Southeastern Minnesota Arts
The Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) is a regional arts council designated by the State of Minnesota to support arts development across an 11-county region in southeastern Minnesota. Based in Rochester, SEMAC serves as a grantmaking organization and arts advocacy body, distributing nearly $1,000,000 annually to support arts programming, individual artists, organizations, schools, and community entities throughout its service area.
Key facts about Southeastern Minnesota Arts
- EIN
- 41-1417579
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $804,955
- Grants made (2024)
- 60
- Average grant
- $13,416
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (21 of 60, 2024)
- Total assets
- $543,107
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Southeastern Minnesota Arts funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Southeastern Minnesota Arts's 60 itemized 2024 grants were Minnesota (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rochester, MN (19 grants), Winona, MN (9 grants), Red Wing, MN (7 grants) and Austin, MN (5 grants). 52% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Achf: Programming Grant" (28 grants).
Is Southeastern Minnesota Arts open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 21 of 60 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$543K
+42.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$805K
+50.1% YoY
Grant Count
60
+33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$13K
+12.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: SEMAC exists to encourage, promote, and assist regional arts development by providing leadership, outreach, advocacy, mentorship, grants, and services.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Arts and arts access
- Arts and education
- Arts and cultural heritage
- Individual artist support across all creative disciplines including painting, photography, printmaking, textiles, music, dance, theater, performance, storytelling, literary arts, intermedia arts, and traditional arts
- Arts programming and organizational support
- School-based arts residencies and artist-in-education initiatives
Grantmaking
SEMAC operates six grant programs serving different constituencies:
Ready to take the next step with Southeastern Minnesota Arts?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
SEMAC serves 11 counties in southeastern Minnesota:
- Dodge
- Fillmore
- Freeborn
- Goodhue
- Houston
- Mower
- Olmsted
- Rice
- Steele
- Wabasha
- Winona
SEMAC also serves the Prairie Island Indian Community within this region.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 60 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Fiscal Year (FY 2023):
- Total Assets: $381,693–$543,107
- Total Revenues: $1,258,283
- Total Expenses: $1,256,174
- Total Giving: $1,166,625
- Number of Employees: 2
Funding Sources: SEMAC receives support from the McKnight Foundation (which provided $90,000 for re-granting programs supporting individual artists and culture bearers) and state appropriations through Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $543,107 | $381,693 | $551,106 |
| Revenue | $1,580,768 | $1,258,283 | $1,469,801 |
| Expenses | $1,575,653 | $1,256,174 | $1,485,709 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,630 | $828 | $74 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
11 open opportunities from Southeastern Minnesota Arts
Artists and Culture Bearers in the Schools Grant
SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ARTS
Amount
US $2,000 - US $4,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Programming and Project Support Grants for Organizations
SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ARTS
Amount
US $3,000 - US $11,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Programming Grants for Arts Organizations [formerly Presenter/Production Assistance Grants]
SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ARTS
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Southeast Mn Bluegrass Association ($25,000), Frozen River Film Festival ($25,000), Med City Arts Festival ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SOUTHEAST MN BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION RUSHFORD, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $25,000 |
| FROZEN RIVER FILM FESTIVAL WINONA, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $25,000 |
| MED CITY ARTS FESTIVAL ROCHESTER, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $25,000 |
| CITY OF AUSTIN CULTURE & ARTS COMMISSION AUSTIN, MN | ACHF: PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
| GALLERY 24 ARTISTS COLLABORATIVE ROCHESTER, MN | ACHF: PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
| ROCHESTER REPERTORY THEATRE COMPANY ROCHESTER, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
| SING OUT LOUD ROCHESTER, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
| MIDWEST MUSIC FEST WINONA, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
| MANTORVILLE THEATRE COMPANY MANTORVILLE, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
| MANTORVILLE ART GUILD MANTORVILLE, MN | ACHF: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING GRANT | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Project Manager: Anastasia Shartin (507) 281-4848
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andi Arnold | Director | 0.5 | $200 |
| Sophia Chai | Director | 0.5 | $400 |
| Kara E Maloney | Treasurer | 0.5 | $550 |
| Rob Hardy | Director | 0.5 | $300 |
| Jonathan D Swanson | At-Large Director | 0.5 | $500 |
| Elisha a Marin | Vice President | 0.5 | $1,510 |
| Kjellgren Alkire | President | 0.5 | $200 |
| Steve Dietz | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Anastasia Shartin | Executive Director | 40 | $65,750 |
Contact Information
Address: 2510 Superior Dr NW Suite B, Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: (507) 281-4848
Email: staff@semac.org or director@semac.org
Website: www.semac.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Southeastern Minnesota Arts fund?
**Mission Statement:** SEMAC exists to encourage, promote, and assist regional arts development by providing leadership, outreach, advocacy, mentorship, grants, and services. **Primary Focus Areas:** • Arts and arts access • Arts and education • Arts and cultural heritage • Individual artist support across all creative disciplines including painting, photography, printmaking, textiles, music, dance, theater, performance, storytelling, literary arts, intermedia arts, and traditional arts • Arts …
How do I apply for a grant from Southeastern Minnesota Arts?
SEMAC operates six grant programs serving different constituencies: **Grant Programs for Individual Artists and Culture Bearers:** • **Project Support for Individual Artists and Culture Bearers** — Available in two categories (Emerging and Advancing) to support creation of new work with public engagement opportunities • **Emergency Relief Fund (ERF)** — Designed for rapid, short-term assistance for individual artists and culture bearers facing unexpected hardship **Grant Programs for Arts Organ…
Where does Southeastern Minnesota Arts make grants?
SEMAC serves 11 counties in southeastern Minnesota: • Dodge • Fillmore • Freeborn • Goodhue • Houston • Mower • Olmsted • Rice • Steele • Wabasha • Winona SEMAC also serves the Prairie Island Indian Community within this region.
What size grants does Southeastern Minnesota Arts award?
In 2024, Southeastern Minnesota Arts awarded 60 grants totaling $805K — an average of about $13K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Southeastern Minnesota Arts's EIN?
Southeastern Minnesota Arts's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1417579. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Southeastern Minnesota Arts's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated June 2026.