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 2024 grant cycle application period closed October 16, 2023. Watch for the 2025 grant cycle to open in late summer 2024.

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

Apply - Mid-Career Project

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

Apply - Mid-Career Professional Development

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

Apply - Early-Career R & D

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

Apply - Early-Career Project

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

Watch the September 5, 2023 recording below

View previous grantee Artist Talks

Be inspired by previous grantees. Hear from 2022 grantees about their grant experiences.

Watch the September 13, 2022 artist talk recording.
With artists Za’Nia Coleman (Early-Career R&D grantee); Tomas Araya (Mid-Career Project grantee); and Tom Bierlein and Mike Curran (Early-Career Project grantee team).

Watch the September 20, 2022 artist talk recording.
With artists See More Perspective (Early Career R&D grantee); Zamara Cuyún (Early-Career Project grantee); Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo (Mid-Career Project grantee); Don’t You Feel It Too (Mid-Career Professional Development grant team Marcus Young 楊墨 and Or [Laura] Levinson).

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.

Have application questions?

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

Browse our grants FAQs below and study our grant writing tips.

What grants does Forecast offer?

Forecast Public Art offers 4 grants for MN-based artists, divided into categories of grants for mid-career artists (funded by The McKnight Foundation) and grants for early-career artists (funded by the Jerome Foundation). Scroll up to see specific grant info.

What are the goals of Forecast’s grant program?

To fund new public art in MN that would be difficult to fund by other means. Commissions and client-based work are not eligible.
To support the development of MN-based public artists, giving public artists the chance to innovate and expand skills, range, or recognition.
To support artist-initiated public art projects, providing an opportunity for artists to actualize work they conceive and lead.

How do I apply for Forecast grants?

All applications will use the Submittable online application system during the annual submission period. Application requirements vary by grant opportunity. Please review requirements listed on the grant pages for the specific opportunity for which you are applying.

What are the deadlines?

The closing date for consideration for the 2024 grant cycle was October 16, 2023.
Submissions for 2025 grants will open in summer/fall of 2024.

What professional development support does Forecast offer to grantees?

Forecast actively supports the advancement of grantees through professional development. Grant participants enjoy a series of activities that enhance their learning experience during the grant period. Grantee meetings provide a forum for dialogue among grant recipients focused on their projects, progress, and challenges. Specific meeting themes change on a yearly basis and are designed to cater to the needs of participants during a given grant round. Activities connecting grantees with professional public artists take a variety of formats from facilitated conversations to portfolio reviews.

Pending funding, a short year-end film detailing the work of each grantee is produced, providing participants with documentation of their projects or research. View examples of recent documentaries of grantee work.

Grantees also receive limited free consulting from Forecast Public Art staff which can be used to troubleshoot technical issues, discuss best practices, strategize next steps, or work through other project, research, or process-related challenges.

What are Forecast’s grant eligibility guidelines?

Forecast’s grants support public art and public art-related activities. Forecast defined public art broadly to support a range of processes, formats, and contexts. See definition of public art below.
Applicants must be in the appropriate career stage for the opportunity for which they apply – either mid-career or early-career.
An artist may only apply for one grant from Forecast during an annual grant cycle. Applicants who apply during the summer for the McKnight-funded Mid-Career Project Grant cannot apply for other grants in the fall of the same year. Fall applicants can only apply for 1 grant opportunity.
Applicant must be a resident of Minnesota, having physically lived in the state for 12 of the past 24 months, and remain a resident throughout the project period.
Applicant’s project must be original and not duplicate previous work. Forecast grants do not support remounts or reinstallations, projects that begin prior to the start of the grant year, or projects that are ongoing.
No ticket sales or fees may be charged; all events and installations must be freely accessible.
Organizations, full-time students, and Forecast Public Art staff, Board, and Committee members are not eligible.
Projects may be additionally supported by public or nonprofit agencies, or through in-kind sources, however, commissions are not eligible.
Former grantees with outstanding final reports cannot be considered for additional Forecast grant funding until all final reports have been submitted and approved.
An artist is not eligible to receive a project grant from Forecast in two consecutive years. An artist can receive a Research & Development grant in consecutive years, or a Research + Development or Professional Development grant followed by a Project Grant.

Am I eligible for mid-career artist grants?

Mid-career artists are recognized by their peers and arts professionals, have produced an independent body of work and have a record of commissions, projects, or exhibitions. Forecast’s mid-career artist grants are funded by The McKnight Foundation.

Am I eligible for early-career artist grants?

An early-career artist is considered as, “showing significant potential, yet…under recognized by their peers and arts professionals. Evidence of some professional achievement is expected but artists with an extensive record of accomplishment are not eligible.” Forecast’s emerging artist grants are funded by the Jerome Foundation; find additional details regarding the emerging artist focus.

What is public art?

Broadly speaking, public art is artwork accessible to the public, regardless of whether it is situated on public or private property, or whether it is supported through public or private funding. It can range from temporary to permanent work, murals to sculptures, interventions to performances. It can also be storytelling, iron pours, sound and light projects, dance and spoken word. It is free and available to all members of a community.

