase of equipment, software, or supplies, technical assistance or training, website design, and community art education initiatives. “Quick start” grants are available to meet financial needs that come up suddenly.
Two Cook County residents – Ann Russ and Kate Fitzgerald – sit on the ARAC board, which has 17 seats representing all artistic disciplines from music, theater, and visual arts to literature and dance.
Grant applications and information on the program are available at www.aracouncil.org. The office phone number is (218)722-0952 or (800)569-8134 and the email address is info@aracouncil.org.
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