Exciting news! introducing The Hidden Talents Program

The Minnesota State Arts Board has awarded Backus Community Center a Creative Support Grant for arts programming.  This grant will be used to fund a program designed to promote local artists who might not otherwise have an opportunity to perform or display their arts. The goal is to bring local talents to light and to share the artistic abilities within our community. 

The Backus “Hidden Talents” program will feature the talents of Minnesotans with an emphasis on residents from outstate northern Minnesota and Koochiching County. Individuals and groups of all ages and all artistic levels are encouraged to participate. This program is limited to nonprofessional artists. 

Backus is very excited to have been awarded this grant and to offer opportunities to artists in our community to share their talents. So often we learn about talented artists in our region and we see and hear the beautiful work that they do. This is a wonderful opportunity for artists to tell their stories and to share their passions and skills with the public. Backus is thrilled to provide this for our community through broadcasts on 

KCC-TV.

Artistic areas that will be considered include music, creative visual arts, and speech/oration. Backus is encouraging original works and compositions.  Our vision is to record people introducing themselves and telling a story about their talent or art, and then to record a video of the performance or to show their craft/artwork. If people are camera shy, they can record themselves independently and give the recording to Backus. They can do this with equipment that they already own (good iPhones work!), or they can come to Backus and borrow equipment from our studio. Our KCC-TV Program Director, Darcy Sullivan, is great to work with and makes the experience of recording the feature fun.  

Everyone is welcome to participate; this program is open to arts in all forms. We want to encourage people to not be shy or to think that what they do isn’t good enough. Let us help you showcase your work.

People who are interested in participating and/or registering can find more information and forms on the Backus website at www.backusab.org, or at the Backus office.  Registration forms can be mailed to or dropped off at the Backus office at:

     Hidden Talents  

     Backus Community Center

     900 5th Street

     International Falls, MN 56649 

Playing an instrument. Wood crafting. Metal arts. Painting. Pottery. Weaving. Sculptures. Glass work. Wood burning. Welding. Photography. Singing. Writing poetry. Wood carving. Sign painting. Quilting. Sewing. Dance. Beading. The opportunities are endless! This program will run through February 28, 2022.