At the October 10, 2024, meeting, the Central MN Arts Board (CMAB) awarded a total of $210,746 in support of twenty-nine arts projects. Applications are scored by a panel of artists, nonprofit administrators, and members of other community groups. Panel scores are provided to the Board of Directors and used in determining how to allocate funds. Criteria used in evaluating applications include equity & sustainability, artistic merit & quality, demonstrated need, outcomes & evaluation, and ability to complete the proposal.
Organizations, schools, local government, and community groups may apply for up to $8,000 in support of arts-focused events. Funding for these CMAB Grants is provided through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the state’s general fund, and its Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund created by the Voters of Minnesota.
The following were awarded:
1. 510 Art Lab, $4,554, in support of community painting projects aimed at youth ages 5-18 using acrylic and watercolor. The Projects will be displayed in the community garden and Little Art library in Sauk Centre, MN.
2. Avon Hills Folk School, $8,000, for two immersive Timber Framing for FLINTA workshops offered in summer 2025 in Avon, MN.
3. Big Lake Schools Community Education, $8,000, in support of Big Lake High School’s 2025 Spring Musical and theatre equipment in Big Lake, MN.
4. Boys & Girls Clubs of Central MN, $8,000, for a Youth Arts Initiative’s 2025 Spring Showcase that features visual arts, dance, digital arts, fashion and sewing at three club locations in Saint Cloud, MN.
5. Buffalo Community Orchestra, $8,000, to support “Fast Forward to the Future” concert featuring contemporary and diverse composers May 2025 in Buffalo, MN.
6. Buffalo Community Theater, $8,000, for the Summer 2025 production of the musical “Urinetown” in Buffalo, MN.
7. Central Minnesota Youth Orchestra, $8,000, in support of “Music of the World: Symphonic Expressions” performance in Spring of 2025 in Sartell, MN.
8. Chamber Music Society of St. Cloud, $8,000, in support of a Spring of 2025 community outreach and concert by the Mill City String Quartet with soprano Stacey Mastrian in Saint Cloud, MN.
9. Community Legacy Foundation, $7,018, for a Soaring Eagle Mural
lead by artist Roger Reinardy installed at the American Legion Post #67 in Sauk Centre, MN.
10. Delano Area Council for Arts and Culture, $8,000, to support the Delano 2025 Sculpture Festival Walk that includes new sculptures, music, and an art market in Delano, MN.
11. Delano Dramatic Company, $8,000, to support the productions of “Grace and Glorie” in December 2024 and “Billy Elliot” in July 2025 in Delano, MN.
12. Elk River High School, $4,450, in support of Evening of the Arts community celebration showcasing student theatrical and musical performances, photography, fashion, pottery, paintings, jewelry and student art demonstrations held in Spring 2025 at Elk River High School, Elk River, MN.
13. Great Northern Theatre Company, $8,000, for the Winter 2024 production of “A Christmas Story: The Musical” in Cold Spring, MN.
14. Great River Chorale, $8,000, in support of two collaborative performances that will include winter-themed music accompaniment and narration for “The Gift of Winter” in Saint Joseph, MN and “Wintertide” in Saint Cloud, MN in December 2024.
15. HLWW Theatre Arts Boosters, $8,000, for the presentation of “Guys and Dolls” in July 2025 at Laker Theatre in Howard Lake, MN.
16. Independent Music Collaboration of Central MN, $7,000, in support of Project 37’s 2024-2025 Series of concerts featuring live music from diverse genres by local artists of all ages in Saint Cloud, MN.
17. Lyricality, $8,000, in support of presenting “War Bonnet”, an Indigenous Anishinaabe/Ojibwe rock band in Saint Cloud, MN in Spring 2025.
18. Melrose Area Arts Council, $5,560, in support of the Melrose Festival of the Arts showcasing the variety of arts represented by the community held in Spring 2025 in Melrose, MN.
19. MontiArts, $8,000, in support of the 2025 MontiArts Glow Fest that will include building workshops for paper mâché balloons, LED swan wings and lanterns as well as an all-ages glow dance party and a parade in Winter 2025 in Monticello, MN.
20. Paramount Center for the Arts, $8,000, for the Spring 2025 juried High School Art Exhibition that showcases student work from up to seventeen area high schools in Central Minnesota.
21. Rum River Art Center, $8,000, to support Senior Art-Reach Programming for Older Adults Ages 55+ held at the Elk River Senior Center in Elk River, MN and the Great River Regional Library in St. Michael, MN offered December 2024 through September 2025.
22. SOAR Regional Arts, $8,000, for the presentation of Broadway in the Park lead by teens ages 13-18 in Summer 2025 at Otsego Prairie Park in Otsego, MN.
23. St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra, $8,000, for the “Timeless Symphonic Tapestries” performance that combine great symphonic works from a variety of periods, styles, and cultures in November 2024 at Rtsche Auditorium in Saint Cloud, MN.
24. St. Michael-Albertville High School, $8,000, for composer Joshua Burniece, to write music for the winter one-act play and the spring production of Three Musketeers to enhance student learning and the artistic merit of the performances.
25. STMA Music Boosters, $8,000, to support the Treble Choir Festival held in October 2024 that includes a master class with Lyyra, a full-time professional treble choir. The Treble Choir Festival will feature the University of Minnesota Women’s Chorus, See Change choirs and six STMA High School vocal ensembles including members of Ogni Voce, a choir comprised of special education students in Saint Michael, MN.
26. Talahi Community School, $2,195, for the opportunity for Djenane Saint Juste to introduce third grade students to Haitian cultural heritage through music and dance at Talahi Community School in Saint Cloud, MN.
27. The St. John’s Boys’ Choir, $8,000, for “A Ceremony of Carols” December 2024 performances held at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Saint Cloud, MN.
28. wRight Ringers Handbell Ensemble, $3,969, in support of “Making Memories” a Spring 2025 collaborative performance with the Wright County Chamber Chorus held in Buffalo, MN.
29. Youth Chorale of Central MN, $8,000, in support of the YCCM & Friends Choral Festival held in June 2025 that will include alumni, high school ensembles, community members and a full orchestra culminating in a performance in Sauk Rapids, MN.
The Central Minnesota Arts Board supports collaborative and innovative arts opportunities through partnerships and financial investments in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright counties. The CMAB is one of eleven Regional Arts Councils designated by the Minnesota State Arts Board working with community partners to increase access to the unique cultural assets of Minnesota.
**Event dates may change, visit aroundthecloud.org and organization websites for recent updates.