LRAC Fellowship Grant

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Description

The Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) Fellowship Grant, funded by the McKnight Foundation, is designed to recognize, reward, and encourage outstanding individual artists in the LRAC nine-county region of Minnesota. The fellowship provides significant financial support to enable artists to further their work, explore new directions, or accomplish projects that would not be financially feasible otherwise. The program is open to artists working in literary and performance disciplines for the 2025 cycle, with the focus alternating disciplines each year.

Fellows may use the grant for a wide range of activities, including solitary work, collaborative or community projects, travel, research, or any pursuit that contributes to their life as an artist. The fellowship is intended to support both the artist’s personal development and their contribution to the local cultural landscape.

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Due Dates

• Application Deadline: May 1, 2025, 5:00 pm
• Grant Review: June 17, 2025
• Fellowship activities may begin after July 1, 2025, upon contract execution

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Funding Amount

• Award: $5,000 (one fellowship awarded per year)
• Duration: Up to 12 months from award notification
• Disbursement: 90% at the LRAC Annual Meeting in July; final 10% upon completion and presentation

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Eligibility

Applicant Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Must have resided in the LRAC nine-county region (Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, Wilkin) for at least 12 months prior to the deadline.
• Must be at least 25 years old at the application deadline.
• Must be an individual artist (not organizations or groups).
• May re-apply five years after completion of a previous LRAC Fellowship.
• Must not have outstanding final reports due to LRAC.

Ineligible Applicants

• LRAC Board Directors or their immediate household members during board tenure.
• Students enrolled full- or part-time in a degree-granting program during the fellowship period.
• Applicants with ineligible activities as defined in the guidelines.

Project/Plan Restrictions

• Activities involving the applicant’s employer, tuition/fees for degrees, curriculum development for employment, establishing arts organizations, or activities primarily for religious, legislative, or commercial purposes are not eligible.
• Grant activities or spending cannot begin before the LRAC contract is signed.

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Application Process

• Review the Fellowship Grant Guidelines (PDF) thoroughly.
• Prepare required materials:
  • Short résumé (2–3 pages)
  • Two letters of recommendation from professionals in your field (with their short résumés)
  • Work samples from the past five years
• Complete the online application via the LRAC grant portal.
• Applications are checked for completeness; applicants have one week to address any corrections requested by LRAC staff.
• Applications are reviewed and scored by the LRAC Board based on artistic skills, creativity, originality, work samples, and commitment.
• The highest-scoring eligible applicant is awarded the fellowship.

First-time applicants are encouraged to contact LRAC for guidance and to view the Fellowship Video Playlist.

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Additional Information

• Only one fellowship is awarded per year.
• The 2025 cycle is for literary and performance artists; music and visual arts will be eligible in 2026.
• Fellows are required to present on their fellowship activities at the LRAC Annual Meeting.
• The fellowship must be credited in all related publicity:
  "This activity is funded in part by a grant from the Lake Region Arts Council with McKnight Foundation funding."
• Previous recipients must wait five years before reapplying.

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External Links

• LRAC Fellowship Grant Guidelines (PDF)
• LRAC Individual Artist Grants Overview
• LRAC Grant Application Portal
• Fellowship Video Playlist
• Grant Deadlines Calendar (PDF)
• McKnight Foundation

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Contact Information