Mission and History

Mission

The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council promotes incorporation of the arts into the daily life of communities by providing leadership, advocacy, grants, and services.

History

In 1977, the Minnesota legislature established a system of eleven regional arts councils to distribute state government appropriations to small arts organizations around the state. The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC), which serves the 7-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, is the largest of the regional arts councils. Each regional arts council is an autonomous organization designated to assess arts need, develop programs and services to meet those needs, and distribute funds to arts programs in its region. The majority of funds come from the Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation by the Minnesota legislature. MRAC also receives a generous grant from The McKnight Foundation.

All of the regional arts councils began as programs of larger region-wide governmental agencies. MRAC began as a program of the Metropolitan Council. In 1989, the Metropolitan Council and MRAC agreed to spin off MRAC as an independent, nonprofit organization.

Minnesota’s metropolitan area is made up of an urban core, suburbs, small communities and rural areas. While geographically the region covers only 4% of the state, it is home to more than 50% of the population. MRAC funds arts organizations within this region that have annual budgets under $300,000. To learn more about specific MRAC grants, click here.

Long-Term Goals

• Serve the artistic, cultural and geographic diversity of the metro area through grants and services.
• Help communities view arts and arts organizations as essential community resources.
• Increase public awareness of and support for the arts.

Organizational Beliefs

• We believe the arts are an expression of our innate creativity and innermost humanity and that the arts are essential to the lifelong development of individuals.
• We believe that by ensuring equal access to and equity in the distribution of cultural resources we can ensure that all people have the opportunity to engage in the arts.
• We believe that communities, societies and cultures are communicated and commemorated through artistic expression.
• We believe diversity of expression and opinions are core American values, and by participating in the arts, we bring these values to life.
• We believe the arts are essential to the creation and sustenance of thriving, vital communities.

Vision

• Artists, arts organizations, and arts activities thrive


• Art is integrated into the social fabric and identity of every community


• Public value of the arts is understood, acknowledged, and acted upon by community members, leaders, and policy makers.