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Photo: Artist Ekow Ephrim standing next to his digitally manipulated photographs currently on display in the halls by the Governor's Staff offices in the ND State Capitol
Welcome to NDCA's E-News, ND Council on the Arts' monthly newsletter including statewide & national news, time-sensitive opportunities, and upcoming events.
This January 2026 edition highlights new art exhibits at the Capitol, NDCA’s latest biennial report, the appointment of a new NEA chair, an indigenous flute-making workshop feature, plus fresh funding opportunities, artist calls, and statewide events.
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 NDCA Exhibits Artwork by Sherry Earl and Photography by Ekow Ephrim at State Capitol
NDCA is featuring two exhibits at the North Dakota State Capitol as part of its Featured Artist at the Capitol program. On the 18th floor, observatory level, visitors can view a collection of 29 pastel works by North Dakota artist Sherry Earl. The exhibit is open to the public through April 2026 during regular Capitol business hours. While visiting, guests can also enjoy panoramic 360-degree views of Bismarck from the observatory windows.
Earl is a self-taught artist who works primarily in soft pastels, a medium she describes as offering both immediacy and richness. Her work focuses on realism and aims to create what she calls “a window, not just a picture,” inviting viewers to feel present in the landscapes she portrays.Â
On the ground floor near the Governor’s Staff Offices, photography by Ekow Ephrim is also on display. The exhibit features 13 photographs, some incorporating digital manipulation, that explore themes of social connection and fleeting encounters. Ephrim, an Assistant Professor of Art at Valley City State University, works across digital media, photography, and graphic design. Public access to this exhibit can be requested at the Governor’s Office.
NDCA FY27 Grant Season Preparations are Underway!
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NDCA is finalizing the FY27 grant dates and guidelines. The annual grant programs are slated to open in February. Check the Grants-at-a-Glance webpage for updates.
REMINDER: Fully registered and active SAM accounts will once again be required to submit applications for funding opportunities from NDCA. If you’re thinking of submitting an application, please begin the SAM registration and annual renewal process as it can take up to a few weeks to complete.
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NDCA Releases 2023-2025 Biennial Report
We’re excited to share that we’ve published our 2023-2025 Biennial Report! In this report, we highlight the work we’ve done over the past two years: administering multiple grant programs, curating exhibitions at the State Capitol, managing statewide initiatives like Arts Across the Prairie and Poetry Out Loud, and building partnerships that strengthen North Dakota’s creative sector. Our goal remains clear: to ensure “Arts for All” and keep the arts vibrant and accessible across the state. |
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 *LAST CALL for Artists: Placemaking Opportunity in Region 3
Last month, NDCA announced a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for artists or creative teams to lead the next installation in its groundbreaking Arts Across the Prairie initiative. Applications are due by Jan. 15.
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Region 3, which includes Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Pierce, Ramsey, Rolette, and Towner counties, is seeking visionary artists to design a site-specific work that reflects the spirit and identity of this rural area. The selected artist will collaborate with local stakeholders and community members to bring the project to life. |
This opportunity is open to artists of all disciplines with experience in public art and community engagement. The RFQ is the first phase of the selection process; finalists will be invited to submit full proposals in the second round.
NDCA is happy to announce that Zoe Makin, our AmeriCorps member, will now be staying with us through December 2026! As NDCA's Public Art & Careers Coordinator, Zoe will continue to focus mostly on our Arts Across the Prairie program but will also help with Arts Education and Special Events. Thank you Zoe! |
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 Attendees of a four-day workshop recorded songs they learned as they made their flutes with award-winning artist Bryan Akipa (second from right, sitting front row). Photo by Alicia Hegland-Thorpe
Tuned into Tradition: Indigenous Flute Making in Standing Rock
A four-day workshop at Fort Yates brought together tradition and creativity as musician and award-winning flute maker Bryan Akipa (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) guided participants in crafting Indigenous flutes inspired by ancestral designs. Hosted by Oúŋ on the Standing Rock Reservation in July 2025, the program was more than woodcarving, it became a living testament to cultural renewal and repatriation.
