Open Calls
Review eligibility carefully, each opportunity has different residency requirements.
Artist-in-Residence Program Public presentation at the 2027 Winter Festival
A year of financial support, production resources, and mentorship for one Minnesota artist creating a new public work that explores winter as something we actively shape.
Apply if You Are
- Currently residing in Minnesota
- Working in visual art, installation, public art, or music
- Available for the full residency, October 2026 – October 2027
- Ready to lead at least one community engagement activity
10th Anniversary Multimedia Art Commission An original short film on The Great Northern’s first decade
One artist will create an original multimedia short (5–10 min) capturing the festival’s impact and spirit since 2017, premiering at the October Festival Preview event and opening the 2027 Climate Film Series.
Apply if You Are
- Currently residing in Saint Paul
- Working in digital media, animation, film, or related disciplines
- Available to complete the work August–September 2026
- Able to deliver a cinema-ready final file by October 1
Design the 10th Anniversary Festival Tote The signature tote for our 10th anniversary season
We’re commissioning one bold, screen-printable design (four colors or less) that reflects our festival theme Winter is a Verb — through winter imagery, a sense of place, or a nod to ten years of The Great Northern.
Apply if You Are
- Currently residing in Minnesota
- Original design, not previously published or produced
- Able to deliver final print-ready files by September 15
Artist-in-Residence Program Support
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Multimedia Art Commission Program Support
This activity is supported, in part, by the City of Saint Paul Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization Program.
Past Artist Commissions
Stories by HOTTEA (2025)
A large-scale public art installation on East Lake Street at Chicago Avenue, created from thousands of strands of resin-dipped yarn woven into a glowing grid, including community drawings and stories gathered from Lake Street residents woven into the piece itself. Presented in partnership with Lake Street Lift and the John & Denise Graves Foundation.
Unweaving by Tia Keobounpheng (2021)
A public art installation of wooden archways draped in woven rag-rug tapestries, creating a quiet, contemplative space within a public site. Located near The Trailhead in Theodore Wirth Park, the piece is as personal meditation on the artist’s family ties to Sister City Petrozavodsk, Russia.
Conservatory by Jovan C. Speller Rebollar and Andy DuCett (2022)
Conservatory, by Jovan C. Speller Rebollar and Andy DuCett, transformed a downtown Saint Paul alley into an ice-enclosed greenhouse thriving with hundreds of deeply hued plants — from black cone flowers to velvet petunias. Contact microphones embedded in the ice amplified the environment’s subtle shifts, creating an immersive experience designed to center and preserve Black life.
Questions? Email: hello@thegreatnorthernfestival.com
