Become One of Six Artists with LRAC’s Career Advancement Program
We are pleased to announce that applications are currently OPEN for the 2022-2023 Artist Cohorts Program! If you are an artist dedicated to your craft and currently reside within Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, or Wilkin counties, we invite you to apply for this one-of-a-kind opportunity designed to help you further your artistic career and development.
For those of you unfamiliar with this program, we’ve taken the time to outline a few common questions that, once answered, will encourage you to submit your application for consideration. There’s no time to lose! Deadline for applications is on Monday, September 19th, 2022 by 5:00pm.
What is LRAC’s Artist Cohorts Program?
Each year, Lake Region Arts Council selects six artist within our 9-county region and help them identify and work towards achieving their professional goals. This 10-month long opportunity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
The primary goal of this program is to arrange, support, and implement opportunities for artists of all disciplines in a variety of areas including:
One-on-One Coaching with Other Professionals and Career Artists
Free Access to Workshop
Assistance with Grant Writing
Networking Opportunities
Publicity Strategy
Professionally Shot Career Video and Photoshoot
These are just a few examples of the many benefits and career opportunities being a part of the Artist Cohorts Program can provide.
What Can I Gain from Being an Artist Cohort?
There are many invaluable resources and connections which are built each year by cohorts in the program. Artists can attest to the positive connections they build within the community and fellow artists. Below are a few of the artists who have participated in this program over the years. In these videos, they explain the many benefits they’ve gained from LRAC’s Artist Cohorts Program.
Sarah Eckel (2D Artist, 2017-2018 Cohort) gives an inside look to how her participation in the Artist Cohorts Program helped her grow as an artist.
Jodi Peterson (Glass Artist, 2017-2018 Cohort) discusses how helpful the one-on-one meetings with other professionals benefitted her while taking part of the Artist Cohorts program.
Jon ‘JT’ Thompson (Jewelry Maker, 2018-2019 Cohort) explains how connecting with other mentors through the state was a big benefit when in the program.
Ann DuHamel (Classical Pianist, 2018-2019 Cohort) tells us why she chose to apply for this program and how it helped to enhance her artistic career.
What Can Be Achieved Through the Program?
A great many artists have utilized LRAC’s Artist Program to experience, learn, and grow as artists through projects and undertakings they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. Take a look at some of the extraordinary things these previous cohorts have done through the Artist Cohorts Program.
Grace Clark, one of our Cohorts from 2018-2019 practicing visual and social practice art, developed two artist residency style programs for fellow artists and to further build her social practice projects that utilize community engagement for their medium.
One of our recent Cohorts from 2021-2022, Collage and Mixed Media artist Carmen McCullough, created this professionally shot ‘How to Collage Instructional Video’ which showcased her artistry and process while encouraging others to do the same.
2019-2020 Artist Cohort Su Legatt created and implemented her Wooden Minnesota Nickel Project which sought to pass on kind deeds and pay forward the ‘Minnesota Nice’ attitude.
How Can I Apply?
If you are an artist seeking to enhance your professional career or simply explore other realms of your art, LRAC’s Artist Cohorts program is for you! All artists in our region are encouraged to apply by the 5pm September 19th deadline. We look forward to receiving your application!
