Minn. Senate panel hears legacy funding requests for arts, museums and cultural groups; lays multiple bills over for possible inclusion

The Minnesota Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee on Tuesday, March 18 heard testimony from more than a dozen cultural organizations seeking legacy or arts-and-cultural-heritage funding and laid multiple Senate files over for possible inclusion in the legacy omnibus bill.

Committee members heard from Latino, Hmong, Somali and Native organizations, public television representatives, libraries and museums. Witnesses described requests ranging from program support and traveling exhibits to documentary and commemorative projects; committee members repeatedly laid the measures over “for possible inclusion” rather than taking final votes.

Why it matters: The legacy (arts and cultural heritage) fund supports cultural programming, museums, public media, and educational outreach across Minnesota. The committee’s decisions will shape how state legacy dollars are distributed in the next biennium and which organizations receive direct appropriations.

CLUES: Latino cultural programming Ruby Lee, president of the nonprofit CLUES, told the committee CLUES serves “45,000 Latinos in 2024” and asked the committee to support Senate File 2,070, a legacy appropriation that would expand CLUES’s arts and cultural work. Lee said the organization’s 45-year history combines social services with cultural programming and credited prior legacy funding: “Thanks to a half a million dollar appropriation from the legacy fund in 2023, we have been able to foster cultural engagement, communal and community celebrations.” Dr. Carla Mansoni, CLUES’s director of arts and cultural engagement, gave attendance and program figures — including “2,000 people visited our CLUES Gallery” and “16,000 people participated in culturally specific programming” — and said additional funds would support traveling exhibits, digital gallery shows and artist development. Artist Adriana Gordillo described reaching new audiences through bilingual materials and a CLUES solo exhibit. The committee laid Senate File 2,070 over for possible inclusion.

Phyllis Wheatley Community…