Background
In 2011, the Minnesota Legislature authorized the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to spend $1.4 million in Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds in state fiscal years 2012 and 2013 for a competitive grant program “for the development or enhancement of county fair facilities or other projects or programs that provide access to the arts, arts education, or agricultural, historical, and cultural heritage programs.” 2011 Laws of Minnesota, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 10.
Program Objectives
- To ensure all Minnesotans have the opportunity to participate in the arts, arts education, and in programs that preserve and promote Minnesota’s agricultural, historical, and cultural heritage.
- To increase exposure to, and preserve, the diversity of cultural heritages that make up Minnesota’s history and culture.
- To promote and highlight artistic excellence and exceptional programming, administered by state and local organizations and by individuals.
- To engage new audiences by removing barriers—whether they be geographic, economic, related to age, racial/ethnic characteristics, disability—to access the arts, arts education, and programs that preserve and promote Minnesota’s agricultural, historical, and cultural heritage.
Timeline
- Proposals mailed, emailed, or delivered in person must be received by the MDA no later than 4:30 PM on Monday, February 13, 2012
- Grantees will be notified by April 16, 2012
- Contracts will be mailed to grantee by May 1, 2012
Requirements
Funded activities must directly relate to the development or enhancement of county fair facilities or other projects or programs that provide access to arts, arts education, or agricultural, historical, and cultural heritage programs.
Funded activities must supplement traditional programming and not substitute. Grant money must supplement the fair’s budget to undertake a project that goes above and beyond what traditional financial sources allow and does not supplant, replace or substitute portions of the regular budget.
Funding
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is charged with distributing, through a competitive grant program, approximately $1.4 million of Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds to the state’s 95 county fairs in state fiscal years 2012-2013.
Applications will be reviewed in three different categories: Construction and Capital Improvement; Event Enhancement; Programming. Fairs can submit applications for all three categories, but may only be awarded one grant. On the application, grantee can rank their first, second, and third project priorities.
MDA Contact
Applications may be submitted via mail, in person, or by email to:
Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing and Development Division
Attn: Emily Murphy
625 Robert Street North
St Paul, MN 55155
Email: Emily.Murphy@state.mn.us
Direct Line: 651-201-6648
For questions regarding the grant program or completing the application, please contact Emily Murphy using the contact information listed above.
Answers to all questions regarding the application will be provided here.
Emily Murphy, State Program Administrator
Emily.Murphy@state.mn.us, 651-201-6648
Ag Marketing & Development Division
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