Evanston Arts Council grants $135,000 of ARPA funds to 23 arts organizations
July 17, 2022
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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