Clicky

Illinois Arts Council Agency

Illinois Arts Council Agency Welcome to our page. If you're looking for the official source of information about the Ill

Operating as usual

The Lewis Prize for Music has announced the 10 finalists and 13 semi-finalists for their $500,000 Accelerator Award for ...
11/22/2022

The Lewis Prize for Music has announced the 10 finalists and 13 semi-finalists for their $500,000 Accelerator Award for youth music programs. The IACA congratulates Chicago's West Point School of Music, a recipient of this award. Learn more about these amazing organizations from across the U.S. https://www.thelewisprize.org

The IACA congratulates Tyrone Phillips, recipient of Arts Midwest's  inaugural Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativ...
11/15/2022
Peter Capell Award

The IACA congratulates Tyrone Phillips, recipient of Arts Midwest's inaugural Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship !

h2. The Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship celebrates Midwesterners whose work demonstrates entrepreneurial thinking and business acumen. The award recipient will receive a $2,500 unrestricted cash award. Nominations for the 2022 award are now closed. The winner will be....

Support of the Arts from President BidenOn September 30, President Joseph R. Biden released a White House proclamation d...
10/21/2022
Executive Order on Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services - The White House

Support of the Arts from President Biden

On September 30, President Joseph R. Biden released a White House proclamation declaring the month of October as National Arts and Humanities Month. Additionally, the President issued an Executive Order reestablishing the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and expanding it to include museums and libraries. This committee's authority was allowed to lapse during the previous administration. This new Executive Order lays out a robust national strategy for integrating the arts and humanities as part of the solution to some of the most urgent challenges facing our country.

The Executive Order states, "Under my Administration, the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services will be integrated into strategies, policies, and programs that advance the economic development, well-being, and resilience of all communities, especially those that have historically been underserved."

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. The arts, the humanities, and museum and library services are essential to the well-being, health, vitality, and democracy of our Nation. T...

REMINDER: IACA FY2023 Arts & Foreign Language Webinar is this Wednesday, October 19th at 1pm
10/17/2022
IACA FY2023 Arts & Foreign Language Webinar Reminder

REMINDER: IACA FY2023 Arts & Foreign Language Webinar is this Wednesday, October 19th at 1pm

FY2023 ARTS AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE WEBINAR REMINDER As a reminder the fiscal year 2023 Arts and Foreign Language Implementation Assistance Grant is open and accepting proposals. An online, informational

IACA Announces the FY23 Master/Apprentice Program application and guidelines are now available!https://conta.cc/3RQrg21
10/12/2022

IACA Announces the FY23 Master/Apprentice Program application and guidelines are now available!

https://conta.cc/3RQrg21

National Arts & Humanities Month is here! On the eve of National Arts & Humanities Month, President Joseph R. Biden issu...
10/03/2022

National Arts & Humanities Month is here! On the eve of National Arts & Humanities Month, President Joseph R. Biden issued an “Executive Order on Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services” that includes re-establishing the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to inform and support the national engagement with Americans necessary to advance the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services. Read the full executive order on the White House website.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/09/30/executive-order-on-promoting-the-arts-the-humanities-and-museum-and-library-services/

IACA Announces New Leadership
10/01/2022
IACA Announces New Leadership

IACA Announces New Leadership

ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP Today, we are excited to announce that Nora Daley will serve as the new Board Chair of the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This appointment by Gover

IACA Announces New Leadership
09/30/2022
IACA Announces New Leadership

IACA Announces New Leadership

ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP Today, we are excited to announce that Nora Daley will serve as the new Board Chair of the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This appointment by Gover

The IACA is proud to announce October is Arts & Humanities Month in Illinois!
09/30/2022
IACA Announces Arts & Humanities Month in Illinois!

The IACA is proud to announce October is Arts & Humanities Month in Illinois!

ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY AND ILLINOIS HUMANITIES ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH IN ILLINOIS The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) and Illinois Humanities are proud to present Il

Photos from National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: NASAA's post
09/26/2022

Photos from National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: NASAA's post

This week Illinois Arts Council Agency program staff are in Kansas, MO attending the National Assembly of State Arts Age...
09/23/2022

This week Illinois Arts Council Agency program staff are in Kansas, MO attending the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies! Including a visit to Independence to visit the Englewood Station Arts district and more!

The Illinois Arts Council Agency is proud to announce the release of the 2022 Artstour Artists Roster!
09/13/2022
IACA Announces Release of the 2022 Artstour Artists Roster

The Illinois Arts Council Agency is proud to announce the release of the 2022 Artstour Artists Roster!

ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF THE 2022 ARTSTOUR ROSTER The Illinois Arts Council Agency and Illinois Presenters Network are proud to announce the release of the 2022 Artstour Artis

The Illinois Arts Council Agency would like to welcome Marsha Ryan to the Board. Marsha, from Carbondale, was appointed ...
09/12/2022

The Illinois Arts Council Agency would like to welcome Marsha Ryan to the Board. Marsha, from Carbondale, was appointed by Governor Pritzker on September 2, 2022.

Marsha Ryan has been a part of Artspace 304 (formerly Carbondale Community Arts) since its inception in 1987 and currently serves as President of the Board. She is especially interested in the revitalization of the Carbondale Arts and Entertainment District and the expansion of community arts sites throughout the Carbondale area.

Marsha’s artistic endeavors lean towards performance, as she danced and taught ballet for several years and attended theater and improv classes at Southern Illinois University. Besides her studies at Southern Illinois University (SIU), she has been involved with the university as a member of several university boards including the SIU Foundation, the SIU Women’s Club, and the SIU Board of Trustees. Her experience underscores the many cultural opportunities offered by the collaboration of the university, the City of Carbondale, and Artspace 304, and the accessibility to theater, music, film, and visual art afforded to the area’s many communities.

Marsha Ryan earned her MD from the University of Oklahoma and finished her residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Ryan received her JD from the SIU School of Law in 1987.

https://law.siu.edu/Dr.-Marsha-Ryan-JD-1987.html

The Illinois Arts Council Agency would like to welcome Hedy M Ratner to the Board. Hedy, from Chicago, was appointed by ...
09/12/2022

The Illinois Arts Council Agency would like to welcome Hedy M Ratner to the Board. Hedy, from Chicago, was appointed by Governor Pritzker on August 5, 2022.

Hedy M. Ratner is founder and Co-President of the Women’s Business Development Center, the largest, oldest (25 years) and most comprehensive women’s business assistance center in the U.S. The Center provides counseling, training, financial, certification and procurement assistance for emerging and established women business owners in English and Spanish to enhance the success of women-owned businesses.

An advocate and activist for women’s issues for more than 40 years, Hedy Ratner has been appointed by US Presidents, Illinois Governors and Chicago Mayors to various government, civil rights and social action advisory boards, task forces and councils that focus on women's rights, human rights, civil rights, social justice, progressive politics, women in leadership, minority, and women's business issues.

Hedy’s passion for the arts began early in her career when she became involved in the organization, Women in Film, and the Illinois Film Office. Hedy was an early board member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Facets Multimedia where so much Chicago talent emerged.

Her educational background includes an M.Ed. from DePaul University; an M.S. from the University of Chicago; A. B. and M.Ed. from University of California.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hedy-m-ratner-7728b7

Arts Midwest has extended the deadline for the Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship! The 2022...
09/12/2022

Arts Midwest has extended the deadline for the Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship! The 2022 award will recognize a creative leader from Illinois. Submit a nomination for yourself or someone else by September 22 at https://www.artsmidwest.org/about/peter-capell-award.

Enter the 2022 National Arts & Humanities Month poster design competition for a chance to win a cash prize and have your...
08/30/2022

Enter the 2022 National Arts & Humanities Month poster design competition for a chance to win a cash prize and have your artwork represent NAHM throughout the month of October. This year's theme is Championing the Creative Spirit. Follow the link for details:

www.AmericansForTheArts.org/NAHMposter

Announcing an award opportunity from Arts Midwest! Nominations are now open for Arts Midwest’s new Peter Capell Award fo...
08/15/2022
Peter Capell Award

Announcing an award opportunity from Arts Midwest! Nominations are now open for Arts Midwest’s new Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship! The 2022 award will recognize a creative leader from Illinois. Submit a nomination by September 15 at https://www.artsmidwest.org/about/peter-capell-award

h2. The Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship celebrates Midwesterners whose work demonstrates entrepreneurial thinking and business acumen. The award recipient will receive a $2,500 unrestricted cash award. "Nominations":https://artsmidwest.tfaforms.net/388219 for Illinois...

