The 17 volunteer commissioners are appointed by the mayor and city council.
The commission's role includes finding support for the arts from both public and private sources.
[1] In the mid 1970s the Arts Commission looked for a project to provide space for arts activities in an area the city wanted to redevelop economically.
[1] In 2002 this new office was cut back significantly by the mayor as part of reducing the city debt.
The Minneapolis Plan for Arts and Culture was made public in September 2005.