Congratulations to the 102 groups and organizations who are recipients of the MRAC Arts Impact for Groups grant awards. On May 17, 2022 the MRAC board approved $1,021,184 in funding for the following organizations to receive grant awards in the Arts Impact for Groups program for FY22. Note that the county designations indicate where the organization is located; Minneapolis and Saint Paul are listed separately from their counties.
The Arts Impact for Groups grant provides up to $10,000 in funding for groups led by Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC); and/or Disabled People / People with Disabilities; and/or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Agender, Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2+). Groups must be located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington county. This grant is designed to be an infusion of funds to support a group’s ability to create access to the arts.
Anoka County
10th Wave Chamber Music Collective
10thwave.org
$10,000
Funding to bring quality performances featuring new music by composers of color and local Minnesotan composers to the outdoors in a casual COVID-safe setting that communities can enjoy for free.
Dakota County
AFOUTAYI HAITIAN DANCE, MUSIC, AND ARTS COMPANY
http://www.afoutayidmaco.com
$10,000
Funding to host the annual Haitian Flag Day celebration at the Creators Space with beginner-friendly dance classes, traditional Haitian drum circle and art station for crafting the Valiz and Kochon.
Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community
http://mendotadakota.com/mn/
$10,000
Funding for our 22nd Annual Traditional Wacipi, a three-day Native American artistic and cultural celebration and social gathering. Activities will take place in Mendota, Minnesota in September 2022.
Minneapolis
Aapli Library
https://www.instagram.com/aaplilibrary/
$10,000
Funding to create a productive space for zine making, sharing and conversation. Funding for equipment, virtual+in-person zine workshops and to pay our lead and supporting artists.
April Sellers Dance Collective
http://www.aprilsellers.com
$10,000
Funding for a one-week residency at Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis to begin developing Echo, a new work by April Sellers Dance Collective. The residency will be documented in a video blog.
ARENA DANCES, Inc.
http://www.arenadances.org
$10,000
Funding to support new teaching artist training through Moving Practice and apply their gained knowledge in the classroom through DanceON.
ASH: Sacred Arts
$10,000
Funding to help subsidize the interactive, live visual art component of ‘Invisible Cities’ by Syrian/Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.
Away Runakuna
https://www.awayrunakuna.com/
$10,000
Funding for Away Runakuna’s dance project called “Inti Raymi” that translates to “Festival of Sun” representing the indigenous community of Otavalo, Ecuador.
Black Table Arts
$10,000
Funding to support Black Table Arts’ high-quality arts events that center education, social justice, and artistic development for Black communities to uplift Black lives.
Black, Bold & Brilliant
blackboldandbrilliant.com
$10,000
Funding for Black, Bold and Brilliant Summer retreat & internship for Black youth to gather, explore, dream, do and reflect.
Centro Tyrone Guzman
http://www.centromn.org/
$9,088
Funding to engage Latine participants of all ages in creating a “Dia de los Muertos” community altar and celebration with a virtual component.
DisabiliTease Festival
http://www.disabilieasefestival.com
$10,000
Funding to grow the DisabiliTease Academy by surveying our community to find what skills they want to develop, select appropriate instructors, hold at least one class a month and create resources.
Division of Indian Work
http://www.diw-mn.org
$10,000
This project will create moccasins to be gifted to American Indian families who cannot provide them for those who pass on. Moccasins are part of traditional clothing the person will be buried in.
Emerging Curators Institute
emergingcurators.org
$10,000
Funding for ECI to build capacity by increasing staff hours as we seek non-profit status, develop our board, and increase funding streams.
Folktopia
http://www.parkergenne.com
$10,000
Funding to build out Folktopia’s mobile studio/theater, supporting the new folk opera film Silver Hands, which will be shared with intergenerational participants and audiences.
FreeWriters MN
freewriters.org
$10,000
Funding to support three months of FreeWriters classes for Hennepin County Jail inmates — who otherwise lack arts access programming of any kind — and the emotional healing that comes with it.
Green Card Voices
http://www.greencardvoices.org
$10,000
Funding to support co-leader, Aaliyah Hannah (BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+), to oversee publication of GCV’s next graphic novel, Kim Uy’s Cambodian immigrant story.
hinterhands puppet company
$10,000
Funding to offer a program called Puppet Camp OUT, working with queer youth and elders to learn different forms of puppetry and to tell their stories and/or histories through puppetry.
