Workshops
Expand your skills and knowledge with SEMAC’s workshops. We offer Special Events led by experts on a variety of topics. Our In-Person Grant Workshops focus on providing useful tools and resources for individual artists and culture bearers. We also coordinate an Organizational Skill-Building Workshop Series specifically designed for staff and volunteer leaders from arts organizations and other nonprofits. In our Step-by-Step Grant Writing Workshops, we go through a specific SEMAC grant application from start to finish, providing helpful tips and insights. Finally, Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists with Springboard for the Arts is a series covering essential topics for individual creatives such as career planning, time management, and portfolio development.
Contact Sharon Mansur, Outreach & Accessibility Manager, at sharon@semac.org or 507.322.1088, 711 TTY with questions or accessibility requests.
Special Events
Doing More (for Less): Free, Cheap, & Easy Strategies to Jumpstart Disability Inclusion with Scott Artley, CPACC
An accessibility workshop for individual artists, culture bearers, and arts organizations in SEMAC’s region
“Where do we even begin?” It’s the sincere—and overwhelming—question that kicks off nearly every conversation about disability access in the arts. In this lively, practical session, accessibility consultant Scott Artley shares concrete, low-cost strategies for making meaningful progress right now, without needing a massive budget or a dedicated accessibility department. Drawing on real consulting work with arts organizations and artists across the country, Scott walks through how to identify the most impactful changes, spot common barriers, and build the internal momentum to move from one-off fixes toward something sustainable. Leave with practical ideas you can try immediately—even with limited time, staff, budget, or knowledge about disability. This workshop is appropriate for beginners or folks ready to expand their accessibility toolkit.
Virtual Session
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
6:00-7:30p CT
Meet the Facilitator
Scott Artley (he/they) is a Minneapolis-based accessibility consultant and arts leader with nearly 20 years in the creative and nonprofit sectors. A Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC), he’s helped organizations across the country advance disability inclusion through strategic planning, assessments, training, and public speaking—always with the rigor practical clarity that makes the work actually stick––and the sense of humor that makes it “fun as heck” to get there. Past roles include Accessibility Program Director at the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.
Session Information
Virtual: via Zoom
Free, registration required.
This session is best enjoyed live with the interactive elements, but it will also be recorded and available for a limited time.
Automated Zoom captions will be available.
Additional accessibility accommodations are available upon request via the registration form, or contact Sharon Mansur, Outreach & Accessibility Manager, directly at sharon@semac.org, 507.322.1088, 711 TTY.
Visit SEMAC’s new Accessibility Resources for Artists & Culture Bearers list for services,
tools, funding, and additional support regarding accessibility in the arts.
Community Care for Creatives: A Moment to Breathe & Be Together with Sarah Johnson
A Moment to Breathe & Be Together
Taking a moment to pause, breathe and be together can offer a brief respite when the demands, injustices, and strains of the world don’t stop. Join us for a free, 15-minute virtual opportunity to reset together with community engaged artist Sarah Johnson, hosted by the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC).
Virtual Session
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
12:00-12:15p CT
Sarah will offer a short framing and a guided practice to tap into our own wisdom and groundedness.
Meet the Facilitator
Sarah Johnson (she/they) is a community engaged artist, licensed mental health professional and human with many years of experience in prevention, health promotion, art, and community-building. She is based in Winona, MN and engages with others locally, regionally, and nationally. In 2021 Sarah founded The Joy Labs and is working to build healthy, connected communities where we all have what we need to be able to effectively care for ourselves and each other.
Session Information
Virtual: via Zoom
Free, registration required.
You are invited to drop in at any point during the sessions.
Please note that these sessions will not be recorded.
Automated Zoom captions will be available.
In-Person Grant Workshops
In these free, in-person workshops, SEMAC staff members share an overview of the organization’s grant programs and professional development opportunities. They also discuss the process of applying for a Project Support for Individual Artists & Culture Bearers Grant, share helpful tips and resources beyond what SEMAC offers, and make time for conversation and connection.
