Evanston Arts Council grants $135,000 of ARPA funds to 23 arts organizations

Daily file illustration by Olivia Abeyta

The Evanston Arts Council announced Friday that 23 local arts nonprofits would be awarded funding secured from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Audrey Hettleman, Managing Editor

The Evanston Arts Council announced Friday that 23 local arts nonprofits would be awarded funding secured from the National Endowment for the Arts. EAC was one of three Illinois organizations to receive an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the NEA. 

This grant program, which will award a total of $135,000, is the largest one the council has ever administered. All organizations that applied for a grant received one. The subgrants will aid in covering operating expenses as organizations recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. The grants range in size from $2,500-$10,000. 

To apply for the subgrant, each applicant had to address how their organization’s work aligns with the EAC’s mission. The maximum available grant, $10,000, was awarded to three groups: Shorefront Legacy Center, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian and Open Studio Project. 

Other organizations that received subgrants include Kids Create Change, which received $9,000; Chicago Ballet Arts, which received $6,000 and the Haitian Community Organization, which received $2,500. 

Nine subgrants were awarded to BIPOC-led organizations, and more than 75% of the awards went toward those organizations or those that primarily cater to underserved communities. Evanston Art Center’s $6,000 grant, for example, will in part fund “an annual curatorial fellowship program awarded to BIPOC curators,” the organization said.

The organizations that received grants are: 

$10,000

Shorefront Legacy Center

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian

Open Studio Project

$9,000

Kids Create Change

Evanston Symphony Orchestra

$8,000

Mudlark Theater

$6,000

Art Encounter

Chicago Ballet Arts

Search Inc. 

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre

Northlight Theatre

Evanston Art Center

$5,000

Piven Theatre Workshop

Evanston Dance Ensemble

Music Institute of Chicago

In the Realm of Senses

The Actors Gymnasium

The Musical Offering

$3,000

Identity

$2,500

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Haitian Community Organization

Artists Book House NFP

Bridge Art NFP

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @AudreyHettleman 

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