The event connected music with language, math, and art, as tribal college educators and Lakota speakers explored how flute-making could enrich school curriculums. Akipa, a GRAMMY-nominated and NAMMY-winning artist, reminded participants that each flute carried a lineage and a spark of resurgence.
Read the full Arts Midwest story to meet the makers and discover how a humble instrument is shaping a vibrant future for Indigenous culture.
 From Humanities ND to The Study:
NDCA Honors a Partnership that Began in 1967
NDCA is proud to celebrate an exciting evolution for one of its closest partners. Humanities North Dakota, created alongside NDCA in 1967, has announced its new name and identity: The Study.
Just as a study in a home is a space for reflection and discovery, The Study represents a welcoming place for ideas to grow, curiosity to thrive, and meaningful connections to flourish. While the name has changed, the mission remains the same - making lifelong learning affordable, accessible, and meaningful for all.
From the beginning, NDCA and Humanities ND have shared a commitment to enriching lives through creativity, dialogue, and community. That bond remains strong today. As The Study embarks on this new chapter, NDCA reaffirms its commitment to supporting their work through this transition and into the future.
Readers are invited to explore The Study’s new website, discover upcoming programs, and join in celebrating this exciting transformation. Together, these organizations continue to honor their shared history while embracing a future filled with inspiration and collaboration.
 Notable Americans featured above include Amelia Earheart, Harriet Tubman, Muhammad Ali, Billie Holiday, Jackie Robinson, Clara Barton, Ray Charles, and Duke Ellington.
NEA Awards 50 Grants for Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes
The National Endowment for the Arts is marking America’s upcoming 250th anniversary with a major investment in creativity. Fifty grants of $25,000 each have been awarded to arts projects that honor influential figures from the National Garden of American Heroes. These initiatives span music, visual arts, theater, and community programs, bringing history to life through art.
Highlights include new orchestral works celebrating leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., commissioned pieces for youth choirs honoring trailblazers such as Billie Holiday and Amelia Earhart, and exhibitions inspired by iconic poets like Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes. Other projects explore themes through festivals, workshops, and multimedia storytelling across the country.
These efforts aim to unite communities and celebrate the diverse voices that shaped America’s story.
Mary Anne Carter Confirmed as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Mary Anne Carter to lead the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a second term. Carter, who previously served as chairman from 2017 to 2021, emphasized her commitment to ensuring the arts are accessible to all Americans and highlighted the arts' relationship to healing, innovation, and economic stability. |
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Under her leadership, the NEA expanded national initiatives and invested in every Congressional district. Carter looks forward to guiding the agency through America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and continuing research on the arts’ impact on health and recovery.
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Local ongoing and newly announced . . .
**NDCA’s grant programs are currently on hold until we complete a funding assessment. After that review, we may reopen the FY26 Professional Development and Special Projects programs. Announcements will be posted on NDCA’s Facebook page. NDCA's FY27 program guidelines are currently under review and we expect to begin accepting applications for most programs in February 2026.
*Visit NDCA's Grants at a Glance webpage periodically to stay up-to-date.
For organizations, including new applicants:
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Creative Forces Community Grants (Jan. 15)
The Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants program, a partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, aims to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military-connected populations through cost-sharing grants of $10,000 to $25,000 for emerging and advanced arts engagement projects. The program funds arts initiatives that encourage creativity, build social connections, improve resilience, and help smooth the transition to civilian life.
Grants are available to nonprofit organizations and state/local/tribal government entities that have at least three-years experience in presenting/producing arts-based projects and/or programming for military communities.
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NEA / Arts Midwest Big Read (Jan. 15)
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Arts Midwest are now accepting applications for the 2026–27 cycle of the NEA Big Read, a national program that offers matching grants of up to $20,000 to support community-wide reading programs. This year’s NEA Big Read will center around the theme America250, honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s semi-quincentennial.
A mandatory Intent to Apply is due Jan. 15, 2026, with final applications due Jan. 29. Funded programs will take place between Sept. 2026 and June 2027.
