The City of Minneapolis is inviting local artists, creative entrepreneurs, and arts organizations to apply for the 2025 Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts Program, a funding initiative aimed at invigorating downtown and other city neighborhoods. The city-led program seeks to enhance creative opportunities, encourage innovation, and boost economic revitalization in targeted areas by subsidizing rental costs for participating properties.
Supporting local arts and economic revitalization
The Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts Program provides financial support, advocacy, and community-building opportunities for the local arts scene. Through this initiative, the city connects property owners with artists and arts organizations, offering up to $50,000 per year for up to two years to cover rental costs. In return, participating artists and organizations must program the spaces with ongoing, accessible, and free or low-cost public events, strengthening community engagement and fostering cultural vibrancy.
The program’s objectives include:
- Stimulating economic revitalization by fostering creative cohesion in downtown and beyond.
- Increasing foot traffic and public engagement in arts, culture, and innovation.
- Offering space for local creatives to develop and showcase their work.
- Addressing the city’s ongoing space crisis.
- Promoting public safety through arts activation.
- Counteracting systemic and institutionalized barriers that have affected historically marginalized communities.
Key dates and deadlines
- Applications open: March 17, 2025
- Informational webinar: March 21, 2025, at 3 p.m.
- Deadline to submit NOFA-related questions: March 26, 2025
- Property site visits: April 11, 12, and 19, 2025 (RSVP required)
- Application deadline: May 16, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. CST
- Award notifications: June 27, 2025
Eligibility and application requirements
The program is open to individual artists, artist groups, arts organizations, and culture service organizations that meet the following criteria:
- Must be a Minnesota resident with the ability to work in person throughout the program.
- Must have at least three years of professional artistic experience or programmatic history.
- Must be willing to commit to a two-year lease agreement with a participating property.
- Must focus on visual, performing, literary, media, traditional, digital, public arts, design, or craft.
- Must offer free or low-cost public programs at least once per quarter during the lease period.
Applications will be evaluated based on community impact, creativity, feasibility, and alignment with the city’s equity and sustainability goals.
Program deliverables and reporting
Funding recipients must engage the community through interactive programming and document their activities for city reporting. Required reports include:
- Quarterly reports tracking financial and programmatic progress, including proof of rent payment and community engagement metrics.
- Annual reports detailing audience engagement, event outcomes, and financial performance.
How to apply
Interested applicants can review available properties and submit applications by May 16, 2025. A detailed application guide and property listings are available on the City of Minneapolis website.
🔗 For more information and to RSVP for the webinar, visit [Vibrant Storefronts website].