Rural Regenerator Fellowship
The Rural Regenerator Fellowship brings together individual artists, makers, and culture bearers, grassroots organizers, community development workers, public sector workers and other rural change-makers who are committed to advancing the role of art, culture and creativity in rural development and community building.
The 2024-26 Fellowship will focus on supporting artists whose work is connected to land, environment, and/or food systems. Rural artists who are using their creative practice to explore environmental justice, land and food sovereignty, agriculture, foodways, climate solutions, and/or sustainability are welcome to apply.
This year’s new effort to amplify and support the urgent work of environmental stewardship aims to bring a new level of focus to the Fellowship in order to collectively contribute to long term change and support existing movements.
The Fellowship is a two-year commitment. The average monthly time commitment is roughly 4 hours, plus two 4-day retreats in year 1, and one 2-4 day site exchange with another Fellow (visiting each other’s community to learn more deeply about each other's work) in year two.
Year 1 activities (September 2024 - August 2025)
- Unrestricted $10,000 stipend
- Two required in-person retreats in Otter Tail County, MN, October 15 - 18, 2024 and
- April 22 - 25, 2025 (full travel support provided)
- Free artist career consultations
- Opportunity to present and/or attend the Rural Futures Summit in June 2025 in Fergus Falls, MN
Year 2 activities (September 2025 - August 2026)
- Up to $3,000 to support exchanges/collaboration with at least one other Fellow.
- Support to attend and present at the Rural Futures Summit in June 2025
- Access to up to 6 nights of lodging in Fergus Falls for time for reflection, exchange, research, creative work, and/or project prototyping.
2024 – 2026 Fellowship Timeline
- October 2024 – Retreat #1 near Fergus Falls, MN
- April 2025 – Retreat # 2 near Fergus Falls, MN
- June 2025 - Rural Futures Summit
- September 2025 - August 2026 - Self organized Fellow exchanges