Twin Cities arts groups get $5 million in grants

SPCO strings
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra strings.
Photo by Sarah Rubenstein

The New York-based Wallace Foundation is giving more than $5 million to eight Twin Cities arts organizations. It's part of a multi-city, multi-year project to develop new audiences for the arts.

Christine DeVita, president of the Wallace Foundation, says the Twin Cities quickly rose to the top of metropolitan areas meeting the criteria.

"Minneapolis-St. Paul had a robust cultural vibrant community, a great number of arts organizations, so a big pool to work with, and a real community commitment for arts organizations to work together," said DeVita.

The Minnesota groups receiving the grants are the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the MacPhail Center for Music, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Minnesota Opera, Mixed Blood Theatre Company, and Northern Clay Center.

In addition, the Wallace Foundation has awarded $1.6 million to the Minnesota Community Foundation, to work on a partnership that will help artists adjust to changing economic realities.

Other metro areas receiving Wallace grants include Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

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