ECRAC Essential Artist Award

The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) Essential Artist Award is a competitive grant program aimed at recognizing, encouraging, and supporting outstanding professional artists and culture bearers residing in Region 7E of Minnesota. Backed by generous funding from The McKnight Foundation, the program offers a $9,000 award designed to help artists advance their careers by dedicating focused time to their artistic practice, pursuing non-degree-related advanced study, acquiring materials or equipment, and undertaking other activities that support their artistic goals. ECRAC, a nonprofit regional arts council, administers this program to enhance access to the arts and promote artistic excellence across the counties of Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine, including Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe lands. The Essential Artist Award is open to artists and culture bearers working in all disciplines, such as visual arts, dance, music, theater, literary arts, film/video, photography, crafts, and interdisciplinary forms. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and a permanent resident for at least six months in one of the eligible counties. Only individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens may apply. Additionally, applicants must not have received ECRAC/McKnight funding in the prior two years and may not have more than one active ECRAC grant at a time, with limited exceptions for resiliency grants. ECRAC does not require applicants to provide matching funds; however, doing so is encouraged and viewed favorably during review. Matching contributions may be cash, earned income, or in-kind support such as donated labor or materials. The funding must be used within the grant period and cannot cover expenses incurred before the project start date or after its conclusion. The earliest allowable project start date is July 1, with the latest completion date being June 30 of the following year. Applications must be submitted through the ECRAC Grant Portal approximately 4–6 weeks prior to the March 1 deadline, with final award decisions made by June 30. Applications are reviewed by the ECRAC Board of Directors, based on criteria such as the artistic quality of submitted work samples, the merit and feasibility of the proposed activities, and the anticipated impact of the award on the artist’s career. Artistic quality carries the greatest weight in the evaluation process. The award notification is issued approximately one month after the decision, and grantees are required to sign a contract and submit a payment request form before funds are disbursed. Grantees must also complete a grant management training and submit a final report within 30 days of project completion. The application process requires several key components, including a detailed project budget, artist résumé, work samples, and, when applicable, an equipment use plan or mentor résumés. All required documents must be uploaded via the online grant portal, and incomplete applications are considered ineligible. Applicants may contact ECRAC staff for technical assistance during the application process, though such assistance does not guarantee funding. Additional support materials, such as tutorials and examples of previously funded projects, are available through ECRAC’s website to help applicants develop strong proposals. The Essential Artist Award reflects ECRAC’s broader mission to foster access to the arts and artistic excellence in East Central Minnesota. The Council promotes equity and integrity in the distribution of arts funding and ensures that projects it supports reflect high standards and benefit communities in Region 7E. The program provides not only critical financial support but also validation and recognition for artists whose work strengthens the cultural fabric of their communities.