PUBLIC ARTIST GRANTS

Forecast grants support Minnesota-based individual early- and mid-career artists looking to advance their work in public art.

We seek to fund a diverse group of artists working in all career stages and ranges of public art practices and media and place particular emphasis on supporting and amplifying the artistic work of BIPOC and Native artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, womxn artists, immigrant artists, artists from rural communities, and artists with disabilities.

It is our value that our applicants, panelists, and grantees reflect the racial, cultural, gender, artistic, physical ability, and geographic diversity of Minnesota and the 11 Native Nations that share the same geography, and the stories and perspectives of the artists and communities we serve.

The 2023 grant cycle application period is now closed. Watch for 2024 grants to open in summer 2023.

2020 early-career project grantee Camila Leiva Anderson with Claudia Valentino in front of their mural.

2021 early-career grantee team Lacey Prpić Hedtke, Miré Regulus and Diver Van Avery initiated Free the Deeds to build awareness of the history of racial covenants in Minneapolis housing and encourage action to repair harm done.

In 2017, early-career project grantee Aaron Johnson-Ortiz engaged low-wage worker activists and allies to help paint a site-specific piece.

Kazua Melissa Vang's 2019 early-career project grant funded a short film series focused on the world of caregiving.

MID-CAREER GRANTS

Mid-Career Project Grant

Supports the creation of a new, publicly accessible, temporary or permanent artwork anywhere in the state of Minnesota by a Minnesota-based mid-career public artist

Mid-Career Professional Development Grant

Supports Minnesota-based mid-career artists seeking to expand or advance their careers in the field of public art, through a project idea or participation in career-enhancing activities

EARLY-CAREER GRANTS

Early-Career Artist R&D Grant

Supports early-career artists in public art related research and development or with the planning phase of freely accessible public art installation or activity in Minnesota

Early-Career Artist Project Grant

Supports creation of a temporary or permanent public artwork anywhere in the state of Minnesota by an early-career Minnesota-based artist

I am predominantly a studio artist. I have long admired public art and wished I had the knowledge to create large-scale public installations. I’ve even turned down invitations to do so, feeling I simply didn’t know how. Through Forecast’s network and support I have made connections, begun learning the process of large-scale murals, and hope to soon make my entrance into the public art field!

—Dyani White Hawk, Forecast 2019 Mid-Career Professional Development Grantee and 2020 Mid-Career Project grantee.

APPLICATION SUPPORT

Virtual Information Sessions

Sessions were held Tuesday, August 16 and September 4, 2022
Watch the August 16 recording below

One-on-one Sessions

These dates have passed.

Artist Talks with Current Grantees

Be inspired through these interactive virtual sessions. Hear from 2022 grantees about their grant experiences.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022 Watch the September 13 recording.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022 Watch the September 20 recording.

Have application questions?

We’re here to help! Contact Aki Shibata, our Artist Support Grant Coordinator: aki@forecastpublicart.org.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions and grant writing tips.

When applications are open and you are crafting your proposal, please refer to the current COVID-19 guidelines from the state of Minnesota.
If you have questions about how the pandemic might affect your application, please contact us.

Unable to attend a grant information session?

This video covers detailed information about Forecast’s grants, how we define public art, and tips for writing your grant.

Forecast is deeply proud of our decades long commitment to supporting independent artists to work in and with the public.

We need the radical reimagining that artists bring to our world now more than ever as we tackle racism, income equality, a pandemic, climate crisis and more.

—Theresa Sweetland, Executive Director

These are the only public art grants in the country that fund self-initiated projects by artists, rather than asking them to answer a call that is already laid out for them.

We are excited to continue supporting artists working in community to address the most critical issues of our time through funding and professional development activities, led by our grants coordinator, Aki Shibata.

—Jen Krava, Director of Programming + New Initiatives

EQUITY COMMITMENT

Forecast seeks to fund a diverse group of artists working in all career stages and a range of public art practices and media. We place particular emphasis on supporting and amplifying the artistic work of BIPOC and Native artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, womxn artists, immigrant artists, artists from rural communities, and artists with disabilities. It is our value that our applicants, panelists, and grantees reflect the racial, cultural, and geographic diversity of our state, as well as the stories and perspectives of the artists and communities we serve.

We know that there is no “one-size-fits-all” language when it comes to race and identity and that this language is always evolving. If you relate to what we’ve described here, please apply!

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS

Forecast has been offering early-career artist grants supported by Jerome Foundation since 1989. In addition to funding, Forecast is dedicated to providing professional development and learning opportunities designed to assist emerging artists as they experiment/ hone their practices, and cultivate careers in the field. The McKnight Foundation generously enables Forecast to provide Professional Development Grants for mid-career artists seeking to expand their work in the field of public art. Forecast mid- and early-career grants are designed to support independent projects, leadership development, professional development, risk-taking, multidisciplinary approaches, and collaborative problem-solving in the field of public art.

We are continually grateful for the ongoing support from the McKnight and Jerome Foundations for making this commitment with us here in Minnesota and for supporting the changes we make to live into our new mission to activate, inspire, and advocate for public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity. We can’t wait to see what each new round of grantees shows us about a more just future through public art!

—Theresa Sweetland, Forecast Executive Director

CONTACT US

2380 Wycliff Street
SUITE 200
ST. PAUL, MN 55114

(651) 641-1128

INFO@FORECAST
PUBLICART.ORG

PUBLIC ARTIST GRANTS