Public Artist Grant Program
Forecasted
Public Artist Grant Program supports early- and mid-career Minnesota artists through public art projects, research, and career development that advance artistic practice and enrich public and civic life.
Funder: McKnight Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $2,500 R&D grants, $5,000 professional development grants, $8,000 early-career project grants, and $10,000 mid-career project grants; 11-month grant period
Summary: Forecast Public Art supports artist-initiated public art, research, and career development by early- and mid-career Minnesota artists.
Key Information: Applicants must have lived within Minnesota and the Native Nations sharing its geography for 12 of the past 24 months and remain residents throughout the project.
Description
Forecast Public Art’s annual grants support early- and mid-career artists and culture bearers working across disciplines and media. The program funds artist-initiated public art projects, research and development, and professional development—not responses to a predetermined site, theme, or commission. McKnight Foundation funds the mid-career grants, while Jerome Foundation supports the early-career grants.
The program aims to fund new public art in Minnesota that may be difficult to support through other means, advance artists’ practices, and contribute to public and civic life. Supported work can include installations, performances, murals, sound works, gatherings, social practice, and temporary experiences. Forecast emphasizes access for artists of color, Indigenous and Native artists, and groups traditionally excluded from public art opportunities.
