Regional Arts Councils

Click on a region in the map below to open a new window containing that region’s arts council Web site. Or scroll down for a list of the regional arts councils and the counties they serve.

REGION 1
Northwest Minnesota Arts Council
Counties: Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau

REGION 2
Region 2 Arts Council
Counties: Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen

REGION 3
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council
Counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Saint Louis

REGION 4
Lake Region Arts Council
Counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, Wilkin

REGION 5
Five Wings Arts Council
Counties: Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, Wadena

REGIONS 6E, 6W, 8
Southwest Minnesota Arts & Humanities Council
Counties: Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lincoln, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Swift, Yellow Medicine

REGION 7E
East Central Arts Council
Counties: Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine

REGION 7W
Central Minnesota Arts Board
Counties: Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright

REGION 9
Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
Counties: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan

REGION 10
Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council
Counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Olmsted, Mower, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Winona

REGION 11
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
Counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington

Minnesota State Arts Board

The Minnesota State Arts Board is a state agency that stimulates and
encourages the creation, performance, and appreciation of the arts in the state.
Upcoming Deadlines
K-12 Arts Challenge Minnesota grant

Greater Minnesota schools that would like to host an artist residency are encouraged to apply for a Minnesota State Arts Board K-12 Arts Challenge Minnesota grant.

This is a noncompetitive grant program; funds are awarded on a first come, first served basis. Please download the application materials which contain additional eligibility information and application instructions.

Applications will be accepted any time until May 30, 2011; or until all available funds are expended, whichever comes first.
News
Be counted in the “MN Arts Count” census of Minnesota artists and arts organizations

MNArtsCount logo

The Minnesota State Arts Board is conducting a census of all artists and arts organizations in the state. As directed by the state legislature, the census will provide a baseline of data that the Arts Board will use to gauge the size, scope, and impact of the arts sector across Minnesota.

Take the survey at www.MNArtsCount.com or, if you prefer, paper surveys are available by calling 800-748-3222 extension 225.

From ballet to bottle caps, your art counts.

More info on MN Arts Count
Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud logo

Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class.
Arts and cultural heritage fund grants

The Minnesota State Arts Board has approved nearly $7 million in arts and cultural heritage fund project grants. The grants fall under three broad headings: Arts and Arts Access, Arts Learning, and Arts and Cultural Heritage. Grantees were selected from a pool of nearly 500 applicants, seeking a combined total of more than $18 million.

Visit the FY 2010 Grantees page to see the lists of grants awarded.
Stay in Touch

If you’d like to receive information and updates from the Arts Board via e-mail, please sign-up for the board’s electronic mailing list.
Arts Research / Policy / Cultural Issues
Artists in the Workforce
Artists in the Workforce 1990-2005

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has released the first nationwide look at artists’ demographic and employment patterns in the 21st century. Artists in the Workforce analyzes working artist trends, gathering new statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide a comprehensive overview of this workforce segment, its maturation over the past 30 years, along with detailed information on specific artist occupations.
Artists Count!
Artists Count!

Minnesota is home to nearly 20,000 individual artists; their artistic spending totaled $295 million during 2007. To learn more, download this new report on the economic impact of the spending by Minnesota’s individual artists.
Arts & Culture: Economic Impact Study
Arts & Culture: Economic Impact Study

A study of the economic impact of Minnesota’s nonprofit arts and culture industry demonstrates that the arts are a powerful economic development tool. Nearly 15 million Minnesotans are enthusiastic consumers of arts and culture in the state.

You are a part of Minnesota’s arts legacy.
Be counted today.
What is the MN Arts Count?

The MN Arts Count is a census for individuals who engage in creative expression AND for businesses, facilities, and organizations that promote and support creative expression.

From a senior citizen taking paint classes to professional musicians – and everyone in between – all Minnesota artists need to be counted.

As part of dedicating funding to the arts from Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment, the state legislature has called for the Minnesota State Arts Board and regional arts councils to conduct a census of artists and artistic organizations.
Who should participate in the MN Arts Count?

Anyone who, as a personal pastime or a profession, sings, acts, dances, writes, draws, paints, sculpts, illustrates, photographs, films, weaves, directs, play an instrument, composes, share stories, designs, or any other form of creative expression.

AND

Any business, facility, agency, or organization that produces, presents, or promotes creative expression.

It’s time to be counted.
Why should I participate?

We need to count the individuals and businesses, agencies, and organizations who participate in and support all forms of creative expression. By participating in the MN Arts Count, individuals and organizations can help demonstrate the many ways Minnesotans participate in the arts and the importance of supporting the arts.
Will my name be sold or my inbox filled with spam?

No. The Minnesota State Arts Board and Minnesota’s regional arts councils are collecting this information to help better understand the number of individuals who engage in the arts or creative expression and the volume and scope of arts activities in the state of Minnesota.

Individuals or organizations may complete the questionnaire without providing contact information. However, the Arts Board and regional arts councils would like to be able to provide information about arts programs or grants opportunities that might be available to the individual or organization that completes the survey, and can only do so for those individuals and organizations that provide contact information.

Arts Board staff will have access to the data. Information that is collected will be distributed as allowed by the Minnesota Data Privacy act.

You are a part of Minnesota’s arts legacy.

Welcome to MN Arts Count! All individuals and organizations that engage in, support, or facilitate creative expression in Minnesota are invited to BE COUNTED!

We’d like to thank all of our partners who support MN Arts Count:

• Dell – Dell is one of the top manufacturers of computers, laptops and web servers.
• Beach Cans – Beach Cans is a leader when it comes to offering affordable dumpster rentals and dumpster service.

The survey should take no more than three to five minutes to complete, depending on your answers. For more information Click Here.

MN Arts Count is conducted by the Minnesota State Arts Board in partnership with the state’s eleven regional arts councils.

Are you responding as an “individual”, an “organization”, or both?

For specific examples of what we mean by “individual” and “organization,” roll your mouse over each response below.

Click on the link below to download the MN Arts Count poster.