Knight Foundation grants $8 million to arts in St. Paul

Long viewed as the sleepy counterpart to glitzier Minneapolis, the St. Paul arts scene is ready for its close-up. The city was granted $8 million in arts funding Wednesday evening by the Knight Foundation.

The "organic momentum" of St. Paul's cultural growth spurt over the past few years led to its selection as the fourth city to receive the national foundation's two-tiered grant, said Dennis Scholl, Knight's vice president of arts giving.

"The city is led by a mayor who is committed to the value of the arts as a way of creating a sense of community; of belonging," Scholl said. "A healthy arts ecosystem needs both the anchor groups and the grass-roots efforts. What we're seeing in St. Paul is a lot of activity at that smaller level. Our goal is to help those projects get bigger and better."

Money will go not just to big institutions but to any individual who can pitch a good idea in 150 words or less.

St. Paul was not in competition with Minneapolis for the grant, which is several times greater than the amount the Knight Foundation has invested in the city before. The Miami-based foundation focuses its philanthropy on cities in which its founders, the Knight family, owns or has owned a media outlet, in this case the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

But while St. Paul leaders don't see the arts scenes of the two Twin Cities as divided, they do have different personalities — in part because of St. Paulites' strong sense of neighborhood affiliation.

"It's like Manhattan and Brooklyn," said Mayor Chris Coleman, who has made the arts a top priority since taking office eight years ago. "Both are cool and happening, but in St. Paul people define themselves by where they grew up. People don't say they're from Linden Hills. But here you say, 'I'm from Frogtown.' "

The remaining $4.5 million will go to winners of "challenge grants," for which anyone can apply, over the next three years.

"Something really special is happening right now," said Springboard director Laura Zabel, pointing to "a collaborative spirit from city government, businesses and non-arts neighborhood people who don't see the arts as a separate, siloed thing but part of everything we do."

Zabel cited a current project between Springboard and Project for Pride in Living, which is building low-cost housing on a stretch of University Avenue. Instead of leaving the construction site empty over the winter, artist Oskar Ly animated the space with brightly colored, temporary snow houses, and invited area residents to an on-site craft-making event.

St. Paul's government structure has helped to grease the skids on arts projects as well. St. Paul's mayor has more power than Minneapolis's does, and a system of district councils has been a boon to integrating artists into neighborhoods.

A burgeoning number of arts projects can be found throughout the city, from the music festivals in downtown's Mears Park to the streetwise efforts of Irrigate, a Springboard program that used the arts to attract people to University Avenue businesses during construction of the new light-rail line.

Penumbra Theatre has regained success after financial setbacks, and Park Square Theatre is building a new stage and adding plays to its season.

"St. Paul has always had a strong art scene, but right now we're seeing an explosion," said John Francis Bueche, director of Bedlam Theatre, which has a new Lowertown venue that's still under construction. "We're here because St. Paul has an irresistible get-your hands-dirty, get-it-done spirit."

This is the seventh year that the Knight Foundation, which gives about $100 million every year, has issued challenge grants, Scholl said.

Previous recipient cities include Miami, Philadelphia and Detroit, where successful ideas included a hip-hop Mardi Gras parade and using lumber from abandoned buildings to make guitars.

The grants feature perhaps the most streamlined and democratic application process in the history of arts funding: Anyone, from individuals to nonprofits to corporations, can apply. You just need to state your idea in 150 words or less.

Coleman called the lack of bureaucracy a welcome departure. "There's been a real push by foundations to demonstrate measurable results, but Knight sees that that's not how arts impacts communities," he said. "It's about creating a vibrancy that sets the stage for other kinds of investments, like housing, that you can measure."

Toni Pierce Sands, co-founder of TU Dance, grew up in St. Paul. She remembers taking the 16A bus with her sister to Minneapolis for dance classes. Now, TU will use its grant to fund dance classes for low-income St. Paul youths

"This is going to help us change the perception that St. Paul is Minnesota's political capital and Minneapolis is the arts capital," she said.

Kristin Tillotson • 612-673-7046