Hope Community, Inc.
http://www.hope-community.org
$10,000
Funding for Hope Community’s Transformational Creative Strategies Training (TRCSTR), a 5-month cohort-based arts learning program to prepare community artists for doing public arts engagement work.
Indian Music Society of Minnesota (IMSOM)
http://www.imsom.org
$10,000
Funding to present two lecture-demonstrations covering six classical forms from both, Carnatic (South Indian) and Hindustani (North Indian), classical music of India.
Intro to Success
$10,000
Funding to compensate our core leadership team to help us continue to operate and expand our arts programming on the Northside.
Iraqi & American Reconciliation Project
http://www.reconciliationproject.org
$10,000
Funding for the execution phase of a mural celebrating Iraqi Minnesotan culture by youth artist Lina Alashrafee and funding for core mission support of IARP.
Journey Productions
journeyproductions.com
$10,000
Funding for 2023 Theater, dramaturgy experience, audition-based performing arts program in Minneapolis for youth 8-18. The program will culminate in the performance of the play based Claudette Colvin.
Kalpulli Ketzalcoatlicue
$10,000
Funding for the creation of sacred objects, decoration, and traditional regalia and foods for Kalpulli Ketzalcoatlicue’s yearly summer solstice ceremony.
Legal Rights Center
https://www.legalrightscenter.org/
$10,000
Funding for mentorship and radical imagination writing workshops with impacted youth and families to create a narrative project that envisions a Minnesota without youth incarceration.
Les Jolies Petites School of Dance
ljpschoolofdance.org
$10,000
Les Jolies Petites School of Dance is requesting financial support to provide an 8 week Summer Intensive Work Shop that teaches ballet to beginner and advanced students both current and new.
Lightning Rod
$10,000
Funding for Lightning Rod to attend a strategic planning retreat, evaluate their inaugural season with a facilitator, and prepare for their second season.
Memorialize The Movement
https://www.memorializethemovement.com/
$10,000
Funding for this exhibition will help MTM create an immersive community event that commemorates the life and death of George Floyd while giving space for the community to heal, reflect, and learn.
Minneapolis American Indian Center
http://www.maicnet.org
$10,000
Funding to strengthen operations and build upon the 50 years of urban indigenous MPLS history to increase access to native arts and cultural heritage.
Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery
http://www.maahmg.org
$10,000
Funding for marketing and financial consulting to build organizational capacity for the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG).
Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra
http://www.mnphil.org
$10,000
Funding for America’s first LGBTQ orchestra to perform one free (pay-what-you-can) orchestral music concert in November 2022.
Morgan Thorson Projects
$10,000
Funding to support the research and development Sundowner—an outdoor nocturnal dance performance–created by five artists and presented by the Great Northern Festival 2023.
MOVO Space
$10,000
Funding for New and Accessible Website, Improved Space Scheduling and Remote Interface and Part-Time Operational Support at MOVO.
Off-Leash Area
http://www.offleasharea.org
$10,000
Funding to strengthen Off-Leash Area’s Off-Kilter program, by deepening outreach to community organizations, audiences, and performers with disabilities through leadership, partnerships, and marketing.
OROMIA 11
http://oromia11.org
$10,000
Funding to create visual display of Oromo arts and culture alongside a media platform that brings out the best voices of the community to the public and elevate the Oromo culture in Minnesota.
Poetry for People
$10,000
Funding to create a new Poetry for People website and to streamline our accounting procedures.
Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association
http://www.ppna.org
$10,000
Funding to develop, integrate, and promote a new Powderhorn Art Fair app, which aims to further access to nearly 200 juried visual artists.
Praxis Photo Arts Center
https://www.praxisphotocenter.org
$10,000
Praxis Photo Arts Center (PPAC) seeks funding to renovate our expanded space into a one-of-a-kind, multi-use project space for exploring lens-based media for the entire metropolitan arts community.
Project Iconic
http://www.parkavechruch.org
$10,000
Funding to help young people overcome traumatic events by creating and showcasing their talents in music and writing.
Public Functionary
http://www.publicfunctionary.org
$10,000
Funding for the second year of Conversation Lab, a vital program to deepen the studio practices of emerging artists through peer-led conversation and compassionate critique.
