2025 Cultural STAR Awards

At their December 3rd, 2025 meeting, the Saint Paul City Council awarded $1,286,552 in Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization (STAR) grants to support 78 arts and cultural projects. These grants will support programming, capital improvements, and organizational development activities for 78 local non-profit arts and cultural organizations. These programs and activities will take place from August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026.

In addition to awarding competitive grants to nonprofits, the Cultural STAR program also supports the Saint Paul Public Libraries with an annual budget allocation. In 2025, the Cultural STAR program budget included $175,000 in funding for library materials.

(Neo)Muralismos de Mexico

Alebrijes: Keepers of the Island

Award Amount: $26,000.00


Actor's Theater of Minnesota              

Marketing post Robert St. Rebuild   

Award Amount: $15,000.00


American Composers Forum             

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN series               

Award Amount: $5,000.00


American Craft Council          

American Craft Fest St. Paul 2026   

Award Amount: $16,000.00


Ananya Dance Theatre            

Swapno Jhnap: Dream Jumping        

Award Amount: $15,000.00


ArtStart              

Celebrate St. Paul! Wearable Art Inspired by Music             

Award Amount: $15,052.00


Asian Economic Development Association              

2026 Little Mekong Night Market      

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Bach Society of Minnesota   

Baroque Tango             

Award Amount: $7,000.00


Ballet Co. Laboratory               

Freddie: Break Free // A Rock Ballet               

Award Amount: $18,000.00


Border CrosSing          

Border CrosSing Presents: Un Milagro de Fe            

Award Amount: $18,000.00


Center for Broadcast Journalism      

7th Street LIVE Arts Festival 

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Chinese American Association of Minnesota Chinese Dance Theater    

Engaging Young Audiences in Chinese Culture       

Award Amount: $25,000.00


Circus of the Star        

2026 Community Day and Arts Outreach Proposal             

Award Amount: $5,000.00


City of St. Paul - Library Dept.            

Saint Paul Public Library Collections Materials      

Award Amount: $175,000.00


ComMUSICation         

ComMUSICation - Melanie DeMore Residency and Performance             

Award Amount: $16,112.00


District 10 Community Council (Como Community Council)       

Como Community Events     

Award Amount: $6,000.00


COMPAS          

Emerging Young Artists Exhibit           

Award Amount: $9,000.00


Consortium Carissimi             

The Influence of Baroque on Traditional Irish Music            

Award Amount: $15,000.00


Creative Enterprise Zone       

2025 Chroma Zone Mural & Art Festival       

Award Amount: $9,000.00


Elpis Enterprises         

Voices of Young People Experiencing Unstable Housing Through Photography and Videography         

Award Amount: $5,000.00


European Christmas Market               

European Christmas Market 2025   

Award Amount: $27,000.00


Face to Face Health & Counseling Service, Inc.     

Arts Programming at SafeZone          

Award Amount: $29,000.00


FilmNorth         

Studio Thirteen Future Filmmakers Lab and the Tech Scout Collegiate Program               

Award Amount: $15,000.00


Forecast Public Artworks       

Making It Public: Creative Connections in Community      

Award Amount: $9,000.00


Frogtown Tuned-In     

Tell Tour Pride radio program               

Award Amount: $7,500.00


Full Circle Theater Company              

Full Circle's Production of CONSTELLATIONS: Centering Disability Stories  presented at Park Square Theatre    

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Germanic-American Institute            

Interactive German Storytime            

Award Amount: $5,000.00


Great River Passage Conservancy   

Gateway Murals: Transforming the Sibley & Jackson Underpasses           

Award Amount: $14,000.00


Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies         

St. Paul Music Access Initiative         

Award Amount: $10,000.00


The History Theatre, Inc          

Rollicking! A Winter Carnival Musical by Rachel Teagle and Keith Hovis

Award Amount: $20,000.00

Hmong Cultural Center Incorporated            

2026 Minnesota Qeej and Hmong Arts Festival      

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Hot Summer Jazz Festival     

2026 Twin Cities Jazz Festival             

Award Amount: $30,000.00


In Progress       

The Collective               

Award Amount: $11,000.00


India Association of Minnesota         

IndiaFest 2025             

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Indigenous Roots        

New Beginnings: Honoring Diversity, Connection, and Cultural Identity

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts               

Uniquinox (unique-win-ox)   

