Individual Artist Grants
Individual Artist Grants support northwest Minnesota artists’ creative work, mentoring, and not-for-credit arts experiences to advance artistic business or technical skills and share results with the community.
Funder: McKnight Foundation
Due Dates: January 15, 2027 (January round) | April 30, 2027 (April round) | September 15, 2027 (Annual September round)
Funding Amounts: Awards of $1,500, $3,000, or $5,000
Summary: Supports northwest Minnesota artists’ creative projects, mentoring, and not-for-credit arts experiences to advance artistic business or technical skills.
Key Information: Applicants must be non-hobby artists, at least 18 and out of high school, residing in NWMAC’s seven-county region.
Description
Individual Artist Grants are administered by the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC), with support from the McKnight Foundation or the State of Minnesota. The program helps non-hobby artists advance their artistic business or technical skills through the exhibition, performance, or production of a specific creative work, mentoring with a more experienced artist, or participation in not-for-credit arts experiences.
Typical projects include upgrading an instrument, replacing worn-out visual arts equipment, attending a workshop and creating work from that learning, or producing and showcasing a new body of work. Supported disciplines include visual and fine craft arts, performing arts, creative writing, media arts, and folk arts, using National Endowment for the Arts guidelines to determine what constitutes arts.
