Skip to main content
We will be closed July 4-8 Details
Close
close
A photo of the front of the Springboard for the Arts building in St. Paul
A graphic with a white background and hand drawn black circles and lines
A photo of a corner view inside of an apartment overlooking main street in downtown Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
A photo of various pieces of handcrafted artwork from CSA: Community Supported Art
A photo of various pieces of handcrafted artwork from CSA: Community Supported Art
A photo of a corner view inside of an apartment overlooking main street in downtown Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
an illustration of a woman with dark skin and hair, yellow earrings and a light purple shirt. She holds a hot coffee mug, and her eyes are closed with a calm expression. Behind her is a dreamy purple background and green vines.
A woman in a blue hat and a girl smiling andlifting a screen and looking at a print.
Vickie Benson Resource Center at Springboard for the Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota
A banner featuring the "Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists" logo
Grid of artist images and the text: Here for artists making a living and a life
A photo of a hand holding up Springboard Books, Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists, and the Handbook for Artists Working in Community
Springboard for the Arts Annual Report
Staff Retreat: Office Closure

Staff Retreat: Offices Closed March 18-20

Springboard for the Arts’ staff will be going on a biannual retreat on Monday, March 18, through Wednesday, March 20, 2024. During this time, both of our offices in Fergus Falls and St. Paul will be closed. We will return to work on Thursday, March 21. We'll be back soon!

Creative Change Coalition

We are delighted to introduce a national coalition of place-based organizations that center people, creativity, and equity working together to create a stronger ecosystem for communities and artists.

Falls Community Arts Exchange

Applications are now open for the Falls Community Arts Exchange! Hosted in Fergus Falls, MN, this 4-week residency is open to artists interested in deep exchange with rural creative ecosystems, and who are interested in completing a collaborative project that supports local community goals through creative engagement.

SpringPOP

SpringPOP! Community and Maker Market, May 4

SpringPOP, our annual pop-up artists' market, returns this year on Saturday, May 4 to Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul. Are you a local maker interested in tabling at the market? You're in luck, applications are open now!

CSA: Community Supported Art

Now in its 7th year, the 2024 edition of CSA will include three boxes of artwork, each one featuring handcrafted artwork by local makers. Shares will be delivered in February, March and April. Only 50 shares are available, so act fast!

Jobs & Opportunities Board

Springboard hosts a variety of resources for economic opportunities. We run a Job Board for jobs with arts organizations, or organizations specifically looking to hire artists and creative workers. We also have an Opportunities Board that lists open calls, RFP/RFQs, board service opportunities, studio spaces and volunteer opportunities. Start exploring today!

Guaranteed Income Highlight

Guaranteed Minimum Income for Artists Pilot

Curious about our work with artists around Guaranteed Income? Read about our Guaranteed Income pilot, Artists Respond: People, Place, & Prosperity, our partnership with the City of St. Paul supporting artists telling the story of the impact of Guaranteed Income, and the expansion of the pilot for artists in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

Art Train

What if you could address your community's most pressing needs, employ local residents to do it, and use federal or philanthropic funding to support it, all at the same time? Announcing Art-Train, a virtual technical assistance program for artists, municipal agencies, community non-profits, and arts councils in communities of all sizes across the nation.

Resource Center

Working on a new project? Visit a Resource Lab!

Our Resource Labs in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, MN, offer individual artists and small organizations access to a full array of equipment, tools, and services in an informal, self-directed environment. Artists can use the Lab for artwork documentation, design, digitization and for general technical assistance on small projects.

Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists

Interested in new resources to add to your creative toolkit? "Work of Art" is a comprehensive program created to help you in building, and sustaining, your artistic business. Join us for free in-person and online offerings taking place year-round!

Donate

You make this work possible!

For 30 years, Springboard has helped make it easier for artists to make a living and for communities to benefit from the vitality and connectedness that is rooted in culture, and work for more vibrant and just local economies. Artists bring that meaning, joy, and connection into our lives, and if this is work you value, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Springboard for the Arts.

