Artist Growth Grants
Artist Growth Grants support Southwest Minnesota artists in any discipline, funding creative and professional development projects that build skills, advance careers, and expand audiences.
Funder: McKnight Foundation
Due Dates: August 5, 2026 (Round 1 draft review) | August 19, 2026 (Round 1 application) | February 3, 2027 (Round 2 draft review) | February 17, 2027 (Round 2 application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $4,000 per grant
Summary: Supports projects that develop artists’ skills and advance their artistic careers.
Key Information: Applicants must have lived in the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council service region for at least six months.
Description
Artist Growth Grants are presented by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) with funding from the McKnight Foundation and Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage fund. They support artists at any career stage in projects that develop artistic skills and careers, expand audiences, and increase artists’ ability to live and work in Southwest Minnesota. All arts disciplines are accepted.
Projects can include creating a body of work, research, study with a mentor, professional or artistic development workshops, or work on a portfolio or publication. The focus is on how the proposed activities contribute to the applicant’s own artistic growth.