Professional Development Opportunity - Are you a committed arts leader focused on advancing equity? Consider applying fo...
08/11/2022
Leaders Of Color Fellowship | Arts Leaders of Color

Professional Development Opportunity - Are you a committed arts leader focused on advancing equity? Consider applying for the National Leaders of Color Fellowship! This fellowship is a strategic leadership development program for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders who are committed to the advancement of cultural equity in the arts.

https://artslead.org/about/leaders-of-color-fellowship/

Leaders of Color Fellowship Professional Development Program Apply Today Your Title Goes Here Application closes Wednesday, August 31 at 11:59PM MT Program Overview The six United States Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs) are currently seeking fellows for an all-expenses-paid, 8-month fellowship to....

Performing Artist Opportunity!USArtists International (USAI) supports in-person and virtual performances by U.S. dance, ...
07/06/2022
Mid Atlantic Arts - Grants for Artists

Performing Artist Opportunity!

USArtists International (USAI) supports in-person and virtual performances by U.S. dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at international festivals and global presenting arts marketplaces outside of the United States, and USAI grantees reflect the vibrant diversity of U.S. artists and creative expression in the performing arts. The program has three rounds with application deadlines of September 1, 2022, November 30, 2022 and March 29, 2023. USAI provides grants of up to $18,000 toward eligible expenses; please reference the guidelines for further detail. To learn more about the program, see additional deadlines or access the online application, please visit our website.

https://www.midatlanticarts.org/grants-programs/grants-for-artists/-international

Administered by Mid Atlantic Arts, state fellowship programs provide funding for individual artists residing in Delaware and New Jersey to encourage and sustain these artists’ pursuit of artistic excellence.

Dear Constituents,Yesterday was a tragic day for our state and for the Highland Park community. Our hearts go out to eve...
07/05/2022

Dear Constituents,

Yesterday was a tragic day for our state and for the Highland Park community. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted and especially to Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) Board Chair Rhoda A. Pierce, who was participating in the parade at the time of the mass shooting. Rhoda and her family are safe, many others are not.

It is often during the most difficult times in life that we realize the importance of family and friends. Rhoda is truly an amazing part of the IACA family. Her many years of extraordinary service and tireless efforts to promote the arts in Illinois are unsurpassed.

The Illinois Arts Council Agency sends its unwavering support and gratitude to Board Chair Pierce and continued hope for peace and safety for all of the citizens of the Highland Park community during this most difficult time.

With best regards,

Shirley R. Madigan
Chairman Emeritus
Illinois Arts Council Agency

Congratulations to the 120 Midwestern organizations who are receiving the latest round of Arts Midwest GIG Fund awards! ...
06/29/2022
Arts Midwest Announces 120 GIG Fund Recipients

Congratulations to the 120 Midwestern organizations who are receiving the latest round of Arts Midwest GIG Fund awards! These $2,500 grants will support creative projects and educational events in summer and fall 2022. Learn more about these projects, and see if this opportunity might be a fit for your community in the future.

https://www.artsmidwest.org/news/2022/120-gig-fund-awards

120 organizations across the Midwest have received a total of $300,000 through the GIG Fund, a grant program from Arts Midwest. These awards will support creative projects and educational events in summer and fall 2022, helping organizations present artists in their community and offset the costs of...

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the U.S. Department of Justice recently released a ...
06/28/2022

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the U.S. Department of Justice recently released a funding opportunity, Arts Programs for Justice-Involved Youth, to directly support “high-quality arts programs for justice-involved youth to reduce juvenile delinquency, recidivism, and/or other problem and high-risk behaviors.”

The purpose of this funding is to support and strengthen collaborations between arts-based organizations and juvenile justice systems to develop, expand, or enhance effective interventions that provide access to high-quality art programs with and for justice-involved youth. Applicants may propose engaging youth at any point in the juvenile justice system, to include alternatives to incarceration and diversion, secure detention and confinement, as well as strategies to support youths’ successful reentry into communities. Eligible arts programs may include, but are not limited to, painting, sculpting, drama, digital media, film, music, dance, singing, and creative writing.

This competitive grant opportunity is open to nonprofits organizations, local units of government, and Native American tribal governments.

Awards are up to $66,500 with an 18-month performance period.

There is no match requirement.

