From cultural festivals and live performances to community-based arts experiences, this year’s Valley Arts Initiative grants are helping create shared experiences across the St. Croix Valley.
In 2026, the St. Croix Valley Foundation is awarding $86,500 to 25 nonprofit organizations, supporting a wide range of arts programming that celebrates creativity, expands access, and strengthens community connections throughout the region.
At a time when communities can feel more divided or disconnected, these arts experiences play an important role in bringing people together across cultures and perspectives.
One example is Gammelgården Museum’s Spelmansstämman Community Festival, which has now received Valley Arts funding for three consecutive years. The festival is intentionally designed to bring together cultural traditions through music, dance, and visual arts—creating opportunities for shared experience and understanding.
Over the past three years, the festival has featured:
- 2024: Swedish and Hmong folk music, dance, and visual arts
- 2025: Swedish and Mexican folk traditions
- 2026: Swedish and Japanese folk music, dance, and visual arts (scheduled for August 15)
“There are no Spelmansstämman like this within Minnesota or the United States that we are aware of,” said Ann Rinkenberger, Executive Director of Gammelgården Museum. “The cross-cultural comparisons in the arts have been fascinating for performers, artists, and audiences alike.”
Gammelgården is one example of how arts organizations across the St. Croix Valley are creating opportunities for cultural exchange and shared experience.
“The arts create meaningful opportunities for connection across our communities,” said Angie Pilgrim, Vice President of Community Impact at the St. Croix Valley Foundation. “These grants bring people together, celebrate creativity, and contribute to the vitality of the St. Croix Valley.”
2026 Valley Arts Grant Recipients
| Name of Organization | Program Name | Grant Amount |
| ArtReach St. Croix | Mobile Art Gallery | $5,000 |
| Bird City Gardens | Mulberry Creek Bird Station Art Series: Nature, Community & Creativity | $5,000 |
| COMPAS | Justice Arts Program at Washington County Jail | $5,000 |
| Curio Dance Company | Boom Dancefest 2026 | $5,000 |
| Franconia Sculpture Park | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Gammelgarden Museum | Spelmansstämman – A Community Festival Featuring Swedish & Japanese Folk Music, Dance, & Visual Arts | $5,000 |
| Music Saint Croix | Times Four: Music Saint Croix brings Season 2026-27 to the Valley | $5,000 |
| North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area | “Once Upon a River 2026” | $5,000 |
| Spring Valley Stagehands, Inc. | General Operating | $5,000 |
| St. Croix Valley Opera | Opera on the River Festival 2026 | $5,000 |
| Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community, Inc. | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Arrow Broken Poetry Collective (sponsored by Marine Library Association) | Monthly Poetry Night with Featured Artists and Open Mic | $4,500 |
| Valley Friendship Club | Music Camp with MacPhail Center for Music | $4,500 |
| Frederic Arts, Inc. | General Operating | $3,000 |
| Frederic School District | The Elvis Show – A Musical Tribute to Elvis Presley | $2,500 |
| Square Lake Film & Music Festival | Filmmaking in the Valley | $2,500 |
| St. Croix Sounds (Sponsored by ArtReach) | General Operating | $2,000 |
| Belwin Conservancy | Music in the Trees 2026 | $2,000 |
| Marine Mills Folk School | General Operating | $2,000 |
| StoryArk | StoryArk Festival | $2,000 |
| St. Croix Valley Chamber Chorale | General Operating | $1,500 |
| The Acreage at Osceola | Art and Ecology at The Acreage | $1,500 |
| Tributary (sponsored by Friends of the Saint Croix Falls Library) | Tributary–for writers and readers in the Upper Saint Croix Valley | $1,500 |
| Summit Players Theatre | Summit Players Theatre 2026 Shakespeare in the State Parks Tour – Hamlet | $1,000 |
| Washington County 4-H Federation | Washington County 4-H Arts-In | $1,000 |
| TOTALS | $86,500 |
To donate to the Valley Arts fund, click here.
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