05/19/2026
Changes to SW MN Arts Council grant programs for Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027)
See the SMAC FY27 Grant Program Calendar for deadline details:https://swmnarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMAC-Grant-Calendar-FY27-1.pdf
**Additional groups eligible for Artist Equity grants**
The Artist Equity grant program, previously only open to artists who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, will now additionally be open to people with disabilities, those who are LGBTQIA2S+, and veterans.
**Art Study Opportunity for Youth grants: early payment of registration deposits allowed**
SW MN Arts Council (SMAC) will now allow registration deposits to be paid before the grantee’s start date, without those costs being excluded from the grant request amount. The actual camp or other study opportunity must still take place after the earliest allowed start date for the application round.
**Contingency expenses ineligible**
Contingency expenses are now ineligible in all grant request budgets, since they aren’t attributed to specific, concrete project costs.
**New deadline schedules for Art Project and Public Art grants**
The deadlines for the Art Project grant program for organizations will change from a schedule of three deadlines per year (July, November, March) to four deadlines per year (July, October, January, April). This new schedule will allow for project start dates of September 1, December 1, March 1, and June 1.
The Public Art deadline will now be in November (was December), with a tentative second deadline in March if funds remain.
**Deadline times extended**
Deadline times for applications in all grant programs will now be 11:59 pm on the deadline date, with the understanding that staff will not be available to answer questions after hours.