Applications are due by July 18, 2022.

https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/fy2022/O-OJJDP-2022-171360

Springboard for the Arts is accepting applications for the Rural Regenerator Fellowship, an opportunity for individuals ...
05/16/2022
Rural Regenerator Fellowship - Springboard for the Arts

Springboard for the Arts is accepting applications for the Rural Regenerator Fellowship, an opportunity for individuals who are committed to strengthening their rural communities through art, culture and creativity in the Upper Midwest. 10 Fellows will be selected from communities of 50,000 people or fewer, and will receive $10,000 in flexible funds, peer learning and exchange, and network support. Applications are due by June 7. Find out more and see the application here: https://springboardforthearts.org/rural-regenerator-fellowship/

Springboard is now accepting applications for the 2022-24 Rural Regenerator Fellowship. Applications are due Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 11:59pm

The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is currently accepting Idea Submissions fo...
05/10/2022

The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is currently accepting Idea Submissions for its Neighborhood Access Program.

This program will offer grants for all types of community-based arts and cultural activities. This program seeks to increase access to DCASE funding with expanded eligibility criteria and a revised application process.

Submit your idea by narrative, audio or video recording by May 20.

visit chicagoculturalgrants.org for more information.

We’re spreading the word about the Ignite Fund, a new grant opportunity for local artists! The Ignite Fund provides gran...
05/09/2022
The Ignite Fund

We’re spreading the word about the Ignite Fund, a new grant opportunity for local artists! The Ignite Fund provides grants of $1,500 to $6,000 to Chicago-area artists and/or artist-led collectives producing collaborative, experimental, and public-facing projects that are focused on the visual arts. For more information, follow and visit
http://ignitefund.org/.

The Ignite Fund supports experimental and groundbreaking visual arts-based work by Chicago-area artists and artist-led collectives.

The IACA congratulates Poetry Out Loud finalists!https://www.arts.gov/about/news/2022/finalists-2022-poetry-out-loud-nat...
05/03/2022
Finalists for 2022 Poetry Out Loud National Championship Announced

The IACA congratulates Poetry Out Loud finalists!

https://www.arts.gov/about/news/2022/finalists-2022-poetry-out-loud-national-championship-announced

Nine high school students from across the nation are vying for the title of 2022 Poetry Out Loud™ National Champion and the $20,000 prize as part of an annual poetry recitation competition from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation. The 2022 competition will culminate...

This Sunday is the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals! We hope you will tune in and encourage others to watch and cheer...
04/29/2022
High School Students Nationwide Compete in 2022 Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals

This Sunday is the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals! We hope you will tune in and encourage others to watch and cheer on 55 state and jurisdictional champions!

https://www.arts.gov/about/news/2022/2022-poetry-out-loud-national-semifinals

After participating in local and state competitions, one student from each of the 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—55 total—will compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals, webcast on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

Reminder to Illinois performing artists and ensembles in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, and ethnic & folk art...
04/29/2022
Artstour & Live Music Roster Invitation

Reminder to Illinois performing artists and ensembles in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, and ethnic & folk arts. The deadline to apply for inclusion in the Artstour & Live Music Roster is tomorrow, April 30.

For more information, follow the link:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Artstour---Live-Music-Roster-Invitation.html?soid=1101975251935&aid=pRCBQM0pkBw

Artstour & Live Music Roster Invitation The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) in collaboration with the Illinois Presenters Network invites you to apply to the 2022 Artstour & Live Music Artists Ros

The College of DuPage (COD) Public Art Project Committee is accepting proposals from artists for a public artwork to be ...
04/29/2022
College of DuPage Public Art Project — CCMA

The College of DuPage (COD) Public Art Project Committee is accepting proposals from artists for a public artwork to be installed in the Taylor Ave. pedestrian tunnel in the Village of Glen Ellyn. The goal of this project is to create a work that activates this unique walkway while providing Glen Ellyn with a positive and engaging public art piece. Applications are due by midnight, May 15. For more information: theccma.org/codpubart

COD Public Art Project   College of DuPage Public Art Project is a College of DuPage McAninch Arts Center initiative. Every two years COD partners with a community in DuPage County with the mission to complete public art installations and community art projects.  The COD Public Art Project is curr...

Applications are now open for the 2023–2025 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards to activate underused public spaces and ...
04/26/2022

Applications are now open for the 2023–2025 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards to activate underused public spaces and bring people of all ages and backgrounds together to build community through the power of free, live music.

The acronym “AMP” speaks to the goals of the program: Amplify community pride and a city’s unique character; enrich lives through the power of free, live Music; and illustrate the importance of vibrant public Places.

The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is an exciting, multi-year matching grant opportunity bringing the joy of free outdoor concerts to small to mid-sized towns and cities nationwide with a population of up to 250,000 people. Grant recipients will receive a three-year matching grant of $30K per year, for a total grant award of $90K. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2022.

