Arts grants go to Fergus Falls and New York Mills projects

The Minnesota State Arts Board has awarded forty-eight grants through the 2013 Arts Access program. The grants, which were approved at the Arts Board’s November 7, 2012, meeting, will

distribute $2,182,573 to statewide organizations in 2013 to help arts organizations identify underserved

communities, identify the barriers that keep them from engaging in the arts, and develop and

implement strategies to reduce or eliminate the barriers.

Springboard for the Arts, Lake Region was awarded a grant of $20,000 to implement the second Rural

Arts and Culture Summit in June 2013. Following a successful first-year summit in June 2011 in Fergus

Falls, Springboard and project partners will present the second Rural Arts and Culture Summit at the

University of Minnesota, Morris on June 5 and 6, 2013. The summit is designed to help participants from

rural Minnesota regions raise their capacity to improve rural access to the arts and develop partnerships

between artists and communities. Springboard for the Arts, based in Saint Paul, opened its Fergus Falls

satellite office in 2011. This satellite serves nine counties in West Central Minnesota in partnership with

the Lake Region Arts Council. FFI: contact Michele Anderson, program director, Lake Region office, at

michele@springboardforthearts.org or (218) 770-3485.

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center was awarded a grant of $37,750 to support the New York

Mills Arts Retreat, which will provide free and accessible performing arts and arts learning activities to

1,500 low-income residents of rural Minnesota at the East Otter Tail County Fair, the Wadena County

Fair, and the Todd County Fair in 2013. This project renews the tradition of the county fair as a showcase

for arts and culture in rural communities. FFI: contact Jamie Robertson, executive director, at

jamie@kulcher.org or (218) 385-3339.

Minnesota Arts Access grants are funded by an appropriation of the Minnesota State Legislature to the

Minnesota State Arts Board from the state’s arts and culture heritage fund and general fund. Recipients

report to the Arts Board on the outcomes, achievements, and benefits that projects provide for

Minnesotans.

The Minnesota State Arts Board is a state agency dedicated to ensuring that all Minnesotans have the

opportunity to participate in the arts. It receives an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislatureand funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and private sources. The Arts Board offers

grants, services, and other resources to individuals and organizations throughout the state to stimulate

and encourage the creation, performance, and appreciation of the arts in the state. Additional

information about the Arts Board can be found online at www.arts.state.mn.us.

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