Friends of the Arts

St. Louis Park Friends of the Arts

Friends of the Arts is a nonprofit community organization that has been building community through the arts since 1995, with a mission to support, promote and enhance the arts in St. Louis Park to bring people together. Friends of the Arts connects people and organizations around the arts, shares arts-related information and resources, supports local artists and coordinates community arts programs.

Local arts events

Friends of the Arts organizes, supports and promotes high-quality arts and culture events and creative activities in St. Louis Park. Events range from interactive art-making sessions, to educational artist talks, concerts and theater productions with a focus on themes and topics relevant to St. Louis Park and featuring artists connected to our community. Get involved and participate, or sit back and enjoy. Find out what events are coming up and how to attend, and sign up for the monthly newsletter at www.slpfota.org/events.

All ages Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 W. Franklin Ave. Artist Showcase is a community art exhibit celebrating artists in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley. The exhibition builds connections between local artists and our communities, and the organizers encourage all artists and creatives who live, work or learn in Golden Valley or St. Louis Park to submit their work. Come to the opening reception to meet the artists and experience live art engagements. Exhibition will be in the Westwood Hills Nature Center Interpretive Center building through January. day DATE+TIME

F Jan. 13, 5 – 8 p.m. FEE Free and open to the public; no registration required

Winter Art – Walk in the Park

ALL AGES

Various parks in St. Louis Park, locations TBD A partnership between Friends of the Arts and the City of St. Louis Park Parks and Recreation Department, this outdoor exhibit of original artwork by local creatives in parks and along trails in St. Louis Park promotes creativity, enlivening public spaces and connecting community with our natural environment. For additional information, visit www.slpfota.org.

Arts for Life scholarships

Arts for Life scholarships allow St. Louis Park residents to enrich their lives through a creative experience. Funding is available for music lessons, visual and performance art classes, community education enrollment fees and other creative opportunities. Children, teens, adults and seniors who live in St. Louis Park are eligible for funding. Quarterly deadline of Dec. 5 and March 5. Visit www.slpfota.org/artsforlife for more information and to apply online.

Gift of Music

The Gift of Music program, in partnership with the St. Louis Park Community Band, provides musical instruments to students in St. Louis Park schools to participate in band or orchestra. We collect donated instruments, clean and repair them, and place them into the hands of students in need. To date, more than 750 students have received their very own instrument through this program. Learn more or donate an instrument at www.slpfota.org/giftofmusic.

Arts & Culture grants

Each year, grants are awarded to individuals or organizations for arts and culture projects that support community pride, connect artists and the community, and engage people in creative learning. Artists, arts organizations, students, community and neighborhood groups, and cultural and religious organizations are encouraged to apply. Application deadline is in September for projects to occur the following year. Learn more and apply at www.slpfota.org/artsandculture.

Fiscal sponsorship

Friends of the Arts provides fiscal sponsorship and support for informal and unincorporated arts groups and projects so they can receive grants and tax-deductible donations, and focus their time and energy on the art. If you have a creative idea you’d like to bring to St. Louis Park, visit www.slpfota.org/fiscalsponsorship to schedule a consultation. Friends of the Arts has been a fiscal sponsor for past and present groups, which include the Community Band, Maggie’s Farm Theater, St. Louis Park Art Fair, Community Storytelling Forum and Historic Walker Lake Placemaking Committee.

www.slpfota.org

6715 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55426 952.928.6422 info@slpfota.org