Cultural Expression
Support projects that share, explore, pass on, express, or celebrate the culture of a community through the arts, with funds ranging from $5,000 to $35,000.
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Get matched →- Deadline
- annual cycle, check dates
- Entry fee
- Free
- Award
- $5,000
- Location
- Minnesota
- Exhibition window
- Mar 1, 2027 → Feb 29, 2028
- Applicants notified
- Jan 1, 2027
About
Overview
This pilot program supports activities that share, explore, pass on, express, or celebrate the culture of a community through the arts. Cultural communities may be defined by a common ethnicity, tribal affiliation, geographic or regional identity, language, or other significant characteristics. Projects may explore or pass on culture within a community, or share or celebrate culture with Minnesotans outside the community. Funds support traditional art forms passed down within communities and contemporary art forms rooted in cultural traditions.
Grant Range & Funding
Applicants may request between $5,000 and $35,000. No cash match is required. Grant awards will be approved at the January 2027 board meeting. The grant period for all funded activities is March 2027 through February 2028.
Who Can Apply
- Individual artists working in dance, media arts, music, photography, poetry, prose, theater, two-dimensional or three-dimensional visual art, folk, or traditional arts
- Culture bearers trained by traditional elders or master artists whose practice reflects a community's cultural life
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt arts organizations
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonarts organizations that regularly offer arts programming
- Units of state, local, or tribal government
- Arts affiliates of nonprofit organizations or public entities
- Arts groups without 501(c)(3) status applying with a Minnesota tax-exempt or public fiscal sponsor
Eligibility Constraints
- Individuals may submit an application in only one of the following programs: Creative Individuals, Arts Experiences, Arts Education, or Cultural Expression
- Organizations may submit an application in only one of the following programs: Arts Experiences, Arts Education, or Cultural Expression
- Review all additional eligibility requirements in the FY 2027 Cultural Expression Program Overview and Application Instructions
Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted online before 4:30 p.m. on June 5, 2026.
How to Apply
All applicants are required to use the WebGrants system to submit all materials electronically. Registration is required before beginning an application. Two online tutorials are available: How to register as a WebGrants user and How to use WebGrants.
Contact & Support
- Program content questions: Jamie Marshall, program officer, [email protected], (651) 539-2666
- Technical application questions: Chris Berry, grants management systems administrator, [email protected], (651) 539-2668
- Accessibility requests: Sue Gens, executive director, [email protected], (651) 539-2658
- Toll-free: (800) 866-2787 or Minnesota Relay 711
- Award
- Grants ranging from $5,000 to $35,000
- Entry fee
- Free to enter
- Entries per artist
- Up to 1
- Theme
- Projects that share, explore, pass on, express, or celebrate the culture of a community through the arts, including both traditional art forms passed down within communities and contemporary forms rooted in cultural traditions.
- Eligibility
- Individual artists working in dance, media arts, music, photography, poetry, prose, theater, visual art, or folk/traditional arts; culture bearers trained by traditional elders; or eligible 501(c)(3) organizations and government units. Minnesota residency implied.
- Audience
- Individuals (artists and culture bearers) and organizations (501(c)(3) tax-exempt arts organizations, nonarts organizations with arts programming, government units, nonprofit arts affiliates, or arts groups with fiscal sponsors)
- Contact
- [email protected]
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.