Artist Career Development Program

The Central Minnesota Arts Board (CMAB), with funding provided by the McKnight Foundation, administers the FY26 Artist Career Development program to support individual artists pursuing advancement in their artistic careers. The CMAB, headquartered in Foley, MN, serves Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright counties. With a longstanding commitment to enriching regional communities through the arts, the CMAB offers tailored programs like this one to support professional development and creative milestones for artists based in Central Minnesota. The Artist Career Development program offers up to $4,000 in funding to support a wide range of artistic endeavors. These include performances, gallery exhibitions, mentorships, apprenticeships, workshops, equipment purchases, improvements to creative workspaces, research, book publishing, music recording, and creative time. The aim is to help artists reach new markets or audiences, remove barriers to long-term success, enhance professional output and quality, and complete meaningful career-defining projects. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, legal U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and reside in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, or Wright County for a minimum of six months prior to the application. Current CMAB grantees with overdue final reports are not eligible to apply. Activities funded through this grant must begin after September 11, 2025, the date of the Board Review, and must be completed within 12 months of approval. Activities with a non-artistic primary focus, religious socialization aims, or political lobbying goals are ineligible. Proposals may be subject to contingency reviews if the applicant holds multiple open grants. Applicants must submit their applications online via the CMAB grants portal by 11:59 PM on the deadline. First-time applicants must create an account using an email address and password. Required components of the application include an artist statement, detailed proposal narrative (in written, audio, or video format), a timeline of activities, location of project activities, mentor or collaborator information if applicable, artist work samples, and a proposal budget. The application also collects demographic data for legislative reporting. Evaluation is based on a 30-point scale distributed across three criteria: Artistic Merit & Quality (12 points), Need (12 points), and Applicant Ability (6 points). Reviewers will assess the originality and technical merit of the applicant's work, the potential benefit of the project to the artist’s career, and the feasibility and clarity of the proposed timeline and budget. Applications scoring 15 or higher on average are considered for funding. Applicants may request a draft review before July 24, 2026. Award recipients will receive 80% of their grant 30 days prior to the project start date, with the remaining 20% released upon acceptance of a final report due within 60 days of project completion. Failure to submit the report will disqualify future applications. Recipients retain full copyright over submitted materials but allow the CMAB to use them for promotional purposes. The CMAB has a grant appeal process in place for applicants who believe policies were unfairly applied, excluding disputes over artistic merit. For assistance, applicants may contact the CMAB at 320-968-4290 or 1-866-825-1471, or email media@centralmnartsboard.org. Accessibility accommodations, including alternate formats and interpreters, are available upon request with 10 working days’ notice.

Refer to scoring criteria: Artistic Merit, Need, Ability. Use clear and personal writing. Address technical skill, growth, and feasibility.