CONGRATULATIONS, GRANT RECIPIENTS! Spring 2026
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC) is excited to announce that on May 20, 2026, the ARAC Board approved $353,376 in grants to 76 individual artists and 30 organizations through our Emergency Relief Fund, Art Project Grant for Organizations, and Art Project Grant for individuals.
Emergency Relief Fund
The Emergency Relief Fund Program provides $500 or $ 1,000 to individual artists who have had a critical need related to personal healthcare, housing, equipment, or legal emergencies since January 1, 2025. This program is intended to serve our community by addressing an individual artist’s recent and substantially disruptive emergency or disaster. This grant is non-competitive, meaning that all results are based on a random numerical drawing.
$29,500 in Emergency Relief Grant funding was awarded to 30 artists! Due to the sensitive nature of this grant and out of respect for the applicant’s privacy, ARAC will not publicly announce the awarded grantees for the ERF.
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.
Art Project Grant for Organizations
$150,000 in Art Project Grant funding was awarded to 30 organizations!
Awarded Applicants:
Matinee Musicale, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the organization’s presentation of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet and a corresponding in-school workshop/concert for the Duluth East and Denfeld high schools.
Agate Encores Concert Series, Moose Lake, Carlton, $4,000:
Funding will support the organization in hosting the Mesabi Symphony Orchestra in their 2026-2027 Concert Series.
Open Range Concert Series, International Falls, Koochiching, $5,000:
Funding will support the Open Range Concert series, fiscally sponsored by Faith United Church of Christ (U.C.C.)
Carlton County Historical Society, Cloquet, St. Louis, $1,355:
Funding will support the Skally Line concert in the organization’s museum space.
Cook County Community Center, Grand Marais, Cook, $5,000:
Funding will support the production of a video and photography exhibit featuring the story of how the community center connects people.
Citizens for Backus/AB, International Falls, Koochiching, $5,000:
Funding will support the Backus summer arts program.
Two Harbors Pride, Two Harbors, Lake, $5,000:
Funding will support Pride in the Park, an interdisciplinary arts celebration.
Chum, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the creation of architectural/art pieces from 2-3 local artists to celebrate the diversity of the people who use the organization’s resources.
The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the Zoltán Kodály’s seminal choral mass, Missa Brevis, performance and historical exhibition featuring the work of Sister Constantina Kakonyi.
Stages of the Range Players, Virginia, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the production of the play Thank You for Holding: The Caregiver Play Project to be performed in communities across the Iron Range.
23rd Veteran, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support “Forge Building,” a specialized blacksmithing course that will be held on the Iron Range.
Good Harbor Hill Players, Grand Marais, Cook, $5,000:
Funding will support an outdoor puppet pageant celebrating the summer solstice and a series of workshops.
Twin Ports Comedy, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,950:
Funding will support a series of comedy workshops and classes.
Sugarloaf The North Shore Stewardship Association, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center Public Launch event weekend, featuring a concert and creative writing workshops for all ages.
Mesabi Symphony Orchestra, Virginia, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the production of the organization’s Christmas Spectacular concerts.
Heartwood Music, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the eight‑week Duluth Trumpet Ensemble season featuring trumpeter‑educator Vincent DiMartino as guest artist and a newly commissioned work by composer Allen Vizzutti.
Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,695:
Funding will support The Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra (LSCO) Quartet Project, a two-week summer chamber music program for middle and high school string students.
Sacred Heart Music Center, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the organization’s “On Stage” music nights.
Lake Vermilion Cultural Center, Tower, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support a series of five Indigenous Art classes geared toward youth in the community.
North Shore Music Association, Grand Marais, Cook, $5,000:
Funding will support the “Dockside Sessions,” a series of three free outdoor concerts.
Cook County Historical Society, Grand Marais, Cook, $5,000:
Funding will support “Letters to the Future,” a collaborative project between the Historic Cook County (HCC), Carlton County Historical Society (CCHS), and OACC.
Twin Ports Choral Project, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support a concert featuring stories of the American experience told through choral music.
Freshwater Dance Collective, Two Harbors, Lake, $5,000:
Funding will support the Dances on the Lakewalk 30th Anniversary festival.
Ernest C. Oberholtzer Foundation, Ranier, Koochiching, $5,000:
Funding will support the organization’s classes on Mallard Island.
Third Coast Chamber Collective, Grand Rapids, Itasca, $5,000:
Funding will support the Chamber Music Up North (CMUN), an annual event presenting a series of chamber music concerts in community venues across Northern MN.
Drop In Practice, Grand Marais, Cook, $5,000:
Funding will support the organization’s seasonal modern dance classes.
Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the When the Smelt Run and the Community Plays public art event and corresponding workshops.
Spirit of the Lake Community Arts, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the Apple Cider Festival and May Faire Festival.
Duluth All Souls Night, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the 19th annual Duluth All Souls Night.
Grand Rapids Children’s Summer Theater Camp, Grand Rapids, Itasca, $5,000:
Funding will support the production of Treasure Island through a three-week youth theatre program.
On the Record, Duluth, St. Louis, $5,000:
Funding will support the organization’s third anniversary celebration festival featuring local artists across a variety of disciplines.
