About
The Visual Arts Fund is a grant program established in 2016 by Midway Contemporary Art with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Minneapolis–Saint Paul is one of 36 cities and regions included in Warhol’s Regional Regranting Program, which is aimed at promoting vibrant artistic activity in cities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
In 2024 the Visual Arts Fund will award $60,000 (six $10,000 grants) to artist organized projects in the Twin Cities metro region. Proposals must name a lead organizer, but can include any number of artists as collaborators; individuals or groups may apply. The VAF supports the development of projects and initiatives that engage the public with visual art and seeks to support a wide array of innovative and diverse projects that otherwise might not occur.
Visual Arts Fund Archive
About The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts' Regional Regranting Program
The Regional Regranting Program was established in 2007 to recognize and support the movement of independently organized, public-facing, artist-centered activity that animates local and regional art scenes but that lies beyond the reach of traditional funding sources. The program is administered by non-profit visual art centers across the United States that work in partnership with the Foundation to fund artists’ experimental projects and collaborative undertakings. The Twin Cities is one of thirty-five locations to host The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts’ Regional Regranting program, making funding available for artists in the 7-county metro area.
Thirty-four additional programs provide grants of up to $10,000 for the creation and presentation of new work. Programs are developed and facilitated by organizations in Albuquerque (NM), Atlanta (GA), Baltimore (MD), Boston (MA), Buffalo (NY), Chicago (IL), Cleveland (OH), Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Honolulu (HI), Houston (TX), Indianapolis (IN), Iowa City (IA), Kansas City (MO), Knoxville (TN), Rapid City (SD), Los Angeles (CA), Miami (FL), Milwaukee (WI), Mobile (AL), New Orleans (LA), Newark (NJ), Oklahoma City (OK), Omaha (NE), Philadelphia (PA), Tucson (AZ), Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), Saint Louis (MO), San Francisco (CA), San Juan (PR), Seattle (WA), and Washington, DC.
What We Fund
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Projects that have a publicly accessible component
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Projects could include exhibitions or installations held in temporary spaces, new publications, a series of events or performances, digital initiatives, public art projects, and other activities that are related to the visual arts
What We Do Not Fund
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An individual artist presenting exclusively their own work
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Projects that are part of the programming of a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization
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Projects at a commercial gallery
- Projects that do not offer an opportunity for free public engagement
Eligibility
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Projects must function primarily within a visual arts context (rather than performing arts, music, literature, or other arts). Projects can have interdisciplinary elements but must have a strong basis in the visual arts.
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A publicly accessible component of the project must take place within the Twin Cities seven-county metro region.
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Projects must be artist-organized and self-initiated; 501c3s, incorporated businesses, and students* are not eligible to apply (*PhD students are eligible).
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Projects cannot charge admission or other fees to the public or to participants.
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Projects cannot start before January 1, 2025 and must be completed by June 30, 2026.
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The Lead organizer must play a key role in the creation and execution of the project and live within the seven-county Twin Cities Metro region (Hennepin, Scott, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Carver, and Washington counties); additional collaborators can live anywhere.
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Lead organizers do not need to be U.S. Citizens, but must have social security numbers in order to receive payment.
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Lead organizers may only submit one application per application round.
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Lead organizers of projects funded through past granting cycles are only eligible to apply for a 2024 VAF grant if their grant period has ended, their project has been completed and they have submitted their final survey by the close of the application.
Lead Organizer
If the project involves a group of artists working together, please choose one person to act as the lead organizer. The lead organizer will oversee the project and must play a key role in the creation and execution of the project. This contact person will also be responsible for receiving grant funds, communicating with Midway, and submitting the final survey. You may work with as many collaborators and/or artists as you wish.
Information Sessions
We encourage anyone interested in applying for a 2024 VAF grant to join us at Midway for an informational session. We will cover eligibility and guidelines, answer questions regarding the application process, and be available to discuss project ideas one-on-one.
In-Person Info Session
Thu, Sep 5
6–7:30 pm
Midway Contemporary Art
In-Person Grant Writing Workshop
Sat, Sep 21
9am–12pm
Midway Contemporary Art
Midway is accessible to all visitors. ASL interpretation is available upon request with two weeks’ advance notice. Please contact us for more information, or to request specific accommodations.
A pre-recorded informational session video is embedded below.
FAQs
Download a PDF of Frequently Asked Questions:
Please email vaf@midwayart.org or call (612) 605-4504 if you have additional questions about the program.
We encourage you to call if you would like to discuss your idea or have specific inquiries related to the eligibility of your project proposal.
2024 VAF Grant Timeline
Online Application Opens:
Thursday, September 1
Application Due:
Saturday, September 28, 5pm (CDT)
Grantee Notification:
December 2024
Funding Awarded:
January 2025
Application Review
Following the close of the grant application on September 28th, a panel of jurors will review the applications for eligibility and priorities.
Panelists will consider each eligible proposal in the areas of Artistic Excellence, Community Impact, and Feasibility.
Alternative Formats
These guidelines can be made available in alternative formats or languages. To accommodate your request, please contact us at vaf@midwayart.org or (612) 605-4504.
Application Details
The 2024 VAF Grant application has closed. Grantees will be announced in mid-December.
The 2024 application included the following six sections:
1) Contact Info
Please provide the following information for the Lead Organizer:
- Name
- Address
- County (drop down list)
- Phone
- I identify as… (50 words max, please include all demographic information that applies)
2) Project Summary
- Title of Project
- Project Start Date
- Project Completion Date
- Total Project Budget
- Project Summary (100 word max)
3) Visual Support Materials
Visual support materials should help the jurors understand the project and your ability to realize it.
For each of your support materials, please include a description and relevant explanatory notes (max 50 words per entry). Please provide 10 visual examples, including:
- Images (up to 10 total, max 2MB each — .jpeg, .jpg, .gif and .png are accepted)
- Website URL (up to 2 total — must be relevant to the project and offer additional information on your ability to realize the proposed project)
- Video (up to 2 total, max 2 min each — video files must be hosted on a video platform such as YouTube or Vimeo; include a password in the description section if your account is private)
4) Project Description
Describe your project (max 100 words for each question):
- What is your project?
- How does this project involve the work/practices of other individuals?
- How will you determine others involved?
- Where will the project ideally take place?
- What is the project timeline?
- Who is your primary audience?
- What component of your project will be accessible to the public?
- Why is it important for this project to occur?
5) Bios
Please provide a short bio for the lead organizer, as well as any key collaborators and artists (up to 5 bios, max 100 words each). Focus on experience relevant to this project. We will not accept CVs or resumes.
6) Budget
Please list expenses for your project. This program supports fair pay for all artists involved with your project; Lead Organizers may budget up to 15% of the total grant requested for their time organizing the project.
You are not expected to have additional income for the project outside of the Visual Arts Fund grant, but please indicate it if you plan to do additional fundraising and what your goals are. Your budget must show a zero balance between your Expenses and Income.
- Expenses (Lead Organizer stipend, artist stipends, materials, facility rental, equipment rental, production costs, marketing, reception costs, other)
- Income (other grants, crowd funding, personal contributions, etc. — not required)
- In-Kind donations (donated location, pro-bono design services, donated materials, etc.)