On March 15, the board of directors of the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council Inc. awarded 40 grants for a total of $251,635 in funding to applicants throughout southeastern Minnesota. This included 13 General Operating Support Grants for $50,100, 16 McKnight Individual Artist Grants for $68,855, and 11 Arts & Cultural Heritage Grants for $132,680. The latter funding is made possible by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

SEMAC is the State Arts Board-designated granting authority for local/regional arts producing and sponsoring organizations and disburses funds allocated for this purpose by the Minnesota State Legislature. The SEMAC region includes the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona.

Grants were awarded to the following individuals and organizations:

• Albert Lea Art Center received a $4,000 General Operating Support grant for operating expenses for calendar year 2011.

• Riverland Community College received a $7,805 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for their community corrections partnership public mural project.