Art Project Grant for Individuals
$173,876 in Art Project Grant funding was awarded to 46 individual artists!
Awarded Applicants:
Ryan Pennesi, Silver Bay, Lake, $2,100:
Funding will support the artist to purchase and display metal prints of their artwork to be displayed at a local gallery.
Anastasia Bamford, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,344:
Funding will support a series of free linocut block printing workshops and an accompanying exhibition.
Nicole Smith, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,947:
Funding will support the artist’s time and resources to expand their work and provide outdoor painting demonstrations.
Jason Hardwig, International Falls, Koochiching, $4,000:
Funding will support a series of portrait paintings in a local senior living center.
Haley Lawson, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,970:
Funding will support the Creepmas Parade, an annual outdoor costume parade surrounding themes of folklore.
Natalija Walbridge, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of two new fiber artworks that combine hand embroidery and layered fabric collage to be displayed in a group exhibition.
Deborah Marcero, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of a children’s picture book exploring themes of gender bias.
Jill Beim, Silver Bay, Lake, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in producing a photography series of various plant and fungi species in the upland forests and wet, black spruce bogs of Northeastern Minnesota.
Forest Gray, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,676:
Funding will support the artist through professional mentorship in the creation and marketing of their first chapbook manuscript.
Sheila Coughlin, Kettle River, Carlton, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in hosting Finnish kantele workshops.
Gale St. Rose, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of a new series of abstract cyanotype prints.
Brian Matuszak, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in seeking professional development to write a play about a Minnesota fan dancer.
Stephen Pestalozzi, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,750:
Funding will support the creation of an interactive, multimedia exhibition featuring themes of joy and connection.
Adam Moe, Duluth, St. Louis, $1,595:
Funding will support the publication of the artist’s first solo album.
Tim Vahle, Grand Marais, Cook, $3,790:
Funding will support the artist in hosting a painting workshop surrounding themes of viewing the world through an artistic lens.
Rebecca Gramdorf, Hermantown, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in continuing their development of a body of experimental 2D and 3D artwork.
Erica Dischino, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in creating a photographic essay documenting wild rice restoration on the St. Louis River estuary.
Susanna Gaunt, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in their solo exhibit at the Edge Gallery in Big Fork, MN.
Drew Anderson, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in creating their debut EP album.
Darin Bergsven, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in the creation of an album of original jazz compositions performed on solo guitar.
Serenity Kenan, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in hosting a collaborative youth workshop.
Cherry Koch, Orr, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in creating an oil portrait series.
Sarah Caffee, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in creating ten puppets for interactive community puppetry events.
Kathleen D Westcott, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in editing, transcribing, and publishing a manuscript to be used in high school and college education.
Ty Sheaffer, Grand Marais, Cook, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of new basketry work, along with a community demonstration and instructing a basketry workshop.
Paul Metsa, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in recording four episodes of a radio show.
Jeremy Gardner, Cloquet, Carlton: $4,000:
Funding will support a short sound-driven narrative film exploring the internal struggle of identity through music, visual storytelling, and sound.
TJ Kuhn, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in creating a collection of sculptural lighting fixtures.
Brian Kapp, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in creating an immersive concert of organ and choral masterworks.
Lauren Faherty, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,992:
Funding will support the artist in creating an embroidered tablecloth, including various events inviting the community to participate in the creation of the piece.
Tammy Underwood, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in establishing a low-cost workshop series focused on furniture upcycling and mixed media techniques.
Jacklyn Janeksela, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of the artist’s second book in a Saami-centered trilogy.
Lea Friesen, Grand Rapids, Itasca, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist’s creation of a mural in Itasca County.
Naomi Yaeger, Duluth, St. Louis, $662:
Funding will support the artist in a regional storytelling tour centered around everyday life during the Great Depression and the World War II home front.
Chuck Olsen, Tofte, Cook, $3,800:
Funding will support the creation of four audiovisual works inspired by the landscapes of the North Shore.
Irene Hartfield, Ely, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of 10 new string orchestrations and compensation to musicians involved in the corresponding concert.
Faith King, Duluth, St. Louis, $3,250:
Funding will support the artist’s time in writing and self-publishing a memoir.
Troy Rogers, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in developing a new performance centered on ecological listening, altered voice, and custom robotic musical instruments.
Matt Porter, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of a documentary film about Chester Bowl.
Bodhi Werner, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the production of a live-action narrative fiction short film.
Mike Wolf, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of five original, acoustic-driven songs exploring the shifting emotional and physical landscape between parents and their adult children as they confront aging and mortality.
Shanai Matteson, Aitkin, Aitkin, $4,000:
Funding will support the production of a series of pop-up craft workshops featuring printmaking, textile, and sewing activities.
Clare Cooley, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the artist in hosting their artist reception for a series of 12 paintings featuring themes of childhood and healing.
Jordan Haedtler, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of a book exploring the history of Duluth’s Wade Stadium.
Kathleen O"Halloran Blake, Grand Rapids, Itasca, $4,000:
Funding will support the creation of an illustrated book for children with serious illnesses.
Galen Treuer, Duluth, St. Louis, $4,000:
Funding will support the production of a summer dance workshop and performance series.
