Forecast is based in Minnesota, where our hearts are heavy and our resistance and resolve are strong. This year, we celebrate nearly 30 years of grantmaking to individual public artists and culture bearers in Minnesota, while also providing funding and capacity building to artists across the Midwest and nationally, and serving as a trusted civic strategy partner to communities and public-sector partners. We’ve been a proud GIA member since 2019.

Our current issue of FORWARD, Civic Health: Artists at the Heart of Civic Renewal, helped us name something we see again and again: belonging is foundational to democracy, and artists are central to creating it.

In 2026, we’re carrying this work forward through a NEW space we are hosting for collective conversations. Creative Power, Civic Purpose: How Artists Strengthen Democracy is a six-part virtual series supported by the Educational Foundation of America bringing together artists, cultural leaders, civic practitioners, organizers, funders, and democracy leaders to explore how creative work strengthens civic health, deepens democratic participation, and renews the civic fabric of communities across the country. We hope our fellow GIA members will join us for all six sessions so we can stay connected and mobilized together.

Additionally, we’ve launched Artists as Witness, a rapid response grant program supporting Minnesota-based artists and culture bearers who are documenting what’s happening in their communities during the federal immigration surge, countering disinformation and racism, and telling the lived, human stories of resilience and strength. We will share more about these artists on February 26. 
https://www.giarts.org/photo-credits