Buy Springboard Books

Did you know that we offer hard copies of the Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists curriculum and the Handbook for Artists Working in Community? Now you do! Visit our shop to purchase your copy.

Annual Report

Our latest annual report is here! The report highlights the programs, offerings, and artist-led projects in our 2023 fiscal year, all of which would not have been possible without the support and creativity of the vibrant communities we serve. Thanks for reading!

previous arrow
next arrow

Upcoming Offerings

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Find upcoming workshops, trainings, and community events from Springboard for the Arts. Learn more!

Job Board Graphic

JOB BOARD

Search artist-focused and creative jobs with organizations across the Upper Midwest. Learn more!

Artist Career Consultant Graphic

ARTIST CAREER CONSULTATIONS

Connect with experienced artists across disciplines for career planning and project feedback. Learn more!

Resource Labs Graphic

RESOURCE LABS

Spaces in Fergus Falls and St. Paul with equipment, tools, and services for artists. Learn more!

Grant Resources Graphic

GRANT RESOURCES

Resources for grants and funding opportunities for artists and organizations in Minnesota. Learn more!

Professional Services Directory Graphic

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIRECTORY

A directory of Minnesota-based professional arts-related services and resources. Learn more!

Incubator Fiscal Sponsorship Graphic

INCUBATOR FISCAL SPONSORSHIP

Fiscal sponsorship for arts organizations and individual artist projects in Minnesota. Learn more!

Minnesota Lawyers for the Arts (MnLA)

MINNESOTA LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS

Connect to legal resources and consultations for your creative work. Learn more!

Ready Made Graphic

READY MADE

Discover beautifully crafted one-of-a-kind pieces by local artists and makers! Learn more!

Creative Exchange Graphic

CREATIVE EXCHANGE

Practical artist-created toolkits to spark change and stories to inspire connection. Learn more!

Springboard Books Graphic

SPRINGBOARD BOOKS

Get the Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists and Handbook for Artists Working in Community! Learn more!

Art-Train Graphic

ART-TRAIN

National training and technical assistance for communities and artists to work together. Learn more!

Saint Paul Site Info

ST. PAUL

Our St. Paul office and community hall, rentals, and site activation. Learn more!

Fergus Falls Office

FERGUS FALLS

Visit us in our Fergus Falls office and join in community events. Learn more!

About Us Graphic

ABOUT US

Information about Springboard for the Arts, our mission, and community report. Learn more!

Springboard for the Arts' mission is to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection. Founded as an independent nonprofit in 1991, Springboard for the Arts has an innovative 30-year history of supporting artists making a living and a life and artist-led community development work.

 

Together we
build the movement of

art and community.

Building professional skills for artists

From the Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists toolkits and workshops, to career consultations, Springboard for the Arts is dedicated to artists of all disciplines making a living and a life. We make resources and create opportunities for artists to learn entrepreneurial, business, and strategic skills.

Thrive as an artist

Artists working in community

Artists and communities thrive when they work together. Our goal is always to create projects that are adaptable to the the needs of individual communities; and to catalyze relationships and mechanisms that bring artists and communities together, and have lasting impact.

Connect to artists

We power Creative Exchange

Springboard for the Arts' national program is Creative Exchange, an online platform sharing stories of artists with impact and practical toolkits for you to create and run artist-centered projects in your community.

Visit Creative Exchange launch

Support Springboard for the Arts!

Our work builds creative people power – connecting artists to resources they need, and communities to their artists. Support us in the work we do together!

Donate today! launch

our offices

Saint Paul

262 University Ave West
Saint Paul, MN 55103
contact | directions

Vickie Benson Resource Lab
Please check availability
Visit the Resource Lab

Fergus Falls

201 West Lincoln Ave.
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
contact | directions

Fergus Falls Resource Lab
Please check availability
Visit the Resource Lab

This will close in 20 seconds