Forecast Public Artworks, the 30-year-old independent public art agency, proudly announces its
19th round of grants to Minnesota artists for exploration of public art. Forecasts artist grants, funded by Jerome Foundation, annually support emerging and early career visual artists pursuing the public realm as a venue for creative expression. Funding was awarded to the following:

Category 1: Research & Development (2 @ $2,000)

Jane Powers
Jane Powers and Rita Davern will conduct research for their project Remember, a public art project to remember and honor Dakota people. Remember will provide a forum for reflection and dialog as we share our collective history.  The artists will identify Dakota artists to collaborate on the project, research the history of the Dakota people in MN, and locate sites throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul for thought provoking and interactive visual and sound site markers.

Chris Pennington
Chris would like to create a billboard that is primarily an art object, an architectural marrying of a billboard, an office, and a 3D gallery…on a stick.  Partnering with local architects he will explore all the various possibilities and applications of this idea and then create CAD drawings and a working model.

Category 2: Public Project (2 @ $7,000)

Anna Metcalfe
Anna Metcalfe and Grace Davitt will host weekly meals in the northside of Minneapolis using hand made plates and local produce. Expanding on weekly cookouts held at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Anna and Grace will infuse this tradition with locally grown, healthy foods and one of a kind, hand-made ceramic tableware.  The weekly cookouts will give participants a chance to form connections with one another, the artwork and local produce.

Therese Kunz
Therese will work with Susan Ugstad to create A Lasting Piece: A Collective Collage, a large installation utilizing collage, voice, and light to showcase a visual narrative that speaks to the collective heart of their rural community. This project will be installed in an historic train depot in Remer, MN. The whole installation, built to travel, will be offered to other communities for exhibition including the creation of their own community collage to be installed at a site of their choosing.

Billboard Project ($3,000 design fee + installation costs)

Kao Lee Thao
Kao Lee will create a painted billboard design that speaks to the injustices of the remaining Hmong soldiers called Freedom Fighters from the “Secret War.”  Her airy gouache paintings are a contemporary reference to Hmong story cloths.  Her design will be installed in mid summer on a billboard at University Avenue and Cleaveland Street in St. Paul.

Stay tuned for updates as these projects progress!