|
Delayed, but not denied - get these grants ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
|
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES | VOLUME 62| May 1, 2026
|
|
Our featured Arts Organization for this month is Mandala South Asian Performing Arts! Mandala Arts is a MacArthur Award-winning organization founded by Executive Artistic Director Pranita Nayar. From classical to contemporary, Mandala offers evocative dance, theatre, and musical arts, connecting audiences and students with the vibrancy of the performing arts traditions of South Asia. Mandala is pleased to announce its Red Line Jazz Project, a public arts initiative that is activating public transit and community spaces with free live music and cultural programming. Curated by acclaimed jazz musician and Mandala Artist-in-Residence Fareed Haque, the Project’s performances begin Thursday, May 21 in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood and continue for five months, culminating Friday, October 16 with Haque and other artists in a ticketed performance at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.
|
|
|
Through a series of curated performances, local jazz musicians and ensembles are presenting short live sets at or near Red Line L stations, creating spontaneous moments of connection for commuters and neighborhood residents. The performances blend jazz improvisation with global musical influences, reflecting Chicago’s rich musical heritage and its diverse communities, including Rogers Park, Chatham, Chinatown, Uptown, Bronzeville, Roseland, and more. |
|
|
|
|
Among the artists scheduled to appear, in addition to Fareed Haque, are Butter Chicken Brass Band, Ugochi Nwaogwugwu, Renee C. Baker of the AACM, Luciano Antonio, and more. Program details are subject to change. Learn more about the Red Line Jazz Project at Mandala’s website. Also, the Mandala Makers Festival continues with Purush: When Power Becomes Poetry tomorrow, Saturday May 2nd! Tickets are still available for purchase. See more details in our artist feature section after the grants.
|
|
Funder: Ragdale
Grant Program: Ragdale Residencies & Fellowships
Max Award/Opportunity: For Fellowships - Fee-waived 18-day residency + $1000 stipend (sliding-scale residency applications also open)
Application Closes: May 14, 2026
Funding Area: Art & Design, Placemaking, Performance (Individual Artist) Ragdale awards 140 residencies annually across ten sessions to artists working in a variety of disciplines including dance, music, writing, and visual art. A residency at Ragdale offers individual artists 18 days of uninterrupted time and space to focus on their work, surrounded by remarkable Arts and Crafts style architecture, cozy spaces for gathering and working, and the camaraderie of an exceptional cohort. Residents gather on weeknights to enjoy delicious meals made with ingredients harvested from our gardens whenever possible. Residents have access to 20 acres of open prairie land maintained by our friends at Lake Forest Open Lands Association. A limited number of fellowships are awarded to residents each year. Fellowship recipients do not pay a residency fee and receive a stipend of $1000 or more. Fellowship opportunities include - Ragdale Fellowship for Caregivers (new) - Schumann Family Fellowship for Arts + Well-being (new) - Alice Judson Hayes Social Justice Fellowship for Writers ..and more! Applications are due May 14th. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application earlier than the stated deadline. Late applications will not be considered. Please reach out to admissions@ragdale.org with questions.
|
|
Funder: Field Foundation
Grant Program: A Road Together
Max Award/Opportunity: $100,000/yr for 3 years (see guidelines for details)
Application Closes: May 15th
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Nonprofits) Established in 2023, ART provides multi-year, unrestricted, general operating funding to small and mid-sized arts organizations with annual operating budgets up to $1 million. A panel of Chicago artists and cultural leaders recommend ART grant recipients using a participatory grantmaking process. In 2026, we will award three-year ART grants to 25 organizations. Grants will range from $10,000 to $100,000 per year. - Watch the info session here: Field ART Information Session - Review Presentation slides here: Field ART Slide Presentation - Download scoring rubric here: Field ART Rubric
Send questions to arts@fieldfoundation.org
|
[Grant] Tip of the Week 💡- Introducing: The Spice RackThere’s a pot of gold at the end of this newsletter! Hey friend - quick question: Is your mind a lil….spicy? Idea generator always on 10? Is structure a struggle? Could the relationship between you and your thought processes be described by the hashtag #itscomplicated ? If you’re a neurodiverse creative, some of these descriptors could apply to you. They apply to some of us, too, and a lot of the people we know, and it really impacts how we access / create / discuss funding & resources, so we decided we should talk about it. Head to the bottom of the newsletter and find out about a developing initiative from Bustling Spaces - the Spice Rack!
