October 1st Applications are Open Now!

Art project funding from the East Central Regional Arts Council

We are currently welcoming new and former applicants to apply for art grant funding.

Where & when: The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC), covers the Minnesota counties of Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine, known as region 7E. ECRAC provides arts funding to artists, art organizations, nonprofits, and local units of government, or organizations sponsoring art events, located in region 7E. ECRAC accepts grant applications now through 11:59 pm on October 1, 2022.

What kind of art grant & how much is available: The October 1st grant opportunities include five grant programs, two for artists and three for organizations. The applications vary and ECRAC Staff is available to assist you with determining what grant program fits the art project you’d like to apply for. The grant programs for artists include the ECRAC Mid-Career Artist Grant in amounts up to $2,500 and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy (ACHF) Individual Artist Grant in amounts up to $1,000. The grant programs for organizations include the Art in Our Schools Grant in amounts up to $3,000, the Small/Art Project Grant in amounts between $500 - $5,000, and the ACHF Legacy Organization Grant in amounts between $5,000 - $15,000.

How to get more info & grant workshops: Detailed information about each of the grant opportunities can be found on the ECRAC website: ecrac.org. Applicants are also invited to attend a grant information session to learn more about these grant programs and how to apply. Upcoming grant information sessions will be both in-person at the ECRAC office located at 540 Weber Ave, Hinckley, and online via Zoom. For artists the in-person session will be September 13th at 2:00pm and the online session will be via Zoom on September 12th at 10:00am. The next grant information sessions for organizations will be in-person on September 13th at 10:00am and the online session via Zoom September 12th at 2:00pm. Contact ECRAC staff at the email below to register if you are interested in attending. Grant information sessions for artists and organizations are also available on the ECRAC YouTube channel if you can't make it in person.

What is new and is making the grant application process easier?: If you’ve applied for a grant with ECRAC in the past, ECRAC has now made the application process easier with new application tools that allow applicants to copy a past grant application and auto fill those routine question fields in a new application template. It’s a great way to save time on your next application. For assistance on how to use this new application tool, if you need it, contact ECRAC staff.

To register for workshops or to get assistance: For more information about ECRAC grants and other upcoming grant opportunities they provide visit our website at ecrac.org; give us a call at 320-591-7034; or send us an email to grantinfo@ecrac.org. We are available weekdays to answer any questions you may have about these grant opportunities and the arts.

What is ECRAC?: For more than 40 years, the East Central Regional Arts Council has been funding the arts in region 7E. A visit to the website will provide a depth of information about the grant applications and guidelines for the grants listed above, past successful grant projects funded in region 7E, ECRAC art show information, local arts resources, a calendar of upcoming arts events, ECRAC’s permanent art collection and more. Even if you are not interested in applying for a grant with ECRAC, a visit to the website is a fun visit for any art enthusiast especially the Art Show section.

Be on the lookout in the next few weeks for the invite to be part of ECRAC's

35th Annual IMAGE Art Show!

What else is new?: This summer ECRAC updated the event calendar! Check it out to find out about upcoming art events or to add your own art event.

These activities are made possible with funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature from its general fund and the arts and cultural heritage fund, and also by The McKnight Foundation.