The Minnesota State Arts Board has awarded an Artist Initiative grant, totaling $10,000, to Cloquet artist Adam Swanson. Swanson will use the funding to research and create a series of ten paintings featuring federally listed endangered species in Minnesota, exhibiting the paintings at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth and the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.

The Artist Initiative grant program helps artists complete projects that enhance their careers and help them reach and serve a wider audience. Artist Initiative grants support artists working in the disciplines of dance, media...