The Minnesota State Arts Board has awarded operating support grants to four lakes area arts organizations.
At its July meeting, the Arts Board approved 285 grants through its Arts Learning, Operating Support, and Minnesota Festival Support grant programs. These are the first of four rounds of grants the board will award this fiscal year. Together, grants in these three programs total more than $19 million. Receiving grants locally are the Central Lakes Community Performing Arts Center and the Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, and Great River Arts and the St. Francis Music Center in Little Falls.
The operating support grant program invests in established arts organizations that produce, present or exhibit works of art, organizations that provide a broad range of services to artists, and community arts schools and conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and abilities.
The Central Lakes Community Performing Arts Center was awarded $38,546. The center creates an environment where local performing artists can develop their craft and shares diverse, high quality arts experiences with the community to grow a community of practitioners and lovers of the performing arts, according to a news release.
The Lakes Area Music Festival received $39,013. The festival connects the nation's best performers and audiences through high quality classical music and education, the arts board stated.
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The St. Francis Music Center earned $30,207 in grant funds. The center is a Sally Ordway Irvine Award-winning community music school for the performing arts offering private and group lessons for students of all ages in piano, organ, guitar, orchestral strings, voice, band instruments, percussion and more.
Great River Arts was awarded $15,000. The organization offers a variety of artistic experiences, from live theater and music performances to revolving visual art exhibits, as well as art classes for youth and adults.
Operating support grants are funded by appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature from the state's arts and cultural heritage fund and through an appropriation from the state's general fund.
To learn more about fiscal year 2020 grantees and their activities, visit www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/2020/index.htm .