Purple Playground
https://www.purpleplayground.org
$10,000
Funding for creation of Purple Playground musical, “Liv and the Indigo Stone,” an original play with songs composed and performed by teens from the Academy of Prince music programs.
Quatrefoil Library
qlibary.org
$10,000
Funding for community engagement via audiobook and ebook licenses to expand access to LGBTQ+ books for traditionally underserved groups. Free digital borrowing eliminates barriers to library use.
Red Eye Collaboration
http://www.redeyetheater.org
$10,000
Funding for the second round of OMNIVERS, Red Eye’s newest program, which provides radically flexible, multifaceted support to BIPOC multidisciplinary performance-based artists over two years.
Rosy Simas Danse
http://www.rosysimas.com
$10,000
Funding for a portion of staff salaries, and a contracted Studio Manager, to more fully support Native/BIPOC artists, and the creation and presentation of the work of Rosy Simas Danse ensemble.
Salsa Fiesta
http://www.mnsalsafiesta.com
$10,000
Funding to make Salsa Fiesta more accessible by lowering ticket price from $45 to $25. Funding would also support the work of an expert consultant to secure crucial sponsorships for future programming.
Sanguine Arts
$10,000
Funding to develop and implement a career development and peer support pilot program for BIPOC artists.
Serpentina Arts
$10,000
Funding will provide resources to establish a Serpentina Arts website to bolster communication and increase online visibility of Minnesota Latinx visual artists.
Somali Youth and Family Development Center
https://www.somfam.org/
$10,000
Funding for this project will promote Somali arts and culture in the Twin Cities through a summer cultural family festival, and a Somali language YouTube program that promotes East African artists.
TaikoArts Midwest
http://www.taikoartsmidwest.org
$10,000
Funding to support TAM’s Community Taiko for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Youth program will bring the vibrant, healing, and empowering artform of taiko with a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth/homeless youth.
Tangible Collective
tangiblecollective.org
$10,000
Funds will support our studio space in NKB, administration, stipends for curators and artists, and our summer events. All of our events and use of our studio space is available on a sliding scale.
The DIAL Group
http://www.thedialgroup.org
$10,000
Funding for Beats, Rhymes, and Life will support our arts-based initiative that provides a safe space, hip hop and spoken word training, and mentorship for at-risk youth.
The Park Place
http://www.theparkplace-mn.org
$10,000
Funding for cultural arts programming for kids who are registered with The Park Place.
The Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts
http://www.semillacenter.org
$10,000
Funding for a Spanish-speaking Co-Director and for youth wages of Semilla’s Young Leader program.
Tru Ruts Endeavors
http://truruts.com/
$10,000
Funding to support the Black to Black Mentorship Program that creates a pathway for growing beginning and intermedia artists skills in media production, producing and leadership development.
Twin Cities Carifest
http://www.carifest.org
$10,000
Funding to properly store and maintain Caribbean steel pan drums and purchase new set of bass pans. Support would also help secure a better long-term storage solution for the instruments and Carifest.
Vivid Black Paint
http://www.vividblackpaint.org
$9,500
Funding for Vivid Black Paint’s Summer 2022 “We MUST Breathe” activities and events, a new Vivid Kid Painters Club and Programming/Arts supplies for the Community House Program.
zAmya Theater Project
https://www.zamyatheater.org/
$9,200
Funding to strengthen the capacity of the zAmya Theater Troupe through additional practice sessions, leadership training, special project hours and a transportation stipend.
Saint Paul
30,000 Feet
$10,000
Funding to develop and implement six artist residency workshops, connecting Black youth in East Saint Paul to Black artists.
African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS)
http://aeds-mn.org/
$10,000
Funding to produce the 2022 Little Africa Festival and Parade, art and cultural celebration uniting and lifting Minnesota’s diverse African immigrant communities.
Alliance of Minnesota Chinese Organizations
http://www.mnchineselife.com
$10,000
Funds to support organizing the artistic & cultural activities for the ‘2022 Moon Festival Celebration at Mall Of America’ to be held on September 10 or 11, 2022 (the full moon day in Lunar calendar).
ArtStart
http://www.artstart.org
$10,000
Funding to increase ArtStart’s capacity to work with underserved youth through free videos with art material kits created by 7 Twin Cities artists emphasizing the power of personal expression and art.
