Northern Lights.mn
Northern Lights.mn was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota that produced innovative public art programs including the Northern Spark festival, supporting thousands of artists and Twin Cities communities from 2007 until its 2024 sunset.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSt. Paul, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Northern Lights.mn does
Northern Lights.mn was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2007 by Steve Dietz in St. Paul, Minnesota, dedicated to presenting innovative art in the public sphere. Over 17 years, the organization produced 851 projects supporting thousands of artists, operating a portfolio of programs including the flagship Northern Spark annual dusk-to-dawn participatory arts festival (launched 2011, drawing tens of thousands of attendees), the Art(ists) on the Verge year-long mentorship fellowship for emerging digital culture artists, the Illuminate the Lock projection series at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock, the Creative City Challenge, and Aquanesia, a location-based environmental game.
The organization's technology footprint centered on public art production tools—location-based gaming, multimedia installations, digital projections, and video documentation—rather than proprietary technology development. Distribution occurred through free public events in Twin Cities venues (parks, streets, libraries, The Commons), digital streaming (YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo), and an Etsy merchandise storefront. All programming was free to the public.
The revenue model was typical of mid-sized arts nonprofits: institutional grants from foundations (Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, NEA) and government agencies, individual donations (sustaining monthly and one-time), corporate sponsorships (Fulton Brewery, DuNord Craft Spirits), telethon fundraisers, and merchandise sales. The only known formal funding instrument was a $20,000 PPP loan in 2020. In January 2023, the organization announced it would sunset due to reduced funding, pandemic impacts, and declining individual donations, held a final program in June 2023, and completed dissolution before end of 2023, releasing a 320-page commemorative publication in 2024.
Northern Lights.mn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northern Lights.mn
- Legal name
- Northern Lights.mn
- Website
- https://lights.mn
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Closed
- Short description
- Northern Lights.mn was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota that produced innovative public art programs including the Northern Spark festival, supporting thousands of artists and Twin Cities communities from 2007 until its 2024 sunset.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northern Lights.mn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Arts & Cultural Programming
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)
Keywords
Where Northern Lights.mn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northern Lights.mn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Foundation Funding: Primary funding from arts foundations and government arts agencies including Jerome Foundation (for Art(ists) On the Verge), Minnesota State Arts Board (touring grants), and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
- Individual Donations: Sustaining monthly donors and one-time donations from individuals supporting the arts mission. Donations were tax-deductible.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship support from local businesses including Fulton Brewery, DuNord Craft Spirits, SKCoffee, and others for telethon events.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of Northern Spark memorabilia and merchandise through Etsy store to support programming.
- Telethon Fundraisers: Live televised variety show fundraisers featuring artists and community performers, broadcast on YouTube and Facebook.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free public programming |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Northern Lights.mn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northern Lights.mn was a nonprofit arts organization that produced and presented innovative public art projects in the Twin Cities region, including the annual Northern Spark all-night arts festival, the Art(ists) on the Verge mentorship fellowship, and site-specific installations such as Illuminate the Lock and Aquanesia. All programming was free to the public and supported through grants, donations, and sponsorships. The organization supported 851 projects over 15 years before sunsetting in 2024.
Product overview
Northern Lights.mn was a nonprofit arts agency presenting innovative art in the public sphere that sunset in June 2024 after 17 years and 851 projects. The organization operated a portfolio of programs: the flagship Northern Spark late-night annual festival (2011-2022), the Art(ists) on the Verge year-long mentorship fellowship for digital media artists, and project-specific initiatives including the Illuminate the Lock light projection series, Creative City Challenge competition, and Aquanesia location-based environmental game. Supporting resources included the Public Address blog platform, downloadable toolkit templates for artists, and the 'From Agency to Wonder' commemorative publication documenting their history.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Northern Spark: Annual late-night participatory arts festival illuminating the Twin Cities in early summer
- Art(ists) on the Verge
- Illuminate the Lock
- Creative City Challenge
Products and services
- Northern Spark Festival Annual late-night participatory arts festival illuminating public spaces in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, from 2011-2022 (except 2020). Tens of thousands gathered from dusk to dawn to explore video projections, temporary street installations, and experimental performances in green spaces.
- Art(ists) on the Verge (AOV) Year-long mentorship fellowship program for 5 emerging Minnesota artists working at the intersection of art, technology, and digital culture with a focus on network-based, interactive, and participatory practices. Provides $5,000 commissions and intensive mentorship.
