The Mid-Career Professional Development Grant Program supports Minnesota-based mid-career artists seeking to expand or advance their careers in the field of public art.
Donor Name: Forecast Public Art
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/15/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
Funding can be used to support the development of a project idea or to participate in activities that will help applicants further their careers as public artists. Professional development activities can range from residencies to apprenticeships, conferences, travel, study, skill development, and the creation of project models or prototypes, as long as the overall outcome is to advance the applicant’s public art career.
Funding Information
Two grants, $5,000 each.
Grant Period
January 1 – November 30, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Forecast’s grants support public art and public art-related activities. Forecast defines public art broadly to support a range of processes, formats, and contexts.
- Applicants must be in the appropriate career stage for the opportunity for which they apply – either mid-career or early-career.
- Applicants for the McKnight funded Mid-Career Project Grant or Professional Development Grant must be mid-career artists. Applicants for the Jerome funded Early-Career Artist Research + Development and Early-Career Artist Project grants must be early-career artists. See definitions on each grant page.
- An artist may only apply for one grant from Forecast during an annual grant cycle.
- Applicant must be based in Minnesota, having physically lived in the state for 12 of the past 24 months, and remain a resident throughout the project period.
- Applicant’s project must be original and not duplicate previous work. Forecast grants do not support remounts or reinstallations, projects that begin prior to the start of the grant year, or projects that are ongoing.
- No ticket sales or fees may be charged; all events and installations must be freely accessible.
- Organizations and Forecast Public Art staff, Board, Consulting Partners, and Jury members are not eligible.
- Students in K-12 educational programs or enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are not eligible.
- Projects may be additionally supported by public or nonprofit agencies, or through in-kind sources, however, private commissions are not eligible.
- Former grantees with outstanding final reports cannot be considered for additional Forecast grant funding until all final reports have been submitted and approved.
- An artist is not eligible to receive a project grant from Forecast in two consecutive years. An artist can receive a Research & Development grant in consecutive years, or a Research + Development or Professional Development grant followed by a Project Grant.
Selection Criteria
- Quality & Clarity of Proposal:
- The strength of the proposed idea, clear consideration of the scope of work proposed and the applicant’s ability to see it through to completion.
- Value of Project to Artist’s Development:
- Applicants for this opportunity must be mid-career artists, yet also show potential for development, innovation, deepened practice, or new growth. This opportunity is specifically oriented toward expanding the artist’s career development in the field of public art.
- Benefit to the Community:
- This criterion can take many forms from enjoyment to beautification, civic engagement, filling a need or meaningful collaboration. Community can be defined in a variety of ways and applicants should speak to how their work will benefit their defined community.
- Quality of Work Samples:
- This criterion relates both to the quality of the work shared as well as the degree to which the work samples support the artist’s ability to complete the proposed work.
For more information, visit Forecast Public Art.
