Artist Initiative grant program
The Artist Initiative grant program is designed to support and assist professional Minnesota artists at various stages in their careers by encouraging artistic development, nurturing artistic creativity, and recognizing the contributions of individual artists to the creative environment of the state of Minnesota.

Grants will be awarded for projects that will enhance or expand the applicant's artistic skills or process, and advance the applicant's career by helping the artist generate greater visibility with and exposure to potential audiences.

First time applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Program Overview and Application Instructions and then call the program officer prior to beginning an application.

Program information
FY 2019 Overview and Application Instructions (PDF)—all applicants should read this document thoroughly before beginning the application.

Application deadline and project period
FY 2019 applications must be submitted and accepted before 4:30 p.m. on the deadlines below. For more information about the application timeline and the project period, see the calendar page.

Literary arts; poetry and prose: before 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 4, 2018
Performing arts; dance, music, and theater: before 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 4, 2018
Visual arts; media arts, photography, and two- and three-dimensional visual arts:
before 4:30 p.m., Friday, June 29, 2018
Who can apply
Click to see eligibility requirements (PDF).

Grant range
$2,000 - $10,000
Resources for applicants

Overview and application instructions
FY 2019 Overview and Application Instructions (PDF)

Webinar and PowerPoint
Two sessions are offered; the content is identical.
Thursday, April 5, 2018, 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 31, 2018, 3:00 p.m.

The Minnesota State Arts Board is offering two one-hour Webinars to help applicants prepare to apply for the Artist Initiative grant program. The sessions will focus on program basics and applicant questions. The Webinars are free of charge, but advance registration is strongly encouraged. To register, visit the Information Sessions page.

The PowerPoint presentation is also available in two formats: MS Powerpoint (with audio) or PDF (without audio). Be aware that the MS Powerpoint takes up to 30 seconds to open.

Help for working with these files.

Sample applications
See the full list of sample applications.

Grants awarded
Summaries of previously funded applications.
Video interviews
Watch interviews of grantees
If you have questions or need assistance
If you have questions about the content of the application form or narrative, please contact:
Sherrie Fernandez-Williams, program officer
(651) 215-1626
[email protected]

If you have questions about the technical aspects of the application form, or questions about electronic submission, please contact:
Tom Miller, project manager
(651) 215-1611
[email protected]
E-mail is preferred.

All staff can be reached toll-free at (800) 866-2787.

How to apply

Application method
All applicants are required to use the WebGrants system to apply, and will submit all materials electronically. Registration is required of all applicants before beginning an application to any Arts Board program. It is only necessary to register once.