- Aquanesia Location-based environmental mystery game set 100 years in the future exploring climate change and watersheds. Players test skills at watershed-based activities via bicycle or foot to decipher clues and solve mystery of memory loss. Includes game script, volunteer resources, and set materials.
- Illuminate the Lock Artistic light projection projects at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis. Multi-weekend series featuring artist projections inside the Lock chamber exploring stories of the Mississippi River infrastructure.
- Creative City Challenge Annual competition and showcase for local creative talent creating public art installations. Winning projects are installed at The Commons in Minneapolis and featured during Northern Spark festival.
- Public Address Blog Platform for wide-ranging discussion of innovative projects and practices. Features news, announcements, essays, and resources for public art and artists.
- Toolkit and Bibliography Collection of downloadable templates, resources, and select bibliography for artists and public art practitioners. Includes budgeting templates, conflict resolution resources, contracts, invoices, open call examples, and production forms.
- Northern Lights.mn From Agency to Wonder Free digital publication (with limited print edition) commemorating 17 years of the organization's work. 320-page full-color book featuring 171-term glossary, anchor essays, artist interludes, chronology of artists and partners, and 150+ full-color images.
Quantifiable outcome
- 851 projects supporting thousands of artists over 15 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Northern Lights.mn
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Northern Lights.mn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Northern Lights.mn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Capitol Region Watershed DistrictcoreGrant funder for final program A night with the river, supporting artists Bayou Bay and Studio Strange.
- St. Paul Cultural Star ProgramcoreGrant funder for final program A night with the river.
- University of Minnesota Performing Arts ArchivecoreArchival partner designated to house the Northern Lights.mn Archive for preservation and public access.
- Minnesota Community Network Channel 6 (MCN6)coreProduced Spring Howl Telethon as a live televised variety show to support Northern Spark and Northern Lights.mn programming. MCN6 broadcast the telethon live.
- The Soap FactorycoreCo-presented Here and There exhibition series. Northern Lights.mn co-worked at Soap Factory building before their renovation.
- Walker Art CentercorePresenting partner for Northern Spark 2019, hosting Digital Graffiti Wall project at The Commons.
- Hennepin County LibrarycoreVenue partner for Northern Spark programming, including hosting projects in library spaces and collaborating on The Night Library.
- St. Paul Public LibrarycoreVenue partner for Northern Spark programming at Rondo Community Outreach Library.
- Hallie Q. Brown Community CentercoreCore neighborhood partner for Northern Spark 2019 in Rondo, hosting festival programming and community engagement activities.
- Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development CorporationcoreNeighborhood partner for Northern Spark 2019 in Rondo, collaborating on community engagement and programming.
- Penumbra TheatercoreNeighborhood partner for Northern Spark 2019, housed within Hallie Q. Brown Community Center since 1976.
- Model CitiescoreNeighborhood partner for Northern Spark 2019 in Rondo, hosting Reading Room with original artwork celebrating African American railroad industry legacy.
- Green MinneapoliscoreNeighborhood partner for Northern Spark 2019, supporting programming at The Commons in downtown Minneapolis.
- Native American Community Development InstitutecoreNeighborhood partner for Northern Spark 2019 in American Indian Cultural Corridor along Franklin Ave.
- Visions MergingcoreCore programming partner in Rondo for Northern Spark 2017 and 2019, collaborating on community engagement.
- Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (City of Minneapolis)coreCity of Minneapolis office that co-sponsored Northern Spark and Creative City Challenge.
- The Commons (Minneapolis)coreVenue partner for Northern Spark 2018 and 2019 in downtown Minneapolis.
- Rochester Art CentercoreVenue for Art(ists) On the Verge 9 exhibition showcasing mentored emerging artists.
- Minnehaha Creek Watershed DistrictcoreCollaborated with Northern Lights.mn to create Aquanesia, a location-based game exploring watershed and clean water themes. This was a follow-up to their 2014 collaboration on Ruination: City of Dust.
- Rochester Art CentercoreProject partner for Aquanesia in Rochester, MN, hosting the location-based game and related programming.
- Reif Performing Arts CentercoreProject partner for Aquanesia in Grand Rapids, MN.
- Zumbro Watershed PartnershipcoreProject partner for Aquanesia in Rochester, MN.
- Itasca WaterscoreProject partner for Aquanesia in Grand Rapids, MN.
