FARGO-Artists and their work continue to be supported in the metro area, but a changing downtown environment is pricing those artists and their organizations out of their longtime homes, as real estate prices continue to rise.

That was part of the message delivered at this year's State of the Arts presentation Thursday, June 9, by the Arts Partnership, a Fargo nonprofit.

Theatre B and the Uptown Gallery each were the latest casualties, either being forced to close, in the gallery's case, or to find a new home, a task Theatre B is undergoing.

"I think that it's really important that we not lose the breadth of what works downtown. I don't think it can just be for for-profits or for people of affluence," said Dayna Del Val, executive director of the Arts Partnership.

Theatre B might end up moving across the river to Moorhead, where Minnesota's more abundant grants trump those in North Dakota.

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"The smallest grant in Minnesota is bigger than the biggest grant in North Dakota," Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams said. "It's just a different philosophy."

During the presentation at The Stage at Island Park, Del Val championed the progress made in the past year and several notable anniversaries, as the Plains Art Museum turned 40 and Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre celebrated 70 years in operation.

The organization presented artists and organizations with the greatest single amount of grant money ever: $84,000 to those entities, a 19 percent increase over 2015. West Fargo alone increased its support by 60 percent, Del Val said.

Williams and West Fargo Mayor Rich Mattern handed out the awards, and were heralded by Del Val as "amazing elected representatives." Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney was set to attend as well, but couldn't make it.

A major part of the presentation was the impact arts can have on the entire community, including generating economic development, helping New Americans transition into the community and improving citizens' mental and physical health, Del Val said.

"We're trying to get across the message that arts drive the economy," outgoing board chair Ellen Shafer said.

The arts can spur development, but also may become a victim of that growing economy, as major developments change the face of Fargo, Del Val and Williams said.

"I know there are some others that are nervous about all of this downtown work," Del Val said. "While I don't want it to sound like I'm not pro downtown evolution, I wish that the way we have tax incentives for investors, we would come up with an incentive to keep the arts there, too."