Good Relative Relief Grant
for artists, creators, performers, and culture bearers.
Maximum Request: $500
Opens: July 7th, 2025
CLOSED - All funds have been expended
Eligible artists, performers, creators, and culture bearers must be Minnesota residents who are 18 years or older and live in our five-county region comprised of Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, and Hubbard Counties. For this relief grant, we are also inviting Minnesota residents who are enrolled tribal members and descendants living in Itasca, Roseau, Cass, and Becker Counties (the additional counties we serve through our Anishinaabe Arts Initiative). All eligible artists, creators, or culture bearers must have lost income or experienced damage to property related to their creative practice. Artists, creators, or culture bearers who have received grant funds from the Region 2 Arts Council in the past and have overdue final reports for those grant funds may complete their final reports to become eligible for our Good Relative Relief Grant.
In June 2025 income-generating activity for artists, performers, creators, and culture bearers has been cut off or greatly altered due to a natural disaster, and many people have incurred emergency costs. Our Good Relative Relief Grant, made possible with funding from private donors, is meant to offer some support for creators in our community. You can apply online by clicking the Apply Now button above and logging into our grants portal, (if you have never applied for our grants before you will have to create an account - this video will walk you through the process) or you can download, fill out, and print this pdf “paper” application that you can send via email or postal mail. As this is a first come, first served program with limited funding, we encourage you to apply online because it is a faster process than sending a paper application through the mail.
To be eligible for a Good Relative Relief Grant, applicants must meet the following requirements:
You are an artist/creator/culture bearer who is 18 years of age or older who has experienced or will experience lost income such as
• anticipated sales in shops and galleries that had to temporarily or permanently close
• anticipated sales/participation/performances at summer or fall art shows that have been canceled or postponed
• anticipated sales/participation/performances at powwows that have been canceled or postponed,
• canceled or postponed music/theater/literary performances, presentations, productions, and tours
• canceled or postponed arts teaching opportunities, including classes, camps, and workshops
• canceled or postponed artist-in-residencies
• inability to attend an income generating event/performance/art show/etc.
• lost income generating artistic opportunities not listed above
2. Or, you are an artist who is 18 years of age or older who has experienced loss or damage to facilities or equipment needed to pursue their creative practice, even if it is not an income generating practice
3. You are a Minnesota resident who has been living for the past six months within the five counties of the Region 2 Arts Council (Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Clearwater, Hubbard) This grant is also open to our Anishinaabe Arts Initiative additional counties of Roseau, Cass, Becker, and Itasca for enrolled tribal members and descendants who have been living for the past six months within one of those counties.
4. You have evidence of your marketable presence as an artist, performer, creator, or culture bearer. This could include one or more of the following:
• Website link (yours or another where your work appears)
• Social media presence
• Etsy page or another marketing platform
• Names of 1-3 events/activities you have attended within the last 2 years and visual/audio evidence of your work as an artist or evidence of creative activity in
support of community or cultural practices
5. You do not have an overdue final report with Region 2 Arts Council.
6. You are not the immediate family member of a Region 2 Arts Council Staff, Board, or Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Council member. (Immediate family is defined as: spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, child’s spouse, brother, brother’s spouse, sister, or sister’s spouse).
Use of Funds
Replacement of lost or damaged equipment or materials
Storm damage repairs
Rent/mortgage support
Utilities
Food
Transportation
Medicine
Other monthly bills
Family member care
IMPORTANT: This funding MAY NOT be used to pay student loans or fees, or for past or future classes for academic credit.
Review and Approval Process:
Application Review: Applications will be reviewed by the R2Arts Executive Director, which may include consultation with the R2Arts Grants Committee as needed.
Decision Timeline: Applications will be reviewed within one week of submission. Applicants will receive notification of approval or denial after this period.
Notification: Successful applicants will receive an official grant award email (online applications) or letter (paper applications), outlining the funding amount and any specific conditions required.