U.S.-based nonprofits are eligible to apply to the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards to present the Levitt AMP Music Series—10 free concerts that inject new life into underused public spaces, creating joyous, inclusive community destinations. Learn more about this opportunity at levitt.org/amp-about.

Interested nonprofits can view the eligibility criteria and register to apply at levitt.org/apply.

Address

100 W Randolph Street Ste 10/500
Chicago, IL
60601

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

(312) 814-6750

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Illinois Arts Council Agency posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Illinois Arts Council Agency:


Other Chicago government services

Show All

Comments

“St. Laurence is as much about preserving Black space as it is about giving new life to creative possibilities on the South Side.”

Theaster Gates on Rebuild Foundation's groundbreaking of an arts incubator in the former St. Laurence school building on Chicago's South Side.

The JPB Foundation Knight Foundation The Kresge Foundation William Penn Foundation City of Chicago Government Illinois Arts Council Agency Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
An Inside Look at ASPA Heritage Month in Evanston.

–––––––––––––––––

By Melissa Perry

Last year, May was officially declared Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander (ASPA) Heritage Month in Evanston. Melissa Raman Moliter, founder of Evanston ASPA and key proponent of the month, felt the declaration was long overdue, especially with the alarming and very visible rise of xenophobia and violence against Asian Americans in recent years.

“The city historically has not actively celebrated heritage month,” Melissa says. “I was really sort of disheartened by the fact that the city and organizations and groups within the city were doing very little to uplift and support the Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander community in light of everything that was happening.”

After celebrating ASPA month city-wide for the first time last year, this year’s programming has expanded significantly, thanks to increased funding from agencies such as the Illinois Arts Council and the Evanston Community Foundation, business sponsorships, and community support.

“We decided to go bigger this year and the response has been fantastic,” Melissa says.

At the center of the programming is visibility, cultural appreciation, and representation, which all are things that Melissa – a first-generation Filipino-Indian-American who grew up in the predominantly white suburbs of Detroit – recalls missing out on during her childhood. Many of her childhood experiences fuel her work as an Evanston resident, artist, educator, and activist.

In an interview with Dear Evanston last year, Melissa recalled often being teased by her classmates for the homemade lunches that her mom would prepare, which cultivated feelings of shame and embarrassment and a strong desire to “fit in.” She also spoke of navigating the lingering anti-Asian sentiment from WWII in her community.

“I grew up in a place and a time where assimilation was the only option in order to survive and I don't want that for our children,” she says. “That's the work I feel that we need to be doing as a community to ensure that future generations don't have that experience.”

While the full month’s programming calendar can be found at evanstonaspa.com, the Umbrella Festival on May 14 at Fountain Square is one of the most highly anticipated events, as it brings together live performances, activities, and vendors for a (free) cultural celebration for all ages.

The inspiration behind the term “umbrella” was meant to signify the vastness of the ASPA diaspora, Melissa explains.

“Saying Asian American is helpful in the sense that it allows for solidarity and ways to bring people together, but what gets lost is just the many different countries and cultures and ethnicities that fall under the Asian American umbrella,” Melissa says. “So that's the inspiration for the umbrella art festival, to really bring awareness to the fact that there are so many different people, communities, and cultures that fall under that umbrella.”

A new aspect of ASPA month this year is the May Mart challenge.

On the Evanston ASPA website, there is a comprehensive list of local Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander owned businesses. To participate, residents can pick up a postcard at participating businesses and everyone who fills their card with five visits throughout the month of May and submits it by June 10 will be entered to win a $100 E-Town gift card.

“It's a fun way to get people involved and to let people know about the many Asian-owned businesses that we have in our city,” Melissa says.

To close out the month on May 31, Kids Create Change will host a lantern floating ceremony at Arrington Lagoon, as a way for community members to come together to recognize the various losses that have occurred over the past two years as a result of the pandemic.

“It's an opportunity for the community at large to come together to kind of honor and memorialize the losses that happened over the last couple of years,” Melissa says. “When I say losses it's not just loved ones, it's also jobs and homes and relationships and all of those losses we've all had to process in isolation.”

Additional programming this month includes two virtual bystander-intervention sessions hosted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago, multiple movie nights at Skokie Public Library, lantern making workshops, and much more. The free bystander intervention training sessions will educate participants on the dangers that Asian Americans have and continue to face in the United States and prepare them to safely intervene when witnessing a case of anti-Asian harassment.

