At the December 12, 2019 meeting, the Central Minnesota Arts Board (CMAB) awarded $119,388 in support of  nineteen regional 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: artistic quality & merit, demonstrated need, outcomes & evaluation and ability to complete the proposal.

Organizations may apply for up to $7,000 with a 25% match requirement for any one project or combined projects in a grant round. 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.

• Art Bright, $7,000, to transform an established program which uses the visual arts as a vehicle to reach memory loss patients and their primary care givers in the Sherburne County region.
• Athena Music and Leadership Camp MN, $7,000, a 5-day residential summer program for middle and high school female-identifying musicians in band and orchestra at the College of St. Benedict in July 2020.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Central MN, $7,000, Whatever It Takes: Youth Arts Initiative 2020 Spring Showcase at the Paramount Center for the Arts on May 13, 2020.
• Buffalo Community Orchestra, $6,838, A Night at the Opera concert performing famous opera overtures with guest soloists and a guest chorus Sunday, February 29, 2020 at Buffalo High School Performing Arts Center.
• Central Minnesota Youth Orchestra, $7,000, World’s Fair: Pictures at an Exhibition performance inspired by visual and performing arts through the eyes of a World’s Fair experience April 4, 2020 at First United Methodist Church in Sartell.
• College of Saint Benedict, $7,000, ETHEL + Robert Mirabal: The River outreach/residency activities that introduce participants to a different cultural genre and Native American traditions and a public performance February 15, 2020 at the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph.
• Fred Yiran Legacy Project, $7,000, Fred Yiran African Arts Day 2020 to celebrate African arts and culture through the story of the late artist, Fred Yiran during a one-day arts festival June 28, 2020 as part of Granite City Days at Lake George in Saint Cloud.
• Paramount Center For The Arts, $7,000, A Cappella Live performance that includes four national a cappella acts: The Filharmonic, Committed, Blake Lewis and Women of the World, March 28, 2020 at Paramount Theater in Saint Cloud.
• WACOSA, $5,840, Introduction to the Magic of Live Theater for Adults with Disabilities in collaboration with GREAT Theatre January 2020 through May 1, 2020 in Saint Cloud.
• Wirth Center for the Performing Arts, $7,000 to offer Discounted Lessons for the 2020 Spring Semester in an effort to increase access to performing arts education in Saint Cloud and surround areas.
• Buffalo Community Theater, $7,000, Mulan, Jr. performance that will involve youth performers, artists, technicians and volunteers from Buffalo and surrounding communities February 14 – 23, 2020 at Discovery Auditorium in Buffalo.
• City of Holdingford, $3,994, The Music of our Heart-Land program that includes the presentation of German, Polish and Czech music and its history in the region -performed by regional folk artists December 16, 2019 – May 31, 2020 at the Holdingford Legion Club.
• Delano Community Education, $7,000, 4 Community Theatre (“4CT”) in Delano in 2020 Season that includes the production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in Winter 2020 in both a traditional format and in a “relaxed performance” (autism friendly) format and six performances of the musical Anne of Green Gables in July 2020 held at Delano High School in Delano.
• Foley Economic Development Committee, $2,475, Foley Public Art Initiative will engage the community in selecting an artist for a downtown mural project. Selected artists will display concepts for public review and comments and the highest ranked rendering will be selected for a public mural along 4th Avenue North in downtown Foley.
• Great River Chorale, $7,000, We Sing Because featuring an adult community choir, a college/university choir and a professional guest organist free concerts at Bethlehem Lutheran Church May 1, 2020 in Saint Cloud and Sacred Heart Chapel, Monastery of Saint Benedict May 3, 2020 in Saint Joseph.
• Great River Educational Arts Theatre, $7,000, Akeelah and the Bee inspirational drama for elementary students and adults February 21 – March 1, 2020 at Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre in Waite Park.
• Rose Hall Media Company DBA Lyricality, $5,835, Read Poetry Central Minnesota 2020 program that consists of poetry by a contemporary Minnesota poet, video of them reading one of the poems and discussion aids circulated at no cost to readers though the Great River Regional Library and on Lyricality’s website.
• Cloud Symphony Orchestra, $7,000, New World Voices concert celebrating the diversity and freedom of America through select music Saturday, April 25, 2020 at Ritsche Auditorium, St. Cloud State University. The performance will include a pre-concert discussion on the music chosen and historical context .
• Stearns History Museum, $3,406, Exploring History and Culture in Central MN – The Museum of Russian Art 4-county partnership that brings arts-focused programming to increase access and foster a deeper understanding of Russia and its people exhibited January 2020 – December 2020 at the Benton County Historical Society, Sherburne History Center, Stearns History Museum and Morrison County Historical Society.

The Central Minnesota Arts Board supports collaborative and innovative arts opportunities through partnerships and financial investments in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright counties as 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.

Visit aroundthecloud for a full listing of these arts events and Everything Arts in Central Minnesota.