Donate or apply at www.artsforillinois.org. “Chicago’s voice is heard around the world through the creativity, innovation, and vision of incredible artists in every one of our 77 neighborhoods,” said Mayor Lightfoot. The DCASE Individual Artists Program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Vaccines protect you and the people around you, reducing the spread of COVID-19. Securing grants can not only give you an extra line or two on your CV, it can provide the stability and resources you need to be your most creative self. Update as of 10/27/20: The selection process for emergency grants to individual artists through the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund is now complete. This year, Mayor Lightfoot increased the City of Chicago’s 2020 funding for cultural grants by $1 million, fulfilling a commitment to prioritize equitable grantmaking and microfinancing to individual artists, organizations and arts corridors throughout Chicago — particularly in communities of need. 2015 grantee David Hartt, installation view of FCA-supported Interval, at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 2015. In keeping with funder restrictions, 70% of awardees are artists of color and artists with disabilities. The City of Chicago and its partners working with the local music industry will launch a marketing campaign for Chicago music; provide additional financial grants for musicians and music projects; encourage dialog around inclusion and equity; and call on civic, philanthropic, arts and business leaders to support the music industry. Not all grants are created equally, however. The Individual Artists Program aims to assist Chicago's practicing artists in creating work that develops their craft and elevates their careers, while adding to the cultural vitality of the city of Chicago. The MAKER Grants are funded by Chicago Artists Coalition and OtherPeoplesPixels. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. Professional Development Track (IAC/PD) supports professional development opportunities related to an individual artist's career. Think • Explore • Share grants will enable arts and culture organizations to develop and test possible solutions to challenges posed by COVID-19, or challenges that hampered nonprofits before the pandemic (e.g., lack of access to resources for artists of color and artists with disabilities, declining ticket sales, etc. For this open call, we have increased grant awards to $3,500. Chicago Artist Relief Fund: This fund was created by Chicago-area artists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 45% are women and 13% are disability-identified. Start exploring music in the key of Chicago at yearofchicagomusic.org and do312.com/yearofchicagomusic, and join the conversation on social media using #YearofChicagoMusic and #ChicagoMusic. The Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation Awards. Cloud Gate, Anish Kapoor (Millennium Park -youmanist.it) According to the official government site of Chicago, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, whose mission is to enrich Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy, has decided to support this overarching mission by creating the Cultural Grants Program. MAKER Grants are an annual, unrestricted award opportunity for Chicago-based visual artists. Please check back in 2021 if you are interested in working together! Jason Howard – Performing Arts (Theatre/Dance), 2020 Individual Artists Program Project Grant Recipients. The Current Crisis. They provide short-term, immediate financial assistance for BIPOC folks. For more information, visit chicago.gov/dcase. Eight Illinois creatives — including seven from Chicago — received $50,000 grants this week after being honored with one of the country’s most prestigious art awards. The mission of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is to enrich Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. Since 1984, the Cultural Grants Program has served as a catalyst to foster a robust, healthy arts community where artists, non-profit arts and culture and creative industries thrive. Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19; serve as an ongoing informational resource; and work with the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, designed by Americans for the Arts, to better identify and address the needs of artists. Each year, the Individual Artists Program supports Chicago's practicing artists in creating work that develops their craft and elevates their careers while adding to the cultural vitality of the city of Chicago. We provide multi-year, general operating support to more than 300 arts and culture organizations in the Chicago region. Learn more at Learn more at Chicago.gov/COVIDVax. MAKER Grants ($3,000/grant) To support two exceptional visual artists whose work actively engages with social or environmental issues. An official website of the City of Chicago, City Council Office of Financial Analysis, City of Chicago Awards Individual Artists Program Grants. Visit the Chicago Cultural Grants website at chicagoculturalgrants.org, An official website of the City of Chicago, City Council Office of Financial Analysis, 2021 Design Impact Grant Program Nomination Period Now Open, City of Chicago Awards $2 Million in CityArts Program Grants to Local Arts Organizations, City of Chicago Awards Individual Artists Program Grants, City of Chicago Opens CityArts Program Grants Applications, Designing a Better Chicago Announces Riverwalk Design Team and Grant Program For 2020 Launch. To support this overarching mission, Cultural Grants Program’s goal is simple: to serve as a catalyst to foster a robust, healthy arts community where artists, non-profit arts and culture and creative industries thrive. Sign up for our e-newsletter. We put together a mix of unrestricted grants for individual artists—both emerging and established, that will make you start drafting up yo… This year, 158 project-based grants between $850 to $5,000 will be awarded to resident Chicago artists over the age of 18 across all artistic disciplines including film & media arts, literary arts, performing arts (theatre/dance), music and visual arts/design. “From the art they make and culture they create, our artists bring joy to our lives, drive our economy, hold the mirror to our faces, and, of course, they produce works of exquisite beauty. CAC is a non-profit organization that supports contemporary Chicago artists and curators by offering residency programs, exhibitions, professional development and resources that enable them to live, work and thrive in the city. Its USA Fellows program awards unrestricted $50,000 grants to 50 artists each year. Project grants will support initiatives that have the potential to impact the Chicago arts … Visits are by appointment only, on Wednesdays, 10am-2pm, and Fridays, 3-7pm. All of our unrestricted grants honor visual artists based in Chicago, and offer varying levels of financial support. Download Guideline Packet (PDF) General IAP Eligibility Criteria. Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) have designated 2020 as the Year of Chicago Music. Chicago Artists Coalition is now open. For this open call, we have increased grants to $3,500. Award recipients in other disciplines are Jason Howard (Performing Arts), Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Literary Arts), Ruth Leitman (Film & Media Arts), Fawzia Mirza (Film & Media Arts), Leticia Pardo (Visual Arts/Design) and Sadie Woods (Visual Arts/Design).