LRAC Awards Eighteen Operating Support Grants
For nonprofit arts organizations, reaching and maintaining financial stability is frequently a challenge. As part of its commitment to support and encourage the availability of art in all its forms, Lake Region Arts Council, headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, recently announced awards of operating support grants totally nearly $100,000 to 18 regional arts organizations. All arts organizations in the LRAC nine-county region with annual operating expenses less than $174,000 were invited to apply and were eligible to receive up to $8,000 in a tiered funding system based on their average annual expenses.
Awards ranged from $1,000 to $8000, and funded organizations represent a wide diversity of arts, from theatre to music to visual arts.
Supporting Live Theatre in Central Minnesota
Operating support was provided for several community and regional theatre groups, including:
Act Up Theatre - $4,000, Clay County
Located in Moorhead Act Up Theatre provides musical performing opportunities to young adults with a focus on musical productions that create a more socially conscious community. Their mission is to empower artists and audiences to positively instigate social awareness and change through exceptional performing art. The grant will assist in funding operating expenses (advertising, marketing, postage, post office box, insurance, storage rental, etc.) as well as services of the organization’s accountant/certification monitor.
Actors perform in Act Up Theatre’s “Unsung” in 2021.
Gooseberry Park Players, $8,000 Clay County
Based in Moorhead, the organization offers a summer theatre program that provides youth aged 11 to 18 with a unique educational and multi generational experience. The grant will fund a portion of the artistic director’s salary.
Grant County Prairie Wind Players, $6,000, Grant County
Prairie Wind Players, based in Barrett, presents a range of theatrical performances including larger musicals, smaller cast comedies and dramas, improvisational arts, free open mike events, and other special performances. The grant will fund a portion of annual insurance premiums, utility expenses, and building improvement expenses, including personal assistive listening devices, for the performing space, historic Roosevelt Hall.
Bringing Music to the Masses
Organizations whose mission promotes the musical arts were also funded, including:
Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra - $8,000, Douglas County
Based in Alexandria, Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra musicians are community members, students, and teachers from Alexandria and surrounding areas. This organization strives to produce excellent music and innovation within the classical music genre by supporting new, diverse, and local composers and their works. The grant will underwrite the operational salary of the organization’s executive director and maintain sustainable leadership by offering competitive pay for clearly defined work within the contexts of best practices for non-profit management.
The Central Lakes Symphony performing.
Evansville Arts Coalition, $4,000, Douglas County
Evansville Arts Coalition provides an intimate venue for professional musicians who bring quality performances to their audiences such as First Friday performances, Open Mic nights, and special events. This grant will fund a portion of the utilities for the organization’s location, including insurance, electricity, and insurance premiums.
Fargo Moorhead Choral Artists, $8,000, Clay County
A musical outlet for the finest choral musicians in the region, this organization brings together singers from many walks of life dedicated to performing choral music with artistry and precision to enrich and enhance the artistic communities within Minnesota and North Dakota. The grant will fund a portion of the salary for the artistic director.
The Fargo Moorhead Choral Artists performing.
Kicks Band of Fargo Moorhead - $6,000, Clay County
Since 2014, Kicks Band has provided high-quality jazz arts performances and education to the region, including high school artist residency collaborations and jazz education workshops. Their performances span formal season concerts, summer park concerts, a jazz festival, and big band dances, and their “A Journey through Jazz” history of jazz programs. The grant will pay for administrative staff expenses and liability insurance.
The Fargo Moorhead Kicks Band performing.
Lakes Chamber Music Society - $4,000, Douglas County
Dedicated to bringing outstanding chamber music to the residents of rural central Minnesota, Lakes Chamber Music Society presents high-quality musical performances in the Alexandria area. The grant will pay for the music director's salary as well as office rent, supplies, and mailing, printing and postage expenses.
Guest artists for the Lakes Chamber Music Society pose for a picture as part of the 2022 festival.
Phelps Mill County - $6,000, Otter Tail County
The grant will cover a portion of the manager and assistant manager’s salaries for the annual Phelps Mill Festival in rural Otter Tail, which combines high-quality arts and crafts for shopping, daily musical entertainment, and hands-on art activities for both children and adults. Festival grounds can accommodate up to 150 artists and about 100 artist booths, plus space for performances by regional musicians. The festival draws about 20,000 attendees each year.
