Grants Ahead + Big News: Bustling Spaces Takes the Stage at One State!

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES | VOLUME 51| October 31, 2025

We have a very special Artist Feature for this newsletter, along with some exciting news!

Bustling Spaces submitted a proposal to present at the One State in the Arts & Humanities Conference in Champaign, IL from Nov. 5 - 7, and our proposal was selected! The theme for this year is “Meeting the Moment,” and all presenters have been asked to explore what the current moment asks of us — and what we can build together through the humanities and the arts. We proposed a session to highlight the work of local, artist-led organizations supporting their fellow creatives in impactful ways through creating and sharing opportunities, creating infrastructure, engaging in dynamic collaborations, and more, and our session was selected!

Meet our guest speakers for “Meeting the Moment: Artists Supporting Artists” at One State!

Pictured L - R:

Sam,000 - Chibrations

Camila Vick - The.BlkRoom

Lauren Amos - It’s Just Breakfast/Cabrini Art House

Eva Supreme - Too Creative, HQ / Grant Party

Evin Marie - Bustling Spaces

Marques “Merk” Elliston - It’s Just Breakfast/Cabrini Art House

Rachel Gadson - ILA Creative Studio

Max Li - Arts at First

Kacie Smith - Arts Alliance Illinois

Bustling Spaces team member Paige Brown will be facilitating the session.

“Meeting the Moment: Artists Supporting Artists” will take place on Thursday, November 6th from 2:45 - 4:05 PM in Session Block C - if you or someone you know is planning on attending the conference, it’s a session you won’t want to miss!

Please join us in showing love to these creative powerhouses and their organizations!

Funder: Illinois Department of Human Services
Grant Program: Healing Illinois
Award/Opportunity: $40,000
Application Closes: November 7, 2025
Funding Area: Racial Healing projects (Artist and/or Organizations)

Since its launch in 2020, Healing Illinois has funded community-driven healing initiatives across Illinois with nonprofits developing community programming and creating infrastructure for long-term healing. Together, these projects are helping to change the narrative of what's possible when Illinoisans come together to listen, learn and heal.
Healing Illinois supports projects that:
- Bring people together across cultures, generations, and geographies.
- Create safe and inclusive spaces for dialogue, reflection, and belonging.
- Share and celebrate stories that honor the diverse experiences of Illinois residents.
- Strengthen local and statewide connections that advance racial healing.
Projects should be ready to implement quickly and be completed within 7-8 months, with funds spent by June 30, 2026.

STRATEGY & TIPS

📂 Grant Tip: Save and Reuse Core Proposal Language
Create a master file with your mission, vision, program descriptions, org history, outcomes, evaluation methods, and budget notes. Most funders ask similar questions — so instead of starting from scratch each time, you can customize and strengthen your responses faster. Efficiency = more applications out the door ✔️

At Bustling Spaces, we believe that a successful grant application requires a multi-faceted approach that combines precision, creativity, and strategic planning.

NEXT 30 DAYS

Funder: New Music USA - Next Jazz Legacy
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000 max + mentorship, peer-learning
Application Closes: October 31, 2025
Funding Area: Music (Artist)

Funder: Gender Reveal Trans POC Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000
Application Closes: October 31, 2025
Funding Area: Arts/Community (Individuals and/or Collectives)

Funder: AIAIAI Audio Sponsorships
Sponsorship Award: Product Support: free low-latency wireless or studio headphones, supplied every year
Application Closes: October 31, 2025
Funding Area: Music - DJ/Producer (Artist)

Funder: Definition Theater - By Design Apprenticeship
Maximum Grant Size: $2,000 + 6 months apprenticeship
Application Closes: November 1, 2025
Funding Area: Theater (Youth Artist)

Funder: Puppet Showplace Theater- Creative Residency for Black Puppeters
Award/Opportunity: $1000 project grant + professional development cohort.
Application Closes: November 9, 2025
Funding Area: Puppetry (Artist)

