2025 BY THE NUMBERS
In 2025, we continued working nationally with 45 public and private partners in communities nationwide from Minnesota to Massachusetts—from cities, arts boards, and community groups to council members, libraries, and park systems—providing them with tools, planning, and processes to support skilled public artists in their own communities and prioritizing the work of BIPOC artists.
PARTNERS
ARTISTS WE WORKED WITH
FORWARD AUDIENCE
NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENGAGED IN-PERSON
We helped pay $1,330,055 to artists
for public art projects through artist fees, awards, and regrants to organizations
Images: (1) Midwest Memory Grant recipient The Lincoln School Project held a public dedication ceremony for the new Reflection Plaza at the historic Lincoln School on May 17, 2025. Adding two bronze statues to the restored schoolgrounds in West Plains, Missouri, this project celebrates the school’s history and role in the community. Photo courtesy Crocket Oaks III. Read about Midwest Memory on the Regional Spotlight page in this report. (2) At the Mni Sota Akitho Festival in March 2025, Forecast Consulting Partners Singer Horse Capture and Aki Shibata were joined by artist Wóokiye wiŋ (Katie Bendickson), who invited attendees to create a paper doll with the prompt: "who do you see yourself with at Ȟaȟáwakpa (the Mississippi River), and what are you doing?" Read about MRLC engagement on the Project Highlights page. (3) As a Forecast 2025 Mid-Career Project Grantee, Minneapolis-based metal artist and educator Carla Hall worked with the community at International Spanish Language Academy (ISLA) in the design and build of decorative steel sculpture that is now permanently exhibited at the school site. The steel forms represent the educational values and diverse culture of ISLA and are informed by the student and teacher experience. Read about our annual public artist grants on the Programming Highlights page. (4) Read about FORWARD Issue 8: Civic Health on the Programming Highlights page. (5) Marlena Myles and Tanáǧidaŋ To Wiŋ (Tara Perron) were among 12 artists embedded at various Minnesota parks statewide, as part of MNPAiR (MN Parks Artists-in-Residence. Marlena and Tara held seasonal community celebrations at Battle Creek Regional Park that brought together Dakota ancestral teachings, modern Indigenous artists and artistry, and community-building activities to honor each season’s beauty and cultural significance, and to celebrate what it means to people who have called this area home for thousands of years. Both artists coordinated each event and also participated as local artisans; each event included 20–30 Native vendors and culture bearers. In addition to the celebrations and workshops at Battle Creek, Marlena and Tara worked on a medicine garden full of native plantings and an outdoor classroom. Read about MNPAiR on the Project Highlights page. (6) Read about our engagement work with the City of St Louis Park on the Project Highlights page.