Along with amplifying Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander cultures, business, and residents, one of the things that Melissa is most looking forward to is being able to gather in community.

“I'm really looking forward to the festival and not only because it's a celebration of culture and art, but also because it'll be nice to see people,” she says. “There's just so many reasons to celebrate and show gratitude for what we do have.”

As for what’s next for her activism work, Melissa is currently partnering with the Evanston History Center to establish “Placemaking,” a historical archive of Evanston’s Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander community.

“That's something that we are working to establish as a way to create a resource for educators, but also families,” she says.“I think that the fact that there isn't any documentation or an archive that exists really plays into that perpetual foreigner myth.”

To learn more about ASPA month and activities in Evanston, make sure to visit evanstonaspa.org.

Photos: from last year’s events.

Funkadesi Mandala Arts Josina Morita
Our Illinois Tour of One Woman Hamlet continues today, as The Connecting Routes Project returns to Waukegan Public Library with a FREE performance at 4:30pm!

This is The Connecting Routes Project's second time partnering with Waukegan Public Library after touring our first production, "The Conductors" there for 3 performances last year. Thanks for having us back, we're so excited to share this new show with your community!

Tickets are free, registration is suggested as capacity is limited. Masks are kindly required for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. The show runs 65 minutes, and is followed by a talkback with Kate and The Hope For Us Network and Josselyn, who will be at the performance as well with free mental health resources!

More information about this tour can be found at www.connectingroutes.org/illinois. Please consider supporting our journey with a tax-deductible donation at www.donorbox.org/connectingroutes.

This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from Illinois Arts Council Agency.

📸: Dylan Stuckey
Our Illinois Tour of One Woman Hamlet boards the Metra UP-W (Union Pacific West) train today, as Kate and Tommy travel to Geneva Public Library District with a FREE performance at 1:30pm!

This is The Connecting Routes Project's first time performing in West Chicagoland and we are so excited to share this show with the Geneva community!

Tickets are free, registration is suggested as capacity is limited. Masks are kindly required for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. The show runs 70 minutes, and followed by a talkback with Kate and The Hope For Us Network, who will be at the performance as well with free mental health resources!

More information about this tour can be found at www.connectingroutes.org/illinois. Please consider supporting our journey with a donation at www.donorbox.org/connectingroutes.

This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Our Illinois Tour of One Woman Hamlet kicks off tonight at Lincolnwood Public Library with a FREE performance at 6:30pm!

Lincolnwood Public Library has generously donated rehearsal space over the past two weeks and we are so excited to start our tour by sharing this show with their community. The library is easily accessible for our Chicago friends as well, just a short drive down Lincoln Ave or Touhy Ave!

Tickets are free, registration is suggested as capacity is limited. Masks are kindly required for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. The show runs 70 minutes, and followed by a talkback with Kate. The Hope For Us Network will be there as well with free mental health resources!

More information about this tour can be found at www.connectingroutes.org/illinois. Please consider supporting our journey with a donation at www.donorbox.org/connectingroutes.

This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Quad City Arts' Arts Dollars Program helps fund some incredible programs in our community. This week we received this amazing thank you video from the Cambridge School District. Arts Dollars helps fund their School of Rock program that engages the students with artists like Lewis Knudsen and Aubrey Barnes!
Thank you Hubbell-Waterman Foundation and Illinois Arts Council Agency for supporting Arts Dollars!
The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) in collaboration with the Illinois Presenters Network invites Illinois Performing Artists and Ensembles to apply to the 2022 Artstour & Live Music Artists Roster. The application deadline is this Sunday, April 30th, 2022 at 11:59pm.

A panel selected by The Illinois Presenters Network will review applications based on artistic merit, professionalism and demonstrated ability to tour. Applicants will receive notification by email of the panel’s decision by June 30, 2022.

To apply, please visit https://bit.ly/3kblnhv
For information, please visit https://bit.ly/36PkI2b
x

Other Chicago government services (show all)

James R. Thompson Center Illinois Human Rights Commission Fair Practices in Contracting Task Force Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority James R. Thompson Center Illinois Film Office Illinois Liquor Control Chicago Central Area Committee Illinois Commerce Commission Black August Chicago 5-11 Club Of Chicago Inc. This is your day for a Miracle broadcast MDA New Mexico Bridgeport Chicago IL Ourtown with Mike Sanders