Red Willow Arts Coalition - $6,000, Douglas County
Based in Alexandria, RWAC produces produce weekly Thursday evening summer concerts on the Douglas County Courthouse north lawn in addition to a patriotic Independence Day concert. The concerts attract weekly audiences from 500 to 1,000 music lovers. The children’s play area and wide variety of genres provides an entertaining experience for the whole family. The grant will fund a salary for their program director to streamline all activities of the organization.
“The Salty Dogs” perform in Alexandria as part of the Red Willow Arts Coalition summer music series.
Terrace Mill Foundation - $1,000, Pope County
Terrace Mill’s arts activities usually include a Saturday evening outdoor concert in Glenwood, the annual Children's Musical workshops and productions, and the annual Fall Festival. The grant will cover a portion of the annual insurance premiums.
Promoting the Visual Arts and Artisans
Alexandria Art Guild - $4,000, Douglas County
Alexandria Art Guild works to bring the visual artists in the Alexandria area together to form a cohesive, collaborative and cooperative artist community and to provide members opportunities to successfully promote, display, and sell their art. The grant will fund ongoing expenses pertaining to the organization’s marketing, website, and social media presence.
Art of the Lakes Gallery - $8,000, Otter Tail County
Located in Battle Lake, the gallery has become an arts destination for tourists and summer people as well as community members. Arts programming includes workshops, exhibits, the annual Art & Craft Affair and Studio tour. The grant will support part of the organization’s part-time employee's salary to free up time for artists and the board.
Participants show off the results of a snow dying class held at Art of the Lakes.
Henning Landmark Center- $8,000, Otter Tail County
Henning’s Landmark Center, located in a historic 103-year-old home, serves as an arts retreat center, gallery, workshop venue and historic museum. Among its diverse art offerings have been watercolor painting, oil painting, rosemaling, quilting, hand stitching, glass blowing, ceramics, blacksmithing and bladesmithing and woodworking. The grant will fund a portion of both the director’s salary and the utilities for the coming year.
A class led by Kristi Kuder at the Henning Landmark Center.
Perham Center for the Arts - $8,000, Otter Tail County
Founded in 2011 and housed in the former St. Stanislaus Church building in Perham, Minnesota, the center promotes arts education, appreciation and experiences for the community and surrounding region while strategically preserving a landmark headquarters and hub of arts activity. Its activities include concerts, touring performances, exhibits, workshops and a summer arts festival. The grant will cover a portion of the center’s insurance premiums.
Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance - $4,000, Stevens County
From hosting receptions for exhibitions, sponsoring both poetry and prose author readings, and occasionally organizing musical events, the PRCA provides a full roster of arts programming and artist exhibits all ages as well as the Prairie Arts Camp for children. Headquartered in Morris, the organization also hosts a virtual gallery featuring the art works of their members. The grant will support rent and stipends for the organization's paid contractor.
Prairie Woodcarvers - $1,000, Douglas County
Prairie Woodcarvers’ mission is to educate and provide knowledge in the art of woodcarving to people of all ages through demonstrations as well as workshops. They meet about once a month for carving sessions, in which they like to bring in an instructor and work on a designated project. The grant will pay for building use for monthly carving sessions for the organization.
Three Rivers Arts Council - $4,000, Wilkin County
The mission of the Three Rivers Arts Council, based in Breckinridge, is to promote art events and help potential artists achieve their goals through community outreach, public relations and art education. The grant will pay to retain an arts programmer to develop community projects, funding, audiences, arts partnerships and participation in consultation with TRAC board and arts supporters.
“Elk Flute” belonging to native musician Bryan Akipa. Akipa did an artist residency in 2023 through the Three River Arts Council.
Additional Funding Available
Applications for the next two-year round of operating support funding will be accepted starting in November 2025. Nonprofit arts organizations that have been operating for at least a year and have two-year budget expenses averaging $174,000 or less in the LRAC’s nine-county region are encouraged to apply for general operating support, administrative staff, equipment upgrades, and capital improvements or any combination of these operating expenses for the coming year.
The LRAC Operating Support Grant Guidelines are available at the LRAC website: LRAC4.org. Instructional videos for all grants are also available on demand.
For more information please contact Miranda Lape, Grants Manager, Lake Region Arts Council, 133 Mill Street S, Fergus Falls, MN 56537-2562
Phone: 218-739-5780 or 800-262-2787
Email: LRAC4@LRACgrants.org
Website: LRAC4.org
LRAC is a nonprofit art organization that provides grants, resources, and services to the nine county region; Becker, Clay, Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin counties. Their mission is to encourage and support the arts in West Central Minnesota.
