Minnesota State Arts Board

The Minnesota State Arts Board is a state agency that stimulates and encourages the creation, performance, and appreciation of the arts in the state. It works to ensure that all Minnesotans have the opportunity to participate in the arts.

 The Arts Board is an adviser, resource, and policy maker for the arts in the state; it distributes grants and other forms of assistance for artistic activities; it manages the state’s public art program; and it serves as fiscal agent for legislative appropriations to eleven regional arts councils.

 The Arts Board awards hundreds of grants and millions of dollars to artists, arts organizations, arts educators, and other organizations utilizing the arts to serve the citizens of Minnesota. Each year, the Arts Board enlists the aid of hundreds of Minnesotans from all corners of the state to serve as grant application advisory review panelists to review and provide feedback on applications. Volunteers play a crucial role in the grant making process as their scores help determine which proposals will be funded. This involvement, and the insights they bring, are the vital foundation for the Arts Board’s grant decisions each year.