Award Amount: $13,675.00


Irish Fair of Minnesota             

Irish Fair of Minnesota             

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Japan America Society of Minnesota             

Japanese Obon Festival         

Award Amount: $5,500.00


MINNESOTA HARD BOP COLLECTIVE          

The Sit-In Series          

Award Amount: $15,000.00


Minnesota Landmarks, Inc   

Mosaic Festival            

Award Amount: $10,000.00


Minnesota Opera        

My Name is Florence - Minnesota Opera    

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Minnesota Public Radio         

Minnesota Music All Year      

Award Amount: $18,000.00

Minnesota Vietnamese Language School   

Lunar New Year (Tet) Celebration     

Award Amount: $11,250.00


Mizna  

Publishing Mizna: SWANA Literature and Art            

Award Amount: $20,000.00


Music Mission              

Lakeside Guitar Festival 2025            

Award Amount: $5,463.00


Nautilus Music-Theater          

ROUGH CUTS: Musical theater works-in-progress               

Award Amount: $21,000.00


One Voice Mixed Chorus       

"Royalty" at the Ordway Concert Hall           

Award Amount: $14,000.00


Oratorio Society of Minnesota           

Korean Choral Music and Culture    

Award Amount: $9,000.00


Ordway Center for the Performing Arts        

2026 Family Festival  

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Oyate Hotanin              

Celebrate and Preserve Traditional American Indian Stories and Songs

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Park Square Theatre  

Park Square's Production of the Musical "A Chorus Line."               

Award Amount: $25,000.00


Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute        

Rondo: History & Values Anthology 

Award Amount: $5,000.00


Public Art Saint Paul  

Wakpa Triennial Art Festival 

Award Amount: $23,000.00


Ragamala Dance Company 

Mythology Makes Us 

Award Amount: $18,000.00


Rain Taxi Inc.  

Twin Cities Book Festival       

Award Amount: $12,000.00


Red Bird Chapbooks

Red Bird Chapbooks Reading Series and Workshops         

Award Amount: $5,000.00


Rice Park Association              

Summer Nights in Rice Concert Series        

Award Amount: $5,000.00


Saint Paul Art Collective        

St. Paul Art Collective - Organization Enhancement (website redesign phanse 2)               

Award Amount: $7,000.00


Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra          

Finale: Abel Selaocoe in Saint Paul 

Award Amount: $20,000.00


Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation            

Rondo Arts & Culture Night at Winter Carnival        

Award Amount: $12,000.00


Science Museum of Minnesota         

Community Science Days    

Award Amount: $10,000.00


Selby Ave JazzFest      

2025 Selby Ave JazzFest         

Award Amount: $11,250.00


Sounds of Hope, Ltd.               

Songs of Hope On The River 

Award Amount: $7,000.00


Springboard for the Arts         

Springboard on Ice     

Award Amount: $15,750.00


TaikoArts Midwest      

TaikoArts Midwest Healing Taiko Concert   

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Taste of Minnesota Foundation         

Taste of Minnesota     

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Teatro del Pueblo        

Los Profanadores        

Award Amount: $27,000.00


The Cookie Cart           

Lowertown Sounds    

Award Amount: $20,000.00


The Great Northern Winter Festival

Frostline           

Award Amount: $25,000.00


The Schubert Club     

FamilyJam, KidsJam and Museum Minis     

Award Amount: $9,000.00


Theater Mu, Incorporated      

Theater Mu's World Premiere of HMONG FUTURES by Katie Ka Vang      

Award Amount: $24,000.00


Transforming Generations    

2026 TG PrideFest & Drag ON Talent Mentorship Program              

Award Amount: $24,000.00


TruArtSpeaks 

Be Heard MN Youth Poetry Slam Series       

Award Amount: $20,000.00


Twin Cities Iranian Culture Collective           

2026 Nowruz (Persian New Year) Concert and Community Gathering     

Award Amount: $5,000.00


VocalEssence               

Global Rhythms, Joyful Voices           

Award Amount: $22,000.00


Walker West Music Academy             

Rondo Community Music Series      

Award Amount: $15,000.00


Wonderlust Productions        

Wonderlust Productions Hidden Stories of St. Paul Season 3      

Award Amount: $30,000.00


Young Dance, Inc.       

Growing Young Dance: Space, Impact, Community            

Award Amount: $10,000.00


Zorongo Flamenco, Inc           

Bringing Tablao Flamenco to St. Paul            

Award Amount: $10,000.00