Is Your Town Interested in Having a Welcoming, Vibrant, and Busy Main Street?
During the summer, small towns and rural communities are often filled with life as people take in the sights, sounds, and beauty of the area.
Apply for the New Artists on Main Street Program!
Lake Region Arts Council, in partnership with West Central Initiative (WCI), are proud to announce a new program that helps communities bring life to their towns! Artists on Main Street is a program designed to support rural community development and revitalizing local Downtown/Main Street areas in a creative way that stimulates the economy, supports local artists, preserves historic legacies, and enhances civic life.
This will be the first year of Artists on Main Street, a program developed by Springboard for the Arts. Funding will be made possible by the voters of Minnesota through LRAC grants, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
An Opportunity for Artists and Their Communities
Artists on Main Street is a year-long initiative geared towards assisting, training, and facilitating opportunities for community leaders and local artists to create up to 10 artist-led projects. It is the belief of Artists on Main Street that by supporting these smaller artistic ventures, rural towns and communities will strengthen their relationships, increase their economic vitality, and inspire a sense of stewardship and agency among members of all ages and backgrounds.
As selected projects will take place between February and May of 2023, those interested in applying for this program are encouraged to consider the following selection criteria:
Impact
Applicant believes in art and creativity as a process for building community and displays a true interest in ‘learning by doing’. They understand their town’s unique challenges in downtown revitalization and have a vision for the impact they want this program to make.
Commitment
Applicant demonstrates sincere enthusiasm for proposed project. They are aligned with the goals, strategies, and activities of the Artists on Main Street program and are eager to learn from artist-led responses to local challenges. Applicant must also be able to offer a match of either $2,500 for in-kind administrative and staff support, or $2,500 to increase the artist project support budget.
Capacity
1-2 individuals that can act as a coordinator(s) for the program are identified by the applicant. Coordination includes communicating regularly with Artists on Main Street facilitators, promoting the program to local artists, organizing project selection meetings, supporting projects, and seeking opportunities for storytelling and communications.
Benefits of the Program
Valuable resources such as tools, training, and templates for communications purposes will be provided by Artists on Main Street facilitators. This will allow all participating community leaders and artists the opportunity to gain tangible skills and processes that will enable future endeavors for implementing creative elements to the community.
Artists on Main Street will provide technical assistance, training, and financial support in the following ways:
4 customized Creative Community Development trainings for Downtown/Main Street leaders and their partners/stakeholders
1-2 customized Creative Placemaking trainings for local artists
$10,000 in funding for up to 10 small, artist-led projects ($1,000-$2,000 each)
Ongoing technical assistance for strengthening and sustaining your community’s creative community development infrastructure
Eligibility and Application Deadlines
Sculptures and other forms of three dimensional art are wonderful additions to local downtown and main street areas.
If this one-of-a-kind opportunity could benefit your community, here is some additional information regarding eligibility and upcoming deadlines.
Eligibility Requirements
Open to communities with a population of 5,000 or less in LRAC’s 9-county region (Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin Counties)
Lead Applicant must be a city government actively involved in downtown/main street revitalization
Lead Applicant must identify and provide the contact information of 3-4 Planning Team members (individuals listed may be contacted by LRAC and WCI to confirm their interest and commitment) who are willing to commit to participating in the following ways:
Planning process for the program
Have a strong interest in learning how to collaborate with artists on community development issues
Can represent a wide variety of stakeholders
Candidate Selection Timeline
Complete and submit application by Friday, October 7, 2022
Applicants will be notified of their application status by October 17, 2022
If selected, applicant must confirm participation by October 28, 2022
Annette Hochstein from Battle Lake beside her mosaic project.
How to Apply
Artists on Main Street is just one of the many artistic opportunities LRAC is proud to offer those within our 9-county region. To apply for this program, submit your online application by the Friday, October 7th deadline.