If I recently received a grant from Forecast, am I eligible to apply for the next grant round?

An artist is not eligible to receive a project grant from Forecast in two consecutive years. An artist can receive a Research + Development grant in consecutive years, or a Research + Development or Professional Development grant followed by a Project Grant.

When can my project start?

Forecast funds will be distributed in January/February of the grant year. Projects that begin before this timeframe are not eligible for Forecast funding.

What is the grant timeline?

Early-Career artist grants and the Mid-Career Professional Development grant have an 11-month timeline. The grant cycle begins in January and final reports are due on November 30.
The Mid-Career Project Grant has an 18-month timeline. The grant cycle begins in January and runs through the spring of the following year.

What is meant by Forecast’s grants supporting “new work”?

Forecast’s grants support projects developed and completed during the grant period. Proposals can build upon previous work, however, proposals limited to reinstalling or remounting existing work or continuing an ongoing project are not eligible.

Can I receive grant funds to expand an ongoing project?

Grant projects can build upon previous work, collaborations and concepts, however, grants are intended to support new work created during the grant period. The proposal must stand on its own as a unique project rather than seek funding for ongoing efforts. Under this guideline, the following are not eligible: another iteration of an established project, the reinstallation or remounting of a completed piece, ongoing work, and work already completed.

The Early-Career Artist Project grant requires site permission. What does this mean?

Documentation of site permission is required to apply for the Early-Career Artist Project Grant and will be required for McKnight Project Grant finalists. This can entail working with site owners, city administrators, neighbors, or other stakeholders to ensure that all proper permissions have been obtained and all legal regulations are being followed. Forecast cannot fund public art projects that have not obtained necessary permissions. In rare instances there may be exceptions to standard site permissions requirements. Contact Forecast staff at grants@forecastpublicart.org if you have questions regarding site permissions for your proposed work.

My proposed project will be held in a public park, do I need to obtain site permission?

Site permission is required for Early-Career Artist Project Grants and McKnight Project grant finalists. Obtaining permission for park locations can take time and applicants for Early-Career Artist Project Grants who are unable to obtain permission by the fall deadline must show documentation that they are in communication with park service staff and are aware of the necessary steps for obtaining required permissions.

My proposed project will be mobile, do I need to obtain site permission?

In rare cases, site permission may not be required. There are, however, a number of considerations regarding permission:

If your project involves a trailer or structure: Does it fit within trail/road regulations?
If your project involves sound, lighting, etc.: What are the legal limits (for noise, etc.) and does your project stay within those?
In terms of the route: Will you be stopping at points along the way? If yes, permissions might be required for sites where activities or stops occur (or dual permissions based on the locations of stops – where sites cross park / city property).

In limited cases where a formal permission letter is not required, applicants must submit a document showing due diligence regarding permissions requirements and considerations and/or correspondence documenting that formal permissions are not required.

Forecast’s grants support artist-initiated projects, what does this mean?

Artist-initiated projects are conceived and led by the applicant artist(s). Ideally, funds support an artist’s “dream project,” public art projects that may be difficult to fund by other means, or work that stretches an artist in terms of scope, scale, professional development, innovation, etc. Artists can work with organizational partners, however, the relationship cannot be an artist-client or artist-commissioner relationship.

I want to work with a gallery, museum, or other established arts venue. Can this work be funded by Forecast grants?

As long as work is freely accessible, it can take place in a traditional arts venue, however, projects that reach beyond traditional arts audiences/venues tend to be more competitive with Forecast’s grant panels.

Can I apply to receive additional support for a commissioned project?

No. Forecast’s grants cannot support commissions (public or private) or client work of any kind.

Can an organization apply to fund an artist’s work or residency?

No. Organizations are not eligible for Forecast’s grants.

Who decides whether an application gets funded?

Forecast’s grants are selected by a panel of public art professionals who range from artists to community organizers, curators, administrators, and scholars. The panel changes every year, but always includes local, regional, and national representatives. Given this geographic range, all panelists will not have the same local knowledge and applicants are encouraged to keep this breadth of experience and geography in mind when writing their proposals.

What are the selection criteria?

Forecast has four selection criteria that drive our panel’s decision-making:

Quality & Clarity of Proposal – the strength of the proposed idea, clear consideration of of the scope of work proposed and the applicant’s ability to see it through to completion.
Value of Project to Artist’s Development – whether emerging or mid-career, successful applicants have a combination of relevant experience for their career stage and potential for development, innovation, deepened practice, or new growth. Forecast’s grants are specifically oriented toward supporting artists seeking to begin, establish or expand careers in the field of public art.
Benefit to the Community – this can take many forms from enjoyment to beautification, civic engagement, filling a need or meaningful collaboration. Community can be defined in a variety of ways and applicants should speak to how their work will benefit their defined community.
Quality of Work Samples – this criteria relates both the quality of the work shared as well as the degree to which the work samples support the artist’s ability to complete the proposed work.

When will I find out if my proposal was funded?

Applicants will be notified by mid-December.

How can I learn about future opportunities?

Forecast regularly shares opportunities via our website and newsletter, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

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.

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 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, women and non-binary 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