Cultural STAR Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Cultural District is defined as the geographic area bordered by Interstate 94 to the north, the Lafayette Bridge to the east, Harriet and Raspberry Islands to the south, and Chestnut Road to the west. This is just a list of some of the possible venues located within the defined Cultural District:

• The Ordway
• The Fitzgerald Theater
• Park Square Theatre
• Union Depot
• Harriet Island
• Raspberry Island
• Mears Park
• Rice Park
• The Amsterdam Bar and Hall
• Landmark Center

In Cultural District funds can be awarded for organizational development if the organization is:

• An organization that is registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State with an address that falls within the Cultural District; or
• An organization which owns property in the Cultural District for purposes directly related to its Cultural STAR project; or
• An organization has secured a lease or rental agreement within the Cultural District for the purposes directly related to its Cultural STAR project.

Search your organization or project address on the interactive map to see whether your location is within the Saint Paul Cultural District.

You can apply to both programs for different parts of your overall project.

For example, if you are renovating a building into a performance space, you could apply to Cultural STAR to install a stage and stage lighting, and Neighborhood STAR for new windows and making the building more ADA accessible.

However, you cannot apply to both programs for the same project. For instance, you would not be able to request $5,000 from Cultural STAR and $5.000 from Neighborhood STAR to pay for a $10,000 sound system installation.

If you are awarded a Cultural STAR grant, up to 20% of your Cultural STAR funds may be used for direct project costs that specifically pertain to the execution of the capital project, sometimes referred to as “soft costs”.

Some examples include building permits; design fees; engineering, soil testing, environmental, legal, financing, licensing, and inspection fees; developers’ fees; acquisition and demolition costs; utility relocation and construction; and construction costs including loan and interest fees.

Saint Paul-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations located outside of the Cultural District may submit two applications: one for a project that takes place in the Cultural District (funded out of the 80% pool) and one for a project that takes place outside of the Cultural District (funded out of the 20% pool). However, the applications must be for separate projects.

The information provided should be about the individual artist or unincorporated art group.

The board may recommend a project receive partial or full funding, but the final funding decisions are made by the Mayor and City Council.

If multiple organizations are collaborating together on a single project, only one organization should submit an application and request the amount needed for the project.

The application should clearly describe the project, identify all of the partnering organizations, and detail their assigned role in the project. The organization that submits the application will be the main contact for the project. If awarded, they will be the grantee responsible for getting under contract with the City and submitting all required documentation to receive STAR funds.

Keep in mind that the amount requested is not guaranteed if awarded STAR funding. The board may recommend that a project be partially funded depending on program guidelines, evaluation criteria, and fund availability. Final funding decisions are made by the Mayor and City Council.

If the applicant is an individual artist or unincorporated arts group using a fiscal sponsor, then 100% of the project must be in the Cultural District.

Applicants located in the Cultural District (see Cultural STAR Guidelines > Program Description > Geographic Focus) are eligible for in-district funds regardless of their programming location.

Applicants located outside of the Cultural District may apply for In Cultural District funding. Their project can have multiple dates and locations. However, only the expenses directly related to the events that are located in the Cultural District are eligible for STAR reimbursement. 

Yes, the board is advisory and gives recommendations to the Mayor’s office and City Council, who then have final decision on the awards.

Internal teams review each application for eligibility and completeness, but the Cultural STAR Board reviews and scores each application.

Yes.