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 Opportunities

Request for Proposals: Needs Assessment Process and Tools

The Minnesota State Arts Board is seeking proposals from qualified individuals or firms that can work collaboratively with the board to develop a needs assessment process, and the tools or techniques that will be needed to implement the assessment process.

The Arts Board is NOT seeking a firm or individual that will conduct a one-time needs assessment. Rather, the board will select a contractor that will work collaboratively with the board to develop a customized process that is evergreen, and a set of tools/techniques that are scalable, so that they can be implemented by the board or by regional arts councils on an ongoing, as needed, basis.

To receive a copy of the complete Request for Proposals contact Sue Gens by e-mail at Sue.Gens@arts.state.mn.us.

Proposals from interested individuals or firms must be received by the Arts Board not later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Monday, December 2, 2019.

Volunteer to become an advisor

Have you ever wondered how the Arts Board decides which applications to fund? Have you ever wanted to make those decisions? Then you might be interested in serving as a volunteer advisor to the board.

The Arts Board uses a very rigorous, citizen-driven process to review grant applications, and to select artists to commission or work to purchase for the state’s permanent art collection.  Each year, approximately 250 individuals serve as volunteer advisors in the board’s ten grant programs and in the Minnesota Percent for Art in Public Places program. Advisors read proposals, discuss them in a public meeting, and assign scores for each proposal. The scores help determine which proposals will be recommended to the board for approval.

The amount of time and tasks required vary, depending on the program in which the volunteer serves. Advisors must have experience or expertise in a particular area of the arts, arts funding, or nonprofit or public administration.

If you’d like to nominate yourself or someone you know to serve as an advisor, please complete and submit our volunteer form.

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.

WebGrants

The Minnesota State Arts Board's WebGrants system is open for registration.

How to Register in WebGrants: online tutorial, PDF version
How to Use WebGrants: online tutorial, PDF version
Webgrants FAQ document: FAQ (PDF)
Login to WebGrants

Arts Research / Policy / Cultural Issues

	Creative Minnesota 2019 Creative Minnesota 2019 is the third biennial report that provides a comprehensive assessment of the state's arts and creative sector. The Creative Minnesota project was developed by a collaborative of arts and culture funders in partnership with the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. These partners include: the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota, Target, Jerome Foundation, Mardag Foundation, Springboard for the Arts and the Bush Foundation, with in-kind support from the Minnesota Historical Society, City of Minneapolis and others. For a list of committee members, go to http://creativemn.org/study-partners/.
	Promoting Appreciation for the Role of Arts in Health and Wellness in the Twin Cities Promoting Appreciation for the Role of Arts in Health and Wellness in the Twin Cities is a pilot study that qualitatively explores Americans' current thinking about the connection between arts and health, and their responses to communications about this topic. Conversations with a diverse cross-section of individuals in the Twin Cities provide important insights into how a conversation about the arts-health connection may play out at broader scales, and the potential of this focus to attract new engagement with and support for the arts. The pilot study was conducted as a strategic partnership among Topos, Metris Arts Consulting, and Americans for the Arts.
	Rural Prosperity through the Arts & Creative Sector The Rural Prosperity through the Arts & Creative Sector serves as an action guide that offers research insights and lessons learned from states that are harnessing the power of the arts to drive rural prosperity. This guide is part of a collaborative among the National Governors Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.