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Shakespeare in American Communities (Intent to Apply Due Jan. 29)
Three matching & non-matching grant opportunities ranging from $15,000-$30,000 for eligible nonprofit theater organizations:
• Schools Program: Supports Shakespeare-related performances and educational activities for middle and high school students.Â
• Juvenile Justice Program: Brings Shakespeare-related theater experiences to juvenile justice facilities.
• Apprenticeship Program: Provides paid apprenticeships for early-career theater professionals in administrative and technical roles. The programming that apprentices support does NOT have to be Shakespeare related.Â
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2026 Levitt Foundation Grants (Jan. 30)
The Levitt Foundation is offering grants of up to $5,000 to U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits presenting free outdoor music festivals in 2026! To be eligible for funding, festivals must take place outdoors in a public space, be free to attend, and feature programming with music and performance by professional musicians who are compensated.
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NEA Grants for Arts Projects (Feb. 12, July 9)
The National Endowment for the Arts is now accepting applications for its Grants for Arts Projects program, offering $10,000–$100,000 (up to $150,000 for Local Arts Agencies) with a required 1:1 match. Eligible U.S. nonprofits, government entities, and tribal groups across disciplines like arts education, music, theater, visual and media arts, and more can apply.
Funding supports projects beginning as soon as Jan. 1, 2027 (for the Feb. 12 deadline) or June 1, 2027 (for the July 9 deadline) and may cover up to two years of activity.
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Activate Rural Learning Lab (ARLL) (Feb. 20)
Do you have a building and a bold idea to create a creative gathering space in your rural community? ARLL is now accepting applications for its next cohort in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Native nations in this region.
ARLL offers a 2-year learning experience for teams activating buildings as welcoming, creative third places in rural communities (pop. ~20,000 or less). Selected projects receive a $50,000 grant, technical assistance, peer networking, storytelling support, and travel to in-person gatherings.
Free info webinar at 12:00pm CT, Jan. 21
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For individual artists ONLY . . .
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** Programs for Youth and High School Students
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*Send new opportunities and request changes to current listings by emailing Rhea Beto: rbeto@nd.gov.
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NDCA / Partner Arts Activities, Events, & Workshops
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Art in Action at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum (FREE)
- Monday, Jan. 19; 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Hands-on art activity stations led by local artists
- Sponsored by ND250 and Vinterfest
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NDCA Winter Board Meeting & Community Reception in Bismarck, ND
- Thursday and Friday, Jan. 29-30; locations to be announced
- Board Meeting Thursday: 12:30-4:00 p.m.; Friday: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Community Reception Thursday: 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- Watch NDCA's website and Facebook page for updates
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ND Poetry Out Loud Championship - FREE and Open to the Public!
- Monday, March 3, 2025, at ND Heritage Center & State Museum (Bis)
- High school students from across the state will recite poems from memory
- Competition starts after 9:30 a.m. CT
- The award ceremony will begin at approximately 2:00 p.m. CT
NDCA-Sponsored Activities, Events, and Workshops
North Central
Northeast
Southwest
- Rockin' in Reeder
- Sunday, Feb. 15; 2:00-8:00 p.m.
- Reeder Community Center (the old school house)
- Features music by:
- Bart Damjanovich
- Clyde Bauman/Mylo Hatzenbuhler
- Blue Stems
- Colleen Reinhardt
- Supported by NDCA Community Arts Access Grant
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South Central
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Vinterfest Kickoff
- Sunday, Jan. 18; 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Bismarck State College Advanced Technical Center
- Art making and music participation activities for all ages
- Partially funded with a grant from ND Council on the Arts
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Southeast
Live Streaming (ONLY)
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Is your event partially funded by NDCA? Email information to Rhea Beto <rbeto@nd.gov> by the 1st of each month if you would like to be included in this new section (above) of the e-news.
- If your event is NOT sponsored by NDCA, you are invited to post the information on the ND Tourism website (example image below). For more information on how to post your event, visit the NDCA Calendar of Events web page.
Resources
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