PUBLIC ARTIST GRANTS

Have an idea for how art can come alive in public, connect people, strengthen community, or shape civic life? We want to help you make it happen.

For nearly five decades, Forecast has invested directly in Minnesota artists and their ideas. Our annual grants don’t ask artists to respond to a predetermined site, theme, or commission. You bring the idea.

Your project might transform a public space, bring people together, tell a story that needs to be heard, create belonging, help people see their community differently, strengthen democracy, engage with a civic issue, policy or system, or imagine an entirely new way for art to become part of public life.

Public art can take many forms. Artists and culture bearers working across disciplines and media are encouraged to apply. Your idea might become an installation, performance, gathering, intervention, mural, sound work, social practice, community meal, festival, temporary experience, or something entirely new!

Forecast grants support early- and mid-career artists who want to advance their artistic practice and contribute to public and civic life. Applicants must be based within the geopolitical boundaries of Minnesota and the Native Nations that share this geography.

2027 grant applications are open from August 13, 2026 – October 18, 2026

We believe artists are essential to healthy communities and civic life.

Artists create experiences that foster belonging and connection, help us understand one another and the places we share, invite participation, and imagine new possibilities for our collective future.

What could you make possible?

Thanks to Forecast, I was able to involve residents, community leaders, and business owners in the concept of the artwork, which fostered local pride and a sense of shared ownership.

—Luis Fitch, Forecast 2025 Mid-Career Project Grantee

Being awarded the Forecast Mid-Career grant provided me with the resources to create a wholly new work, increased visibility as an artist, and pushed my artistic practice into new media.

—Witt Siasoco, Forecast 2025 Mid-Career Project Grantee

Wóokiye Wíŋ, a 2024 Early-Career project grantee, chats with children while painting her mural at Dakhódiapi Wahóȟpi (Dakota Language Nest).

2025 Early-Career Project grant recipient Rebekkah Anderson focused on being the change in her community through restorative art. Photo: Amber Rose Photography.

2025 Mid-Career Project grantee Carla Hall worked with community at International Spanish Language Academy to design + build a decorative steel sculpture that will be permanently exhibited at the school.

For his 2025 Mid-Career Project grant, Luis Fitch created and installed six community-informed utility box designs along East Lake Street in Minneapolis.

For their 2024 Mid-Career Project Grant, Tara Fahey and Sofía Padilla, with support from Heather Hinrichson, invited community to make lanterns at free public workshops, culminating in a public procession. Photo: Bruce Silcox.

PRAIRIE|CONCRETE is an embodied movement project by 2023 Mid-Career Professional Development grantee Pramila Vasudevan. Photo: Drew Arrieta.

A 2023 Mid-Career Project Grant supported Chistopheraaron Deanes's continued learning about porcelain enamel.

2023 Early-Career Project grant recipient Lea Friesen worked with youth for her project, Growing Healthy Communities.

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 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

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 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

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 Info Sessions

Through our virtual information session, learn about the grants, eligibility, application process, and what makes a strong proposal:

Watch a previous info session about our artist grants with Forecast Director of Learning, Grants, & Research, Jen Krava. This info session was held on September 19, 2026 for the 2027 grant year.

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.

Grantee Artist Talks

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

Watch: February 6, 2025 artist talk
With artists Hibaaq Ibrahim (Early-Career Project grantee); Thomasina TopBear (Mid-Career Project grantee); and Tara Fahey (Mid-Career Project grantee).

Watch: February 11, 2025 artist talk
With artists Tahiel Jimenez Medina (Mid-Career Project grantee); LIPING VONG (Early-Career Research & Development grantee); M. Jamison and Yonci Jameson (Early-Career Research & Development grantee team).

Watch: September 13, 2022 artist talk
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: September 20, 2022 artist talk
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).

Have application questions?

We’re here to help! Contact Aki Shibata at aki@forecastpublicart.org.

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

Grant Timeline, Dates and Deadlines

What is the grant timeline?

