Additional Funding to the Emergency Relief Fund Program
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC) announced in the Fall of 2025 that it received over $40,000 in funding as part of the Artist Emergency Relief Fund Network. Stewarded by Springboard for the Arts, The Artist Emergency Relief Fund Network is a statewide direct emergency relief program for artists across Minnesota, with awards available through Minnesota’s Regional Arts Councils. ARAC’s Emergency Relief Fund launched in the Fall with a successful pilot program supporting 43 artists across Northeastern Minnesota through this vitalizing funding.
ARAC is thrilled to announce that a second round of The Emergency Relief Fund Program will now be possible due to additional funding from the Artist Emergency Relief Fund Network! The additional funding will bring ARAC’s total funding amount to over $90,000 of support to Arrowhead Artists in critical need.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s Emergency Relief Fund Program provides $500 or $1,000 to individual artists who have a critical need relating to personal healthcare, housing, equipment, or legal emergencies since January 1, 2025. This program is intended to serve the Arrowhead community by addressing an individual artist’s recent and substantially disruptive emergency or disaster. The program application is available beginning March 22, 2026, with a deadline of May 3, 2026, at 11:59 PM. This program is unique in that it is non-competitive, meaning that all results will be determined by a random numerical drawing rather than by a community review panel.
“The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is honored to serve our community through this essential program, offering critical financial assistance to artists in need, all while ensuring up to $90,000 is invested into our region,” said ARAC Executive Director Rebecca Graves.
The Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network is stewarded by Springboard for the Arts and supported in part by F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Jerome Foundation, McKnight Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council would like to invite people to donate to the Emergency Relief Fund to ensure it can provide this type of meaningful support in future grant rounds.
