Arts Partnership

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH THE ARTS PARTNERSHIP

Tell us about the Arts community in FargoMoorhead and what makes it so special.

The Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo communities are fortunate to have an active, engaging and inclusive arts culture. From the FM Opera to the FM Symphony Orchestra, from Theatre B to the Fargo Theatre, from the Plains Art Museum to the Spirit Room, and the other arts nonprofits and hundreds of individual artists who call our region home, the arts are alive and very well in our community. Not a lot of people know this, but the arts sector in the Metro is a huge economic driver, too. According to the 2017 US Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 report, conducted with Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts and culture industry in the Metro generated $41.6 million in annual economic activity, 1,533 full-time equivalent jobs, and $3.6 million in local and state government revenues.

Can you tell us a little about some of the programs that the Arts Partnership hosts and supports?

The Arts Partnership supports many programs, but at the heart of what we do is our granting and funding work, which financially supports local artists and arts organizations. These funds make the arts more accessible, sustain a vibrant arts sector and recognize excellence in the arts.

How does the Arts Partnership support inclusion for all types of art and artists?

At The Arts Partnership, we’ve diligently worked internally to be more equitable and just in all our messaging, programs, and coverage, including the creation of a working committee that meets regularly to discuss inclusion in our community. One way we engage our Partner organizations and grantees in this work is through our annual meetings with arts leaders and their board chairs. We also ask grant applicants to discuss how they are working to make their organizations more diverse and inclusive in front of and behind the scenes.

Aptitude

Aptitude is a collection of creative arts studios brought to you by The Arts Partnership and West Acres Mall. The studios feature space for artists to create while connecting to the community.

ArtWORKS

ArtWORKS provides dynamic, rotating exhibits of local and regional artworks in business, nonprofit and university locations. As of June 30, 2022, there were 21 participating venues, most of which have 4 exhibits per year. That translates into more than 80 exhibits annually. In the past 4 years, nearly 70 artists have participated in exhibits throughout the Metro. The program also includes 12 brief music concerts by local musicians at Hector International Airport.

Community Supported Art (CSA)

Our Community Supported Arts program, in its 11th season, connects local visual artists, artisans, writers/poets, and performing artists and organizations to enthusiastic arts supporters. From 2012 through the 2022 season, TAP has supported more than 60 artists and performers, 13 artistic ensembles, and more than a dozen of our most innovative local chefs. More than 210 unique shareholders and their guests have enjoyed this outstanding series.