Asian Economic Development Association
aedamn.org
$10,000
Funding for Mobile Public Art Projects to increase access to SE Asian art and cultural experiences and to preserve the Little Mekong Culture District.
ComMUSICation
https://www.commusicationmn.org/
$10,000
Funding for ComMUSICation’s high-quality music summer programs, including enrichment classes in partnership with summer schools and a program to support the musical growth of school-year participants.
Dance With Purpose Dance Company
$10,000
Funding to support the ongoing operations of Dance With Purpose Dance Company.
Exposed Brick Theatre
http://www.exposedbricktheatre.org
$10,000
Funding to provide playwriting opportunities for emerging BIPOC and intersectional playwrights, include playwriting classes and the creation of a Playwriting Cohort.
Fight for Your Dreams
http://www.fightforyourdreams.org
$7,500
Funding for the Fight for Your Dreams Media Arts program will be used to pay the salaries of art instructors that will teach photography and film making as art for at-risk youth aged 8 – 12.
Frogtown Tuned-In
http://www.wfnu.org
$10,000
Funding for ongoing operations activities and organizational capacity activities for WFNU Frogtown Community Radio, specifically rent support and marketing outreach.
Full Circle Theater Company
http://www.fullcircletheatermn.org/
$10,000
Funding for Full Circle’s Online Presentation, “Stories Exploring Issues of Disability and Theater,” featuring disabled artists exploring crucial issues through performance and in-depth discussion.
Funny Asian Women Kollaborative (F.A.W.K)
https://www.fawkollective.com/
$8,500
Funding for Funny Asian Women Kollective to hold a week-long (Re)Connection Wellness Retreat for Asian American women artists.
Grace Minnesota dba Don’t You Feel It Too?
http://www.dyfit.org
$10,000
Funding for Don’t You Feel It Too’s SEED program to test models of an activist dance company and create a new collaborative project, “Choreographing Social Transformation.”
In Black Ink
$10,000
Funding to support artists fees, communications, and production costs to publish “Media in the Black Community” and sponsor a series of readings/community conversations with authors.
In Progress
http://in-progress.org/
$10,000
Funding to expand portable access for artists that participate in our Saint Paul based programs. Funding will be used to purchase photo & video light kits, a podcasting kit, and 2 laptops.
India Association of Minnesota
http://www.iamn.org/
$10,000
Funding for IAM to develop and implement a digital marketing plan in consultation with a digital marketer to increase access to Minnesota’s wealth of Asian-Indian performing artists
Leslie Parker Dance Project
http://www.leslieparkerdance.com
$10,000
Funding to launch ‘Call to Remember – Black Dance Improvisation Workshop Series’. The Workshops are open to Black, Native, Indigenous, People of Color and BIPOC allies of varied dance experiences.
Lower Phalen Creek Project
http://www.lowerphalencreek.org
$9,875
Funding to support LPCP’s partnership with New Native Theater to develop a community created play, entirely in the Dakota language, as the opening program for Wakan Tipi Center.
Million Artist Movement
http://www.millionartistmovement.org
$10,000
Funding for a cohort of Black and Indigenous artists to create images to expand our understanding of Black and Indigenous holidays to be disseminated over several media platforms.
Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health
http://www.macmh.org/fidgety-fairy-tales
$10,000
Funding to adapt The Three Little Pigs, a 15-minute musical about managing anxiety, into 1) a script package for school-age children and 2) interactive storytelling sessions for early childhood.
Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society
https://mnchinagarden.org
$10,000
Funding to create a commissioned dance program that educates and promotes understanding of the sister-city relationship between St. Paul and Changsha, and the ancestral connection of MN Hmong to China.
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
http://www.mnprisonwriting.org
$10,000
Funding to undertake a comprehensive strategic planning process to collaboratively shape the organization’s focus, goals, and programs over the next five years.
More Than a Single Story
morethanasinglestory.com
$10,000
Funding to produce six public conversations between emerging arts leaders and Elders, leaning on our past to amplify momentum for the future for Black and Asian artists and their communities.
Niniijaanis One of Ones
https://niniijaanis1of1s.com/
$10,000
Funding for a mobile learning environment to bring culturally responsive resources & education to American Indian communities.
Teatro del Pueblo
http://www.teatrodelpueblo.org
$10,000
Vision(es) New Work Series consists of developing workshops and public readings of new works by emerging and mid-career Latinx playwrights.
