Springboard For The Arts

TO CULTIVATE VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITIES BY CONNECTING ARTISTS WITH THE SKILLS, INFORMATION AND SERVICES THEY NEED TO MAKE A LIVING AND A LIFE.

RURAL PROGRAMS - THE FERGUS FALLS OFFICE PROVIDES ONGOING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CONSULTATIONS, A RESOURCE CENTER, LEGAL AND HEALTHCARE RESOURCES. THE RURAL REGENERATOR FELLOWSHIP SUPPORTS LONG TERM LEARNING AND EXCHANGE ACROSS RURAL GEOGRAPHIES AND PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO CREATIVE RURAL LEADERS SO THEY CAN THINK BIG AS THEY GROW, SHIFT OR EXPAND THEIR LEADERSHIP EFFORTS. BEGINNING IN OCTOBER 2021, THE RURAL REGENERATOR FELLOWSHIP HAS SUPPORTED 33 RURAL ARTISTS AND CREATIVES BY AWARDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, GATHERING WITH RURAL ORGANIZERS AND OTHER CROSS-SECTOR LEADERS FOR LEARNING, EXCHANGE, AND PROBLEM SOLVING AROUND ISSUES FACING RURAL COMMUNITIES.IN JUNE 2023, THE FIRST RURAL FUTURES SUMMIT WAS HOSTED IN FERGUS FALLS, MN. 100 RURAL ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST GATHERED FOR THIS EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE IDEAS AND WORK OF SPRINGBOARD'S RURAL REGENERATOR FELLOWS, WHILE EXPANDING THE PEER NETWORK OF LEARNING AND IDEAS TO OTHER RURAL CREATIVE CHANGEMAKERS IN THE UPPER MIDWEST. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE SPACE TO DEVELOP REGIONAL COLLABORATIONS AND SOLIDARITY AROUND RURAL-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO AMPLIFY AND CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RURAL ARTISTS TO CREATING AND IMAGINING A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE WORLD. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SUPPORTED WITH TRAVEL STIPENDS, LODGING ACCOMODATIONS, AND MEALS.THE RURAL FUTURES RESIDENCY IS A HYBRID ARTIST RESIDENCY AND CULTURAL TOURISM PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS LONG TERM COMMUNITY VISIONS AND GOALS IN FERGUS FALLS, MN. OUR GOALS ARE TO, BRING NEW ATTENTION TO, AND ELEVATE, KEY COMMUNITY ASSETS AND CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INJECT ENERGY, RESOURCES, ACTIVITY, PEOPLE, AND ENTHUSIASM INTO FERGUS FALLS' DOWNTOWN AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, IMPLEMENT A NEW CROSS-SECTOR VISION FOR SPRINGBOARD'S SUCCESSFUL RURAL ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM, AND RAISE THE VISIBILITY OF FERGUS FALLS AS AN UPPER MIDWEST HUB FOR RURAL ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT.

SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS' INCUBATOR: A FISCAL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES FISCAL SPONSORSHIP FOR ARTS GROUPS AND INDIVIDUAL ARTIST PROJECTS THAT DO NOT WANT (OR ARE NOT READY) TO BECOME TAX-EXEMPT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. IN FY23 WE MANAGED REVENUES FOR THE 207 ARTIST-LED PROJECTS IN THE PROGRAM DURING THAT PERIOD.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS A MEANS FOR FOSTERING VIBRANT, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS BY FORGING VITAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ARTISTS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. OPERATING BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, WE COLLABORATE WITH A DIVERSE ARRAY OF PARTNERS, INCLUDING CITY GOVERNMENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS, PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS, AND COMMUNITY CENTRIC GROUPS COMMITTED TO HARNESSING THE POWER OF ARTISTS IN THE REALMS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, CREATIVE PLACEMAKING, AND INNOVATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING.IN COLLABORATION WITH RACING MAGPIE, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS CONCLUDING THE THIRD YEAR OF ITS STEWARDSHIP OF THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (CCLI). CCLI REPRESENTS AN IMMERSIVE AND VERSATILE PROGRAM THAT SEAMLESSLY BLENDS IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ELEMENTS, PROVIDING A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ARTISTS, CULTURE BEARERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS, AND OTHER VISIONARY LEADERS DEDICATED TO DEEPENING THEIR IMPACT IN CREATIVE COMMUNITY BUILDING. ADDITIONALLY, IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2022, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM EXTENDED ITS SUPPORT TO OVER 30 ARTISTS, ENABLING THEM TO ACTIVATE OUR NEW SAINT PAUL SPACE THROUGH A DIVERSE ARRAY OF ENGAGING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FILM PREMIERES, COMMUNITY ART CREATION, CONCERTS, DANCE WORKSHOPS, DRUM CIRCLES, AND MORE.OVER THE PAST YEAR, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAS ORCHESTRATED AN ARRAY OF WORKSHOPS, ACTIVATIONS, AND GATHERINGS. THESE INITIATIVES HAVE REVERBERATED THROUGHOUT OUR LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN FROGTOWN AND RONDO, AS WELL AS IN RURAL LANDSCAPES LIKE THE IRON RANGE AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA. WE HAVE ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TAKING OUR EXPERTISE AND VISION TO OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING CHICAGO, BATON ROUGE, AND PITTSBURGH, WHERE WE WERE INVITED TO SHARE OUR APPROACH, ONE THAT RECOGNIZES ARTISTS AS ESSENTIAL TO THE VITALITY AND WELL-BEING OF COMMUNITIES AT LARGE.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY - SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS' ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMMING ENCOMPASSES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS, ACCESS TO HEALTH AND LEGAL RESOURCES, AND PHYSICAL RESOURCE CENTERS. IN FY23 WE CONTINUED TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF OUR RESOURCE CENTER FOR ARTISTS, OFFERING COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS OUTFITTED WITH GRAPHIC AND SLIDE SCANNERS, ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD, MICROSOFT OFFICE, A PUBLICATIONS LIBRARY, AND OTHER GRANT-MAKING AND OPPORTUNITIES DATABASES. SPECIAL TOPIC CLINICS WERE ALSO INTRODUCED WITH IN-PERSON 1:1 TA CONSULTATIONS DURING LAB HOURS. OUR A/V CLOSET ALLOWS ARTISTS TO CHECK OUT ART TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS CAMERAS AND LIGHTS. WE'VE CONTINUED OUR LEGAL REFERRAL SERVICE, CONNECTING OVER 100 ARTISTS WITH ONE-ON-ONE ATTORNEY REFERRALS IN FY23.SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SERVED 2,209 INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH PANELS, WORKSHOPS, LEGAL CLINICS, AND PARTICIPATION AT LOCAL AND NATIONALLY LEADING CONFERENCES. SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS PRESENTED: 90+ WORKSHOPS ON BUSINESS SKILLS FOR ARTISTS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 533 INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS, AND PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY HIGHLIGHTING OUR CONTENT, ARTIST SERVICES, AND MISSION. SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS POOL OF ARTIST CAREER CONSULTANTS AND WORK OF ART WORKSHOP FACILITATORS TO REACH BROADER COMMUNITIES, AUDIENCES, AND PARTNERS. WOA WORKSHOPS STARTED THE TRANSITION FROM ZOOM TO HYBRID/IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS.SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS EXPANDED THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME PILOT TO INCLUDE 75 TOTAL ARTISTS, WHICH INCLUDES 50 WITHIN THE RONDO/FROGTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND 25 IN OTTER TAIL COUNTY, AS A WAY TO SUPPLEMENT, RATHER THAN REPLACE THE EXISTING SOCIAL SAFETY NET AND A TOOL FOR RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY.THE GROWTH FUND PILOT WAS ALSO LAUNCHED IN FY23, AS A WAY TO SUPPORT MN ARTISTS AND CREATIVE BUSINESS OWNERS WITH $2,500 TO HELP SUSTAIN OR SCALE THEIR BUSINESS. 16 ARTISTS WERE SUPPORTED IN THIS PILOT PROGRAM.WITHIN THE MAKERS-TO-MARKET PROGRAM, SPRINGBOARD LAUNCHED 3 POP-UP MARKETS (LAST MINUTE GIFTS, SPRINGPOP!, AND CELEBRATE LITTLE MEKONG) WITH AN AVERAGE OF 35 MAKERS AND VENDORS AND 300 IN ATTENDANCE PER EVENT.