All grants have an 11-month timeline. The grant cycle begins in January and final reports are due on November 30.

What are the deadlines?

The closing date for consideration for the 2027 grant cycle is October 18, 2026 at 11:59pm CDT.

When will I find out if my proposal was funded?

Applicants will be notified in December.

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.

Grant Goals, & Who Decides

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.

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.

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.

Who decides whether an application gets funded?

Forecast’s grants are selected by an independent jury 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.

Eligibility

What are Forecast’s grant eligibility guidelines?

Forecast’s grants support public art and public art-related activities. Forecast defines 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. See definitions of each of these below.
Applicants may not be currently enrolled students.
An artist may only apply for one grant from Forecast during an annual grant cycle.
Applicant must be based in the geopolitical boundaries of the state Minnesota and the Native Nations that share the same geography, 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, Consulting Partners and Jury members are not eligible.
Project grants must include a budget showing that the project can be done for the amount of the grant ($8000 for early-career projects and $10,000 for mid-career projects).
Projects may be additionally supported by public or nonprofit agencies, or through in-kind sources, however, commissions are not eligible. Projects must be artist initiated.
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?

A mid-career artist is an artist who has been actively creating and exhibiting their work for at least ten years. They have established a reputation in the art world, have a larger body of work, and may exhibit their work regionally, nationally, or internationally. Mid-career artists may also have received some kind of recognition from the art world, such as through public presentations, magazine publications, online commentary, or industry acknowledgement. Other criteria for mid-career artists include having numerous solo art shows and collectors both nationally and internationally.

Age is not a determining factor. Career stage is assessed by the cumulative number of years an artist has been generating their own work. Mid-career or established artists shifting from one artistic discipline to another will still be considered mid-career. For example, a composer with a substantial career in music who is now moving into sculpture will be considered mid-career.

Forecast’s mid-career grants are funded by The McKnight Foundation.

Am I eligible for early-career artist grants?

Early career grants are is supported by Jerome Foundation, and here is how the Jerome Foundation defines “Early career”:

are in the early stages of their creative development with 2-10 years of generative experience, and:
have a focused direction and goals, even while still developing their artistic “voice”
have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, funding circles or the public at large
are vocational (as opposed to avocational, academic, amateur or educational) artists

Artists who have been in the field for longer than 10 years (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a dancer in work created by others; remounting the work of other choreographers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized.

Age is not a determining factor. Career stage is assessed by the cumulative number of years an artist has been generating their own work. Mid-career or established artists shifting from one artistic discipline to another will not be considered early career. For example, a composer with a substantial career in music who is now moving into film will not be considered early career.

The Foundation has defined the 2–10 year span recognizing that some artists may experience enormous success and move past early career status well before their 5th year or 10th year. We know that the number of opportunities afforded to artists may differ significantly based on discipline, race/ethnicity, class, gender, physical ability, and geography among other factors. Consequently, some artists may be past their 10th year and still be on the spectrum of early career status due to taking time out of active artistic practice for school or other circumstances. Our use of early career is an attempt to be clearer about the kinds of artists we are supporting. We realize the lack of a rigid definition leaves room for interpretation, but we have embraced this flexibility out of our value around diversity and in recognition of the many variables that impact artists’ careers.

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.

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.

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.

Definitions and Criteria

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.

The Project grants require site permission. What does this mean?

Documentation of site permission is required to apply for the Early-Career and Mid-Career Artist Project Grants. 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. Some examples of site permission include: an email you have received from a wall owner to produce a mural, an application form to do a performance in a park, or a letter from the site owner approving use of their site.

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.

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.

Artist Support

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 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.

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.

How can I learn about future opportunities?

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

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 climate crisis and more.

—Theresa Sweetland, Executive Director

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.

—Jen Krava, Forecast Consulting Partner and former Director of Learning, Grants and Research

EQUITY COMMITMENT

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.

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 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