Funder: Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice - Radical Release Healing Centered Learning Community
Award/Opportunity: $2,000 + free 20-week healing-centered cohort
Application Closes: November 9, 2025
Funding Area: Community /Social Action (Individual)

Funder: City of Chicago DCASE - Fulton/Milwaukee Viaduct Public Art Project
Maximum Grant Size: $85,000 (Total Budget)
Application Closes: November 10, 2025
Funding Area: Visual Art - Mural (Artist/Team)

Funder: Craft Emergency Relief Fund - Artist Get Ready Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000
Application Closes: November 11, 2025
Funding Area: Emergency/Disaster Preparation (Craft Artists)

Funder: Crossroads Fund - Community Resilience Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $30,000
Application Closes: November 11, 2025
Funding Area: Social Action (Organizations)

Funder: Black Filmspace - Emerging Filmmaker Short Film Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $3,000
Application Closes: November 12, 2025
Funding Area: Film (Artist)

Funder: Chicago Department of Planning and Development - Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Closes: November 14, 2025
Funding Area: Capital (Organizations)

Funder: Artist Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $1,200
Application Closes: November 15, 2025
Funding Area: Visual Arts (Artist)

Funder: ACRE Residency
Award/Opportunity: 14-day arts residency
Application Closes: November 18, 2025
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Artist/Collaboration)

Funder: Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation - Call for Composers
Award/Opportunity: Royalties, Promotional and Commission Opportunities (see guidelines for details)
Application Closes: November 18, 2025
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Artist/Collaboration)

Funder: Puffin Foundation
Maximum Grant Size: $3,500
Application Closes: November 21, 2025 (Application request form - mail-in!)
Funding Area: Fine Arts, Music, and Photography (Artists or Organizations)

Funder: New Music USA - New Music Creator Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: November 21, 2025 (Opens Nov. 6)
Funding Area: Music (Creator/Composer)

Funder: Chicago Park District - Anchor Curatorial Residency
Maximum Grant Size: $30K max ($20,000 curator fee, $10,000 program and exhibition expenses)
Application Closes: November 24, 2025
Funding Area: Placemaking/Curation, Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artist)

Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (43rd / Cottage Grove | 71st / Stony Island | Avondale | Little Village East | Madison / Austin)
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000 (Commercial), $250,000 (Industrial)
Application Closes: November 30, 2025 (LOI)
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)

NEXT 90 DAYS

Funder: Puffin Foundation
Maximum Grant Size: $3,500
Application Closes: December 8, 2025 (Full Application - must submit mail in application request form by 11/21)
Funding Area: Fine Arts, Music, and Photography (Artists or Organizations)

Funder: Chicago Artists Coalition - Artist Residency and Curatorial Residency
Award/Opportunity: Free studio space for 1 yr + stipend and professional development (see guidelines)
Application Closes: December 21, 2025
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artists / Curators)

Funder: Ragdale - Ragdale Ring Design-Build Competition
Maximum Grant Size: $20,000 + 18-day residency
Application Closes: January 6, 2026
Funding Area: Design (Artist/Team)

Funder: Parent Artist Advocacy League - Parent & Artist Caregiver Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000 (for caregiving support)
Application Closes: January 15, 2026
Funding Area: All Disciplines (Parents/Caregiver Artist)

Funder: Arts Midwest / NEA - NEA Big Read
Maximum Grant Size: $20,000 (Matching Grant)
Application Closes: January 15, 2026 (Intent to Apply)
Funding Area: Literature-centered Programming (Organizations)

Funder: Arts Midwest / NEA - NEA Big Read
Maximum Grant Size: $20,000 (Matching Grant)
Application Closes: January 29, 2026 (Full Application)
Funding Area: Literature-centered Programming (Organizations)

