Opera America Awards Opera Minnesota a Civic Practice Grant
Opera America awarded $180,000 to seven companies across the country as part of their first-ever Civic Practice Grants. The awards of up to $30,000 each are supported by Opera America's Opera Fund Endowment and awarded on a biennial basis. In a release, Opera America says the grants are to "support opera companies’ efforts to learn more about civic priorities within their communities, to develop relationships with leading arts and non-arts organizations and their leaders, and to discover and deliver services that strengthen their communities, as well as the visibility and trust of the opera company within it."
Minnesota Opera, a Guild member, was among the seven projects funded. Funding from Opera America will go to build its capacity to develop a civic practice with the local Hmong-American community. Through a conversation series co-created with project partners, the company will listen and learn what are the pressing needs of this community and what of its own expertise and resources might be a support.
Other funded projects include the Chicago Opera Theater, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Omaha, San Francisco Opera and The Santa Fe Opera.