Artist in Residence Program 2026

The Central Minnesota Arts Board (CMAB) offers the Artist in Residence (AIR) grant program to support arts learning experiences in schools and nonprofit organizations located within Region 7W of Minnesota. This region includes the counties of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright. The AIR program is made possible through Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The primary goal of this program is to facilitate interactive and educational arts experiences by funding residencies involving professional artists who engage participants in learning through creative processes. The AIR program provides up to $3,500 per grant to eligible applicants, fostering a direct connection between artists and local communities or schools. Residency activities supported by the grant must include structured arts learning experiences with a core group of participants. These activities should balance artist demonstration and hands-on engagement, aiming to enrich educational or community programming. Additionally, there must be a public-facing component that informs or involves the broader community in the residency’s outcomes. Eligible activities include workshops, artist-led performances, studio or gallery visits, and readings by literary artists, all of which must take place within Minnesota and primarily benefit Region 7W residents. The grant does not support equipment purchases, general fundraising events, standard curriculum replacement, or activities occurring outside of Minnesota. Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, community groups with a fiscal sponsor, public schools, and local government entities. Individual artists and for-profit businesses are not eligible to apply. Proposals must not exceed the maximum of two artist engagements with the same school or organization within a five-year period if those artists were funded through CMAB’s Artist in Residence or Teaching Artist grants. Applications must be submitted through CMAB’s online system by 11:59 p.m. on the listed deadline, and applications received after that time will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to consult with CMAB staff and may request a draft review at least two weeks before the application deadline. The application process includes submitting artistic samples, an artist resume or experience list, fiscal sponsor documentation if applicable, and a detailed proposal describing activities, outcomes, and community engagement. Schools are also expected to link residency activities to Minnesota Academic Standards and explain how these standards are addressed outside the residency. The application is evaluated using four main criteria: Artistic Merit and Quality, Demonstrated Need, Outcomes and Evaluation, and Organizational Ability. Each category includes specific scoring criteria used by CMAB’s review panel, with applications scored out of 30 points. A minimum average score of 15 is required to be considered for funding. Applicants must identify a residency coordinator and provide a detailed timeline, budget, and explanation of expected outcomes and methods of evaluation. The CMAB emphasizes that residency activities should provide a measurable impact on participants and communities, and artists should be compensated fairly. Applications should include in-kind contributions and identify how additional, non-grant-funded expenses will be covered. Awarded applicants must sign a grant contract within 30 days and submit a final report within 60 days after completing the residency. Grantees are also required to acknowledge CMAB’s support in all promotional materials. The current application deadline is October 9, 2025. Projects may begin only after the board review date and must be completed within 12 months of approval. While the program is not rolling, it does recur annually. The next anticipated cycle is expected in October 2026. For assistance, applicants can contact the Central Minnesota Arts Board by phone at 320-968-4290 or toll-free at 1-866-825-1471. For more details, visit the CMAB website or consult the Artist in Residence program guidelines.

Review criteria include Artistic Merit, Demonstrated Need, Outcomes, and Ability. Draft reviews available 2 weeks before deadline.