Funder: Arts Midwest - Shakespeare in American Communities: Schools Program
Maximum Grant Size: $25,000 (Matching Grant)
Application Closes: January 29, 2026 (Intent to Apply)
Funding Area: Shakespeare related performances & education for middle/high school (501c3)

Funder: Arts Midwest - Shakespeare in American Communities: Juvenile Justice Program
Maximum Grant Size: $25,000
Application Closes: January 29, 2026 (Intent to Apply)
Funding Area: Shakespeare related performances & education for juvenile justice facilities (501c3)

Funder: Arts Midwest - Shakespeare in American Communities: Apprenticeship Program
Maximum Grant Size: $30,000 (Matching Grant)
Application Closes: January 29, 2026 (Intent to Apply)
Funding Area: Apprenticeships (theater) (501c3)

Rolling Grants

Funder: Arts Work Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $40,000
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Capacity Building/Planning (Organization)

Overview
The Arts Work Fund (AWF) is a funding collaborative supporting small and mid-sized arts organizations in Chicago and Cook County. AWF's responsive grants support individual arts organizations—or collaborations among them—as they adopt or improve new organizational practices. Grants aim to:

- Strengthen organizational resilience
- Advance strategy
- Improve community engagement and communication
- Address other key capacity-building needs

Funder: New Music USA--Reel Change: Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring
Maximum Grant Size: $20,000
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Music (Artist)

Funder: Ben & Jerry's Foundation - National Grassroots Organizing Program
Maximum Grant Size: $30,000 (2-year Grants)
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Grassroots organizing (Organizations)

Funder: Reva & David Logan Foundation
Maximum Grant Size: Varies
Application Status: Rolling (LOI)
Funding Area: Arts, Social Justice, and Journalism (org / individual)

Funder: Epiphany Center for the Arts - Call for Exhibitions
Maximum Grant Size: Exhibition platform / space (see guidelines for details)
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Visual Arts (Artist)

To view additional rolling grants please visit this link!

We’re back — and more powerful than ever. Artists, creators, and cultural workers shape economies, communities, and movements — yet we often underestimate our collective impact.

In our latest Building Blocks blog, Henry explores how redefining our sector can expand our influence, strengthen local economies, and remind us just how much power creativity holds.

Read Volume 5: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation and see how imagination drives change. After reading, drop a comment: What does creative power mean to you?

Our team is growingggggg! Not by 1… not by 2… but by THREE amazing new additions

Welcome to the squad, Kimeco, Lynn, and Beryl!
We’re so excited to have you on board and can’t wait for the incredible impact you’ll make. #TeamGrowth

Want to learn more about them? Head to our website to read their bios www.bustlingspaces.com! For now… show them some love!!!

Tell City Council to keep arts funding strong in Chicago’s 2026 budget! Contact your alderperson and urge them to support cultural grants and programs in this year's budget. Contact Your Alderman

Take a closer look at what’s in (and what’s not) for arts and culture in Chicago’s FY26 budget. Read Arts Alliance full analysis for key takeaways and context. Read Arts Alliance’s Analysis

Looking for convenient access to our Newsletter? In addition to receiving biweekly updates, you can also locate the latest newsletter on our website under the Resources section (Funding Opportunities).

Looking for Space on the Southside?

South Side Artists in Sacred Spaces

Check out our interactive map of the congregations that are participating in the South Side Artists in Sacred Spaces program. Here’s the link to the map.

Additional Funding Opportunities & Informational Resources:
Explore more funding avenues! Discover additional resources promoting diverse grants, residencies and other opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses. Unleash new possibilities and fuel your artistic journey!

The world of public funding can be overwhelming for creatives. That's why the Arts Alliance Help Desk is here. From running list of public funding opportunities to expert staff who can help you find support for your arts practice or navigate a tricky grant application, the AAI Help Desk is there to make sure nonprofits, individual artists, creative business and beyond can thrive. Visit them at https://artsalliance.org/support!
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