Dozens of organizations across the state continue to build Minnesota’s cultural and historic legacy with grant funds for history and historic preservation project of enduring value. The Minnesota Historical Society today announced 40 recipients of 41 Legacy Amendment-funded Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants of up to $7,000.

Local recipients include the Austin Area Commission for the Arts, which received $7,000 for a condition assessment of the Paramount Theatre, and the Mower County Historical Society, which received $2,000 for an American Association of Museums Conference Scholarship for continuing education.

The Society also announced the next deadline for Small and structured grants is March 23. In addition, the required, pre-application deadline for mid-size and large grants for fiscal year 2013 is fast approaching on June 1. The Grants Manual is available at www.mnhs.org/legacygrants with all applications being accepted only through the Society’s new grants portal at grants.mnhs.org.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by Minnesota voters on Nov. 4, 2008. The amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including state history and cultural heritage.

“In this latest round of grants, there is an important emphasis on continuing education for local history professionals. Ensuring these professionals are armed with the latest skills, knowledge and technology helps their communities successfully preserve Minnesota’s history and heritage on a local level,” said David Grabitske, manager of outreach services for the Minnesota Historical Society. “We also see a strong drive for documentation of historic events, people and communities in the recent and distant past, from an exhibit about the I-35W bridge just five years after the collapse to the search for information about St. Louis County’s lost Burntside River community.”

Each Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. The grants are awarded according to professional standards and criteria.