Project Support for Individual Artists & Culture Bearers Grant Workshop
In this free, in-person workshop, SEMAC staff members share an overview of the organization’s grant programs and professional development opportunities. They also discuss the process of applying for a Project Support for Individual Artists & Culture Bearers Grant (next deadline is July 28th), share helpful tips and resources beyond what SEMAC offers, and make time for conversation and connection. Light refreshments will be served.
Mainspring
404 E Main St, Caledonia, MN
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 6-8p
Mainspring is a nonprofit community arts organization offering events, classes, and resources in Houston County, Minnesota.
Session Information
This workshop is in-person only and will not be recorded
Pre-registration is encouraged
Parking and Accessibility
Ample street parking is available around Mainspring.
Mainspring’s main floor, where this event is located, is fully ADA-accessible via a ramp at the front entrance.
There is also an accessible bathroom.
Additional accessibility accommodations can be requested through the registration form.
If you have any questions or need assistance in completing the registration form, please reach out to Sharon Mansur, Outreach & Accessibility Manager, at sharon@semac.org or 507.322.1088, 711 TTY.
If your organization is interested in scheduling an In-Person Grant Workshop for your community, please reach out to Sharon Mansur, Outreach & Accessibility Manager, at sharon@semac.org or 507.322.1088, 711 TTY.
Organizational Skill-Building Workshop Series
SEMAC is excited to partner with Propel Nonprofits and the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) to offer a series of online workshops that will provide organizations with the help they need to succeed. The workshops are free and open to staff, board, and volunteers with arts organizations in SEMAC’s 11-county region.
Registration for each Propel workshop is limited to 45 participants. Organizations should identify one or two representatives who can attend and bring back information to share with their group. Please note: workshops will not be recorded.
Strategy, Planning, Outcomes: Bridging Your Strategy Work with Ground Level Impacts with Propel
Thursday, April 23, 2026 | 1-3p via Zoom
Are you looking to understand how strategy, planning, and outcomes show up in your work in the nonprofit sector? Join us to explore the connections between organizational strategy and service impacts. You will walk away from this training with an understanding of the nine gears of effective nonprofits, strategy planning frameworks, and the practical application of outcomes development.
Step-by-Step Grant Writing Workshops
When a new grant opportunity opens, we offer a free virtual workshop where we go over the grant application process and requirements step-by-step. Anybody who registers, regardless of attendance, will receive a link to a recording of the session.
Emergency Relief Fund Step-by-Step
SEMAC has launched an Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) designed to provide rapid, short-term assistance for individual artists and culture bearers face unexpected hardship. The funds are distributed as one-time gifts to help stabilize recipients and address urgent needs, offering some relief during a difficult time so they can continue their creative work. The application is simple and no reporting is required. This is not a merit-based grant program. Recipients will be chosen through a random selection process. Through this program, SEMAC will make gifts of $500 each to 60 creatives living in the 11-county region, 20 per selection round.
Watch a video recording that goes through the application process step-by-step and to learn more about this impactful opportunity.
Call or e-mail Desmond Anabrang, Grant Programs Manager, with questions at staff@semac.org or 507.281.4848.
Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists with Springboard for the Arts
SEMAC is excited to partner with Springboard for the Arts to offer their Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists workshop series virtually for individual artists and culture bearers living in SEMAC’s region.
Springboard’s Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists is a professional development curriculum designed to teach business skills to artists and culture bearers in all disciplines – visual, performing and literary arts. It starts with career planning and moves through topics like pricing, marketing, funding, and business plans. Work of Art can be helpful if you are just starting your creative career, or if you need a refresher as you advance your work.
These workshops are FREE to attend. Please note that these sessions will not be recorded. Automated Zoom captions will be available.
There are no current offerings. Please sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to be the first to be notified for future workshops!
Springboard’s Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists curriculum is available as a free workbook and downloadable from the Springboard for the Arts website as a helpful reference during or after the workshops.
For more about Springboard’s Work of Art program: springboardforthearts.org/professional-growth/work-of-art-program/