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. 

Read the full release here.

Published: February 19, 2019