Minnesota has nabbed $1.1 million in a new round of federal arts grants.
The National Endowment for the Arts announced this week more than $34 million in awards to artists and arts organizations. Of that, Minnesota got 44 grants totaling $1.1 million.
The grants will go to writers, theaters and cultural centers across the state — including $25,000 to the Franconia Sculpture Park, $30,000 to Northrop for its dance series and $10,000 to Brownbody, an ice-skating troupe that centers African American stories.
"I encourage everyone to explore these projects and the ways they help provide inspiration, understanding and opportunities for us to live more artful lives," said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson in a press release.
Two Minnesota poets won $25,000 writing fellowships — Tracy Fuad of Grand Marais and J. Bailey Hutchinson of Minneapolis. More than 1,900 people applied for those awards, which allow recipients to "set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement," according to the NEA.
Also among Minnesota's awardees: A pair of University of St. Thomas professors won an $80,000 research grant to study street murals supporting the Black Lives Matter movement within several U.S. cities.