|
|
Funder: Lillstreet Arts Center - Artist Residencies
Maximum Grant Size/Opportunity: 9-month residency (free classes, 24-hr facility access)
Application Closes: May 1, 2026
Funding Area: Visual & Craft Arts (Individual Artist) Funder: Illinois Humanities - Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards
Maximum Grant Size: $300 + poem publication /performance
Application Closes: May 1, 2026
Funding Area: Poetry (Individual Youth Artist, K-12 ) Funder: Skokie Public Library - Public Art Installation RFP
Maximum Grant Size: $75,000
Application Closes: May 1, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art (individual artist) Funder: Hearing In Color - Young Composers Residency
Maximum Grant Size /Opportunity: Residency, $750 in stipends + additional paid opportunities (see guidelines for details)
Application Closes: May 3, 2026
Funding Area: Music Composition (Individual Composer) Funder: FirelightMedia - Documentary Lab
Opportunity: 12-month Fellowship + $25,000 grant
Application Closes: May 4, 2026
Funding Area: Documentary Film (Individual Directors of Color) Funder: Film Independent - Documentary Producing Lab
Opportunity: Week-long documentary development lab + pitch event
Application Closes: May 4, 2026
Funding Area: Documentary Film (Individual Artist) Funder: Film Independent - Fiction Producing Lab
Opportunity: 2-week-long fiction development lab + pitch event
Application Closes: May 4, 2026
Funding Area: Film - Fiction (Individual Artist) Funder: Film Independent - Alfred P. Sloan Producing Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $30,000
Application Closes: May 4, 2026
Funding Area: Film - math /tech/science (Individual Artist) Funder: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts - Arts Writers Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $50,000
Application Closes: May 6, 2026
Funding Area: Writing in Contemporary Art (Individual Writer) Funder: Third Wave Fund - Artist-in-Residence Program
Maximum Grant / Opportunity: $10,000 + 5 month residency
Application Closes: May 13, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art for Social Change (Individual Artist) Funder: Chicago Art Department - CAD Studio Residency
Maximum Grant / Opportunity: 12-month subsidized studio residency
Application Closes: May 15, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artist) Funder: Chicago DPD: Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, Q2
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Closes: May 15, 2026
Funding Area: Capital (Organization) Funder: National Performance Network - Creation and Development Fund (Phase 1)
Minimum Grant Size: $15,000
Application Closes: May 18, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple disciplines (Artist + Partner Organizations) Funder: Center for Craft - Craft Archive Fellowship
Minimum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: May 20, 2026
Funding Area: Craft Arts Research (Individual Researcher) Funder: National Black Theatre - “I Am Soul” Playwright Residency
Minimum Grant Size: $7,5000
Application Closes: May 22, 2026
Funding Area: Theater (Individual Playwright) Funder: Crossroads Fund - Chicago Racial Justice Pooled
Maximum Grant Size: $50,000
Application Closes: May 29, 2026
Funding Area: Racial Justice (Organizations / Collectives) Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (35th/Halsted | 47th/State | Elston/Armstrong| Ogden/Pulaski | Pilsen Industrial Corridor)
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000 commercial | $250,000 industrial
Application Closes: May 30, 2026
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)
|
|
Funder: City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events - CityArts Grants
Maximum Grant Size: based on formula - see guidelines for details
Application Opens*: May 2026 (TBD)
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Nonprofits) Funder: National Trust For Historic Preservation - National Trust Preservation Funds Grants
Maximum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: June 1, 2026
Funding Area: Historic Preservation (Organization / Site) Funder: Ox-Bow School of Art - Longform Residency
Maximum Grant/ Opportunity : 3-week Residency (needs-based funding available)
Application Closes: June 7, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artist) Funder: Black Harvest Film Festival