- City of BloomingtoncorePartner for Illuminate South Loop, a mini outdoor festival of nine interactive projects in Bloomington's South Loop leading up to Super Bowl 2018.
- ArtistrycoreNonprofit partner working with City of Bloomington on Illuminate South Loop creative placemaking efforts.
- National Park ServicecorePartner with Mississippi Park Connection for Illuminate the Lock artistic programming at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam.
- Mississippi Park ConnectioncoreCore partner for Illuminate the Lock programming at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, exploring artistic uses for infrastructure no longer used for navigation.
- U.S. Army Corps of EngineersminorSupporting partner for Illuminate the Lock artistic programming at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam.
- Jamestown Art CentercoreThree-year collaboration to consult on Hansen Arts Park permanent elements and program ArtSpark opening celebration featuring Minnesota artists.
- City of Jamestown, North DakotaminorHost city for ArtSpark celebration at Hansen Arts Park.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Northern Lights.mn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Creative Time: New York-based nonprofit that commissions and presents ambitious public art projects free to the public. Directly comparable to Northern Lights.mn as a public art producing nonprofit relying on grants and donations.
- Springboard for the Arts: St. Paul-based nonprofit supporting artists and community-based art. Comparable Twin Cities peer with overlapping artist development, community engagement, and equitable arts programming focus.
- Franconia Sculpture Park: Minnesota-based nonprofit sculpture park and artist residency program supporting large-scale public art. Comparable as a regional public art nonprofit offering free community access and artist development.
- Forecast Public Art: Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing public art through grants, publications, and professional development. Closely comparable given shared geography and public art / artist-development mission.
- Public Art Saint Paul: Saint Paul-based nonprofit that produces and commissions public art projects across the city. Direct Twin Cities peer with overlapping mission, geography, and funder base.
- The Soap Factory: Minneapolis nonprofit art space that presented experimental exhibitions and co-presented programs with Northern Lights.mn. Directly comparable as a Twin Cities experimental arts nonprofit producing free public programming.
Broad incumbents
- Walker Art Center: Larger, established Minneapolis contemporary art museum that partnered with Northern Lights.mn on Northern Spark. Comparable in contemporary art focus but operates a broader portfolio including museum exhibitions, performing arts, and film programming.
- Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia): Major Minneapolis art museum operating as a much larger established institution. Comparable geographically and in the broader arts/culture space but as a portfolio museum rather than a public-art-producing nonprofit.
Regional players
- FringeArts (Philadelphia): Philadelphia nonprofit producing a major annual contemporary arts festival with experimental, boundary-pushing programming. Comparable as a regional nonprofit arts festival producer, though outside the Twin Cities market.
- Nuit Blanche Toronto: Toronto's annual all-night contemporary art festival in the 'nuit blanche' tradition that directly inspired Northern Spark's format. Highly comparable as a free, all-night public art festival, though operating in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Northern Lights.mn social profiles
Digital presenceNorthern Lights.mn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northern Lights.mn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Northern Lights.mn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northern Lights.mn M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northern Lights.mn
What does Northern Lights.mn do?
Northern Lights.mn was a nonprofit arts organization that produced and presented innovative public art projects in the Twin Cities region, including the annual Northern Spark all-night arts festival, the Art(ists) on the Verge mentorship fellowship, and site-specific installations such as Illuminate the Lock and Aquanesia. All programming was free to the public and supported through grants, donations, and sponsorships. The organization supported 851 projects over 15 years before sunsetting in 2024.
Is Northern Lights.mn a public or private company?
Northern Lights.mn is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Northern Lights.mn founded?
Northern Lights.mn was founded in 2007.
Where is Northern Lights.mn based?
Northern Lights.mn is headquartered in St. Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northern Lights.mn make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Grants and Foundation Funding is the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, corporate Sponsorships, merchandise Sales and telethon Fundraisers.
Who are Northern Lights.mn's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Creative Time, Springboard for the Arts, Franconia Sculpture Park, Forecast Public Art, Public Art Saint Paul and The Soap Factory. Broad incumbents are Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). Regional players are FringeArts (Philadelphia) and Nuit Blanche Toronto.
Does Northern Lights.mn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northern Lights.mn.
What industry is Northern Lights.mn in?
Northern Lights.mn's product category is Public Arts & Cultural Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAH, Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations. Its NAICS code is 71.