American Composers Forum (ACF) has announced the opening of applications for the 2025 McKnight Visiting Composer Residencies and McKnight Composer Fellowships. Applications for all programs will be reviewed by panels of artist-curators, to be announced soon on ACF’s website and social media platforms.
The awards are presented in partnership with the McKnight Foundation as part of their Artist & Culture Bearers Fellowships, which support Minnesota-based creative work by mid-career artists who have sustained experience in their area of practice. Composers based outside of Minnesota are eligible for our two $10,000 residency grants, and Minnesota-based artists are eligible for our four fellowship positions, which include $25,000 in unrestricted funds as well as artist residency support.
In addition to funding support, all awardees have access to exclusive ACF events, networking activities, and career development mentorship from ACF staff. Plus they have opportunities to be featured and promoted on ACF’s platforms, such as curating playlists for I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, being interviewed for artist profiles, and having their work shared in our newsletters (distributed to more than 9,000 recipients).
We believe that the cultural, political, and social landscape around us shapes how we create, share, and receive art. We see artmaking as a profound form of expression and engagement with the world around us – not the objective experience often promoted by Western European traditions. We are interested in supporting artists who intentionally engage with this larger context in their artmaking, in particular those who have been historically excluded from funded opportunities.
Furthermore, we seek to deconstruct the historical concept of “composer,” as well as the assumed default of who is “American.” We encourage applicants to self-identify their music, perspective, and demographic information.
ACF MCKNIGHT VISITING COMPOSER RESIDENCIES – NATIONAL CALL
For Music Creators Living Outside of Minnesota
Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 11:59pm PST
The ACF McKnight Visiting Composer Residencies invite music creators living outside of Minnesota to spend approximately 30 days in the state over an 18-month period, fostering connections and taking part in creative projects that engage the local community. While new work may be part of the residency, it is not a requirement, as the emphasis is on artistic exploration and community exchange with Minnesota communities.
Proposals should respond to or reflect on the unique qualities of people and communities in our home state. For example, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area is currently home to one of the largest and most tribally diverse urban Indigenous populations.
ACF will award two residencies consisting of $10,000 in unrestricted funds. All funds are distributed directly to the selected music creator across four installments. Awards are subject to state and federal income tax guidelines. In addition, this year composers will receive up to $3,000 to support travel expenses related to their visit to Minnesota.
For application and complete details, visit https://composersforum.org/programs/mcknight-visiting-composer-residencies/
ACF MCKNIGHT COMPOSER FELLOWSHIPS
For Music Creators Living in Minnesota
Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 11:59pm PST
The ACF McKnight Composer Fellowships are awarded to Minnesota-based artists who demonstrate achievement, commitment, and a high-level proficiency in artistic and/or culture bearer practice that contributes to their field and impacts and benefits people in Minnesota.
ACF will award four fellowships consisting of $25,000 in unrestricted funds. Awards are subject to state and federal income tax guidelines. Fellows have an opportunity to attend an artist residency program coordinated by the Alliance of Artist Communities within two years of the fellowship program. Fellows will also have access to financial support up to $3,500 to develop works-in-progress, and will receive consultation, time, and resources from Springboard for the Arts.
For application and complete details, visit https://composersforum.org/programs/mcknight-composer-fellowships/
ABOUT AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM
ACF’s mission is to support and advocate for individuals and groups creating music today by demonstrating the vitality and relevance of their art. We do this by empowering composers, modeling creative partnerships, and advocating for them through storytelling and connections. Working with an ecosystem of artists, programmers, presenters, teachers, funders, and audiences, we frame all of our work with a commitment to racial equity, believing that creating a fairer world for artists benefits all of us.
Founded in 1973 by composers Libby Larsen and Stephen Paulus as the Minnesota Composers Forum, the organization continues to invest in its Minnesota home while connecting artists and advocates across the United States, its territories, and beyond. ACF frames our work with a focus on racial equity and includes within that scope, but does not limit it to: diverse gender identities, musical approaches and perspectives, religions, ages, (dis)abilities, cultures, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and broad definitions of “American.” Visit www.composersforum.org for more information.
ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION
The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems.
ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT ARTIST & CULTURE BEARER FELLOWSHIPS
Founded on the belief that Minnesota thrives when its artists and culture bearers thrive, the McKnight Foundation’s arts and culture program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Support for individual working Minnesota artists and culture bearers has been a cornerstone of the program since it began in 1982. The McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 15 different creative disciplines. Program partner organizations administer the fellowships and structure them to respond to the unique challenges of different disciplines. Currently, the foundation contributes about $2.8 million per year to its statewide fellowships. For more information, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships.
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN is an editorially-independent program of the American Composers Forum, and is made possible thanks to generous donor and institutional support. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may not represent the views of ICIYL or ACF.
You can support the work of ICIYL with a tax-deductible gift to ACF. For more on ACF, visit the “At ACF” section or composersforum.org.