Maximum Grant Size: Film Festival Screening - additional awards may apply (see guidelines)
Application Closes: June 10, 2026
Funding Area: Film (Black Filmmakers) Funder: Grove & Pines Film Festival - The Erin Carine Grant for Queer Creatives
Maximum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: June 10, 2026
Funding Area: Film (Individual Filmmaker) Funder: Illinois Humanities - Envisioning Justice Grants for Individuals
Maximum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: June 12, 2026 **(opens May 1)
Funding Area: Humanities / Mass Incarceration Awareness (Individuals) Funder: Illinois Humanities - Envisioning Justice Grants for Organizations
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: June 12, 2026 **(opens May 1)
Funding Area: Humanities / Mass Incarceration Awareness (Organizations) Funder: Literary Arts Fund - Innovation Project Grants
Maximum Grant Size: varies (see guidelines for details)
Application Opens*: June 2026 (TBD)
Funding Area: Literature (Literary Arts Nonprofits) Funder: SouthArts - Jazz & Human Connection Creative Residency
Maximum Grant Size: $40,000
Application Closes: pending **(opening soon)
Funding Area: Music (Individual Artist / Jazz ) Funder: SouthArts - Jazz Road Legacy Residency
Maximum Grant Size: $40,000
Application Closes: pending **(opening soon)
Funding Area: Music (Individual Artist aged 55+ / Jazz ) Funder: Queer | Art - Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: July 2, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art (Individual Artist - Black Trans Woman) Funder: Salt Lick Incubator - Artist Project Grants
Maximum Grant Size: $15,000
Application Closes: July 15, 2026 **(opens June 1)
Funding Area: Music / Singer - Songwriter (Individual Artist)
|
|
Funder: Arts Work Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $40,000
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Capacity Building/Planning (Organization) *RE-OPENED - Funder: Reva & David Logan Foundation
Maximum Grant Size: Varies
Application Status: Rolling (LOI)
Funding Area: Arts, Social Justice, and Journalism (Organization / Individual) Funder: Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+): Emergency Relief Grant
Grant/Award: $3,000 Emergency Relief Grants
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Emergency relief for Craft Artists (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) 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: Pollock-Krasner Foundation - Grants for Artists
Maximum Grant Size: $50,000
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Visual Arts (Artist) Funder: First Peoples Fund - Yéego Action Grant for Native Artists / Culture Bearers
Maximum Grant Size: $2,500
Application Status: Rolling
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Native Artist) To view additional rolling grants please visit this link!
|
|
|
Don’t miss “Purush: When Power Becomes Poetry” at the Mandala Makers Festival this Saturday, May 2nd! Mandala Ensemble Presents, “Purush: When Power Becomes Poetry” featuring an evening-length performance that explores improvisation across classical Indian dance traditions by male dancers. Dancers trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi interpret shared musical compositions through their distinct movement vocabularies and rhythmic sensibilities. As each artist responds spontaneously to the music, the performance reveals how different classical forms approach improvisation—through unique body language, rhythmic dialogue, and expressive interpretation—creating a dynamic conversation between tradition, individuality, and creativity.. Purchase tickets here: Purush: When Power Becomes Poetry Visit mandalaarts.org and follow @mandalaartschi on instagram for updates! |
|
STRATEGY & TIPSIntroducing: The Spice Rack 💡So we as a members of the Bustling Spaces team have been around a bit - we’ve moved in various arts and culture contexts throughout Chicago and beyond, and as we started speaking as a team, we realized something - a lot of creatives in our networks (including members of our team) are neurodiverse / neurospicy! That means accessing funding and resources, as well as planning and implementation of programming and projects, can have a lot more variables and complexities than for neurotypical folks. In short - sometimes we need different types of support to figure some of this