Early-Career Artist Project Grant

Early-Career Artist Project Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Forecast Public Art
Amount: US $8,000
Last Updated: August 02, 2025

Summary

The Early-Career Artist Project Grant supports Minnesota-based artists in creating public artworks. This grant emphasizes accessibility and originality, fostering diverse artistic expressions in the community. Eligible artists must demonstrate 2-10 years of experience and be focused on developing their artistic voice. The initiative aims to uplift early-career artists, ensuring their work is visible and impactful in public spaces. This program is a valuable opportunity for emerging creatives looking to contribute to Minnesota's vibrant public art scene.

Overview

Early-Career Artist Project Grants support the creation of a temporary or permanent public artwork anywhere in the state of Minnesota by an early-career Minnesota-based artist. What is Public Art? Broadly speaking, public art is artwork in the public realm, regardless of whether it is situated on public or private property, or whether it is supported through public or private funding. It can range from temporary to permanent work, murals to sculptures, interventions, performances, storytelling, iron pours, sound and light projects, dance and spoken word. It is free and accessible to all members of a community. What is an Early-Career Artist? Early career grants are is supported by Jerome Foundation, and here is how the Jerome Foundation defines “Early career”: are in the early stages of their creative development with 2-10 years of generative experience, and:have a focused direction and goals, even while still developing their artistic “voice” have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, funding circles or the public at large are vocational (as opposed to avocational, academic, amateur or educational) artists Age is not a determining factor. Career stage is assessed by the cumulative number of years an artist has been generating their own work. The Foundation has defined the 2–10 year span recognizing that some artists may experience enormous success and move past early career status well before their 5th year or 10th year. We know that the number of opportunities afforded to artists may differ significantly based on discipline, race/ethnicity, class, gender, physical ability, and geography among other factors. Consequently, some artists may be past their 10th year and still be on the spectrum of early career status due to taking time out of active artistic practice for school or other circumstances. Our use of early career is an attempt to be clearer about the kinds of artists we are supporting. We realize the lack of a rigid definition leaves room for interpretation, but we have embraced this flexibility out of our value around diversity and in recognition of the many variables that impact artists’ careers.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Forecast’s grants support public art and public art-related activities.Forecast defines public art broadly to support a range of processes, formats, and contexts. See definition of Public Art under Overview.An artist may only apply for one grant from Forecast during an annual grant cycle.Fall applicants can only apply for 1 grant opportunity.Applicant must be a resident of Minnesota, having physically lived in the state for 12 of the past 24 months, and remain a resident throughout the project period. Applicant’s project must be original and not duplicate previous work. All events and installations must be freely accessible. Projects may be additionally supported by public or nonprofit agencies, or through in-kind sources.The project site must be secured by the application deadline (written documentation of site approval is required).

Ineligibility

Applicants who apply during the summer for the McKnight Project Grant cannot apply for other grants in the fall of the same year.Forecast grants do not support remounts or reinstallations, projects that begin prior to the start of the grant year, or projects that are ongoing. Organizations and Forecast Public Art staff, Board, and Committee members are not eligible. Students in K-12 educational programs or enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are not eligible. Former grantees with outstanding final reports cannot be considered for additional Forecast grant funding until all final reports have been submitted and approved. An artist is not eligible to receive a project grant from Forecast in two consecutive years.No ticket sales or fees may be charged.Private commissions are not eligible. Artists who have been in the field for longer than 10 years (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a dancer in work created by others; remounting the work of other choreographers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized.Mid-career or established artists shifting from one artistic discipline to another will not be considered early career. For example, a composer with a substantial career in music who is now moving into film will not be considered early career.