FEE: Free to apply
Artists Respond: Rooted and Rising
Springboard for the Arts
Just as the very first flowers push through the melting snow each spring and mark the transition from the heavy darkness of winter to the light and growth of a new season, our culture and creativity can help us root in strength, resilience, and renewal.
Springboard for the Arts invites artists and culture bearers whose neighborhoods or communities have been impacted by harm, fear, and loss in the wake of Minnesota’s ICE occupation to apply for Artists Respond: Rooted and Rising. This program seeks to activate the local: neighbors, block clubs, apartment buildings, whisper networks, and local businesses, and asks artists to do what they do best – deepen relationships and networks, create safe spaces for reflection and healing, and gather community stories.
Artists Respond: Rooted and Rising provides Minnesota artists with $2500 to lead neighborhood-scale projects that take place over 2-4 months. The program aims to:
Nurture long-term healing and solidarity, grounded in local expression and culture.
Create opportunities and spaces for neighbors to reflect, grieve, and repair.
Combat fear and isolation by providing opportunities for building connection and safety.
Develop and share critical resources or information as it evolves (i.e. meals, finding legal assistance, etc).
Document or archive important community stories and perspectives.
Applications will be accepted on rolling deadlines, and artist-projects selected every 2 weeks from March 12 – April 23, 2026. Key rolling deadlines are:
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Thursday, April 23, 2026
From December 2025 through February 2026, we supported more than 60 rapid-response, neighborhood-scale projects through Artists Respond: Safety in Neighbors. Building on that work, this new round invites artists to address the mid- and long-term needs that have emerged in recent months.
Artists Respond is a Springboard program that supports artists to create modest, community-rooted projects that rapidly and intentionally respond to community issues and opportunities. Past rounds have focused on social isolation, equitable rural futures, environmental stewardship, rural-urban solidarity, and economic justice through guaranteed income.
