One of six nonprofit United States Regional Arts Organizations providing support, information, and celebrating arts organizations and creative communities in Minnesota. Work to strengthen local arts, and culture efforts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, state agencies, private funders, and many others. Support programs offered: - Opportunities for Individuals: Work with freelance writers, photographers, and pitch ideas. Offers a Creative Midwest Media cohort to support organizations who provide innovative media outlets. Other programs include, Jazz Road, Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities, Midwest Culture Bearers Award, and the Peter Capell Award. - Opportunities for Organizations: Offers the GIG Fund grant to organizations ranging from $2,000 - $15,000 to bring artists to their community. Also, offers the National Endowment for The Arts Big Read grant of up to $20,000 to help bring communities together around the shared activity of reading and discussing a book, and Shakespeare in American Communities grant of $30,000.

????For Organizations: Art Project Grants: Provides area organizations in the SMAC region with up to $7,000 to stimulate and encourage the creation, performance, and appreciation of the arts. Equipment/Facilities Improvement Grants: Provides up to $10,000 in matching funds to arts organizations for the purchase of equipment items and facilities improvements that will strengthen their capacity to serve the arts needs of the region. Public Arts Grants: Provides organizations and city, county, or tribal governments with up to $20,000 for large-scale physical public art projects that will leave an arts legacy in southwest MN. The project should result in sustainable arts access in the community, with a continuing impact over several years. 20% cash match required. Quick Support for Organizations Grants: Provides organizations with up to $2,500 for activities such as planning for a Public Art project, strategic planning or board training, costs to apply for 501(c)(3) status, small equipment purchases, or small arts projects. For Individuals: Art Study Opportunity for Youth Grants: Up to $500 to aid in the development of young artists in grades 5 - 12 through an enrichment camp or specialty study. Students eligible for free/reduced lunch may apply for funding for regular lessons. Individual Artist - Artist Equity Grants: Provides up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic careers. Individual Artist - Artist Growth Grants: Provides up to $4,000 to artists at any career stage for projects that will advance their skills and artistic career. Individual Artist - Established Career Artist Grants: Provides up to $7,000 to aid established career artists in the advanced stage of their career development with projects that will advance their career. Individual Artist - Quick Support for Artists: Provides artists with up to $1,000 for activities such as purchasing supplies, attending classes, and small artist-led community projects. For Schools: Arts in the Schools Grants: Provides public schools with up to $4,000 for projects such as artist residencies, arts field trips, juried student art exhibits, etc.

Serves the artists and community at large, by providing opportunities for, and appreciation of, the visual arts through exhibits, workshops, classes, seminars, and cultural events in all the related arts.