[McKnight Foundation](https://www.mcknight.org)

May 2026 (Full application deadline, projected)

One award of $5,000 for a 12-month fellowship

Supports outstanding individual artists in Minnesota’s Lake Region with funding for creative projects in literary and performance disciplines.

Only one fellowship awarded per cycle; applicants must reside in the LRAC nine-county region.

--- ## Description The LRAC Fellowship Grant, funded by the McKnight Foundation, is designed to recognize, reward, and encourage outstanding individual artists in the Lake Region Arts Council's nine-county region of Minnesota. The fellowship provides significant financial support to enable artists to further their creative work, explore new directions, or accomplish projects that may otherwise be financially unfeasible. The grant supports a broad range of artistic activities—including solitary work, community engagement, travel, or research—focused on literary and performance disciplines for this cycle. Fellows are selected for their strong vision, creative energy, cultural importance, and perseverance as professional artists. The fellowship period lasts up to twelve months. --- ## Due Dates - May 2026: Full application deadline, 5:00 pm (anticipated/projected) *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - One fellowship award of $5,000 per cycle - Fellowship duration: up to 12 months - 90% of the award is paid at the start, with the final 10% upon completion and presentation at the LRAC Annual Meeting --- ## Eligibility ### Applicant Eligibility - Must be a United States citizen or permanent resident alien - Must currently reside in, and have been a legal resident of, the LRAC nine-county region for at least 12 months prior to the deadline - Must be at least 25 years of age at the time of application - Artists may re-apply five years after completing a previous LRAC Fellowship - Cannot have any outstanding final reports due to LRAC **Not eligible if:** - Applicant is an LRAC Board Director or an immediate household member during the Board Director's tenure - Applicant is a student enrolled in a degree-granting program during the application or fellowship period - The proposed project includes restricted activities (see full guidelines) ### Fellowship Plan Eligibility The program will not fund: - Activities involving the applicant’s employer - Tuition, fees, or work toward any degree - Translation/editing of non-original literary works - Development of teaching materials for regular employment - Establishment of arts organizations - Activities with excessive entry/exhibition fees - Payment of prior debts - Religious or legislative activities - Capital costs >$5,000 or endowment funds - Commercial mass-market activities - Non-artistic travel/living costs - Activities starting before contract signing --- ## Application Process - Review the full guidelines and consider contacting LRAC staff for questions or support - Create an account and apply via the LRAC online grant system - Submit required materials: - Short résumé (2–3 pages) - Two letters of recommendation from field professionals (with their short résumés) - Work samples from the last five years - Application will be reviewed for completeness; corrections may be requested within one week - Applications are evaluated based on artistic skills, creativity, originality, artistic commitment, and quality of work samples - The fellowship is awarded to the top-ranked eligible applicant --- ## Additional Information - Only one fellowship is awarded per cycle - The recipient must present on their fellowship activities at the LRAC Annual Meeting at the end of the fellowship period - All grant activities/spending must start after the grant contract is signed - Fellowship recipients must acknowledge LRAC and McKnight Foundation support in all promotional materials --- ## External Links - [McKnight Foundation (Funder Home)](https://www.mcknight.org) - [LRAC Fellowship Grant 2025 Guidelines (PDF)](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/586d9f8ee3df286381b4a20d/t/67c9f83be7c36951f3d3313d/1741289531554/FY25+Fellowship+Grant+Guidelines.pdf) - [Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) Website](https://www.lrac4.org) --- ## Contact Information | Organization | Contact Details | |-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | Lake Region Arts Council | 133 South Mill Street, Fergus Falls, MN 56537 | | LRAC Grants Manager | Phone: 218-739-5780
Email: LRAC4@LRACgrants.org | | McKnight Foundation | Phone: +1 612-333-4220
[Contact Form](https://www.mcknight.org/about/contact-us/) | ---

LRAC Fellowship Grant 2025

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