The JK Movement
http://www.thejkm.org
$10,000
Funding for a two-month youth DJ workshop exploring DJ equipment, mixing, practice & presentation, adding an in-demand creative learning opportunity for JKM mentees.
The Victoria Theater Arts Center
http://www.victoriatheater.org/
$10,000
Funding for a free outdoor festival on University Ave., highlighting the talent and culture of the Frogtown and Rondo communities in St. Paul through arts performance, education and an art market.
Theatre 55
$10,000
Funding for Theatre 55’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” performed by artists 55+, focusing on celebrating female, LGBTQ, and BIPOC representation.
ThinkSelf, Inc.
http://www.thinkself.org
$10,000
Funding to provide accessible artist workshops for the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing Community with the intention of promoting lifelong learning and self-care.
Scott County
APIA MN Film Collective
http://www.apiamnfilm.com
$10,000
Funding to host a series of workshops to teach Asian American filmmakers how to effectively plan and produce a short film on a small budget with limited resources.
Suburban Hennepin County
Art Buddies
http://www.artbuddies.org/
$10,000
Art Buddies is seeking funding to provide free meaningful in-person art education and creative mentor Character Creation Programming, for scholars grades 2-5 at Lucy Craft Laney Elementary School.
CAPI USA
http://www.capiusa.org
$10,000
Funding to facilitate 2022’s Twin Cities World Refugee Day, an annual arts event conducted by CAPI to honor the contributions and cultures of Minnesota’s 120,000+ refugees.
Great Northern Union Chorus
http://www.gnusings.com/
$10,000
Funding for “Realizing Our Vision: Harmony In Union With Humanity” will build operational capacity for opening the Great Northern Union Chorus to all voices.
HeadCannon Creations LLC
$9,592
Funding to produce a 4-day live-action role-playing event in June 2022 focusing on providing affordable, diverse, and safe collaborative storytelling for participants while fairly compensating labor.
Katha Dance Theatre
http://www.kathadance.org
$10,000
Funding to underwrite the expense of touring KDT show YATRA to St. Cloud, MN and to create a diverse company by underwriting the cost of training a professional non-Indian dancer in the art, Kathak.
New Plays Inc
http://www.sidekicktheatre.com
$10,000
Funding for sound equipment to improve sound quality for audience members at its venue and to facilitate taking programs to other venues and schools in marginalized communities in the Twin Cities.
Protect Minnesota
http://www.protectmn.org
$10,000
Funding to create a program in which young people in Minneapolis and St. Paul who have been impacted by gun violence are led by an artist through the process of creating art about their experience.
Strive Publishing
http://www.strivepublishing.com
$10,000
Funding for an anthology of stories of triumph that embody a rich Black culture and heritage. We will empower and celebrate this legacy of Black joy through the living word of publication.
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie
http://www.sweetpotatocomfortpie.org
$9,480
Funding to expand our photo exhibit (“Character Values: Upholding Our Beloved Community”) with four additional panels, reprint of the program guide, exhibit support, and a digital or video component.
Thai Cultural Council of Minnesota (St Louis Park)
$10,000
Funding for the first annual Minnesota Songkran Festival. This will be a two-day event held on May 28th and 29th at the state capitol celebrating Songkran or Thai New Year.
The Dancing Body
https://www.raneeramaswamy.com/
$10,000
Funding to digitize ten year collection of my custom music from spool format, 10 books of hand written notes in Tamil, pal system videos of class -store them in a computer for preservation, and use.
United Artist Collaborative
http://www.unitedac.org
$9,449
Funding to reimagine and perform one of Shakespeare’s greatest monologues in a ten minute short film and to submit the film to film festivals throughout Hennepin County and show it online.
Suburban Ramsey County
Jazz Access
http://www.jazzaccess.com
$10,000
Funding to expand Jazz Access programming to curate, promote, and present concerts in East St. Paul and North Minneapolis in June 2023.
Washington County
Lao Culture Dance and Fashion Show, LLC
http://www.laodancefashionmn.org
$10,000
Funding to present a new series of in-person Lao dance and fashion classes for youth aged 4 to 22.
StoryArk
storyark.org
$10,000
Funding for 30 rising sixth graders to write 5 original mystery short plays to be performed publicly both by the students and by professional actors in the August of 2022.