April 21, 2021 10:23 am
Kartemquin is happy to announce our selection as an Artist Response Program grant recipient from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events! This
funding will help us engage with the Chicago community in new and exciting ways! Additional updates and project details will follow in the upcoming weeks. The "Arts 77" grant project is a citywide arts recovery and reopening plan for all of Chicago’s 77 community areas, representing an initial investment of over $60 million to support local artists and organizations.
"Before the pandemic struck, our arts and culture sector was a significant employer and economic driver that generated thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for our city," said Mayor Lightfoot. "With this incredible program, we will not only be able to revitalize this critical sector and provide support to our artists, creative workers and organizations, but also place the arts at the center of our city’s recovery efforts.”
“Arts 77” signals a new direction for Chicago’s cultural policy, in which the arts are embedded in initiatives and strategies across City government. This plan seeks to expand access and participation in the arts citywide, prioritize employment of creative workers through City programs and services, and deepen public sector investment in the creative sector though financial support and cultural policy.
Recognizing that artists have always played an important role in advancing the causes of justice and racial equity, DCASE will support artists in developing projects
that engage the public in a constructive, civic dialogue that will propel our collective action, facilitate progress, and make Chicago a model city for the nation as it faces the difficult work ahead.
Joining Kartemquin as re-granting partners are ConTextos, Folded Map Project/Englewood Arts Collective, Full Spectrum Features, Greater Southwest Development Corporation, Jazz Institute of Chicago, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. The Artist Response Program represents a $1.2 million investment, including over $600,000 in support available soon through re-granting partners.
In addition to Artist Response Program, DCASE also awarded 13 high-qualified artists will receive the Esteemed Artist Award, a special $10,000 grant for expenses associated with an artist’s practice within the 2021 grant period, including studio rental, supplies, travel and equipment. In celebration of 2021 as the Year of Chicago Music, half of the Esteemed Artist Awards are going to local musicians, one of which is Diverse Voice in Docs alum Jeff Baraka. Award recipients in other disciplines are DVID alum and current Hulu Accelerator Fellow Colette Ghunim (Film & Media Arts) and DVID alum and current DVID Creative Lead Anuradha Rana (Film & Media Arts).
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. 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; marketing the city’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free, and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.