As one of seven North Dakota organizations to receive an Arts Midwest Resilience Grant in December, the Minot Area Council of the Arts has allocated $15,000 to issue its own grants to individual artists, artistic groups and organizations in the Minot area.

The first round of $500 grants will be made available to artists, groups and organizations who were members of the Minot Area Council of the Arts in 2020. Depending on participation, a second round may be made available to new members who join in 2021.

The mission of the Minot Area Council of the Arts is to support and advance the full range of arts for all ages and abilities, and funding is a key way to support artists, said Executive Director Justin Anderson.

“The Minot Area Council of the Arts hasn’t always been able to help artists with funding,” he said. “When I was given the opportunity to submit a proposal for the Arts Midwest Resilience Grant, I knew right away I wanted to use a majority of what we may be awarded to give back to our art community.”

The executive board of the Minot Area Council of the Arts worked with Anderson to ensure this funding was available to Minot-area artists, acknowledging that the past year has been especially difficult for artists who have been unable to participate in many of their normal sales activities.

“We are really happy to have this opportunity to provide direct support to our artists,” said Randi Monley, board president. “We talk a lot about supporting local art, and this is a great way to put our money where our mouth is.”