Announcing Artists Respond: Equitable Rural Futures

Springboard for the Arts, with support from the Blandin Foundation, is excited to announce Artists Respond: Equitable Rural Futures, a new funding opportunity for artists and creatives in small towns and rural places in Minnesota.

The murder of George Floyd and other Black lives at the hands of police, increased polarization across geographies and ideologies, and the rise in emboldened white supremacist groups, has led to necessary conversations and action that advance equity and racial justice in rural communities.

To support the creative work that is essential to this movement, Springboard invites artists and creatives in rural places and small towns in Minnesota to propose projects that center BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or People of Color), Native, and LGBTQIA+ experiences and perspectives in rural and tribal communities, create safe and supportive spaces for connection, confront truth about historic harms, bring non-dominant stories into light, and/or address racism, homophobia and/or transphobia. Whether using music and dance, food, craft and traditional art, public art, fashion and design, the mail or local media, we know rural artists can play an important role in helping their communities imagine and build a more just and equitable future for all.

Culture bearers, makers, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, performers and other creatives in rural and tribal communities of 25,000 people or less in Minnesota are invited to apply for project support of up to $2500, with priority given to BIPOC, Native and/or LGBTQIA+ led proposals. Application deadline is Friday, April 2 at 11:59pm.

Find out more about the call, see the application, and register for a March 5 info session at their website: https://springboardforthearts.org/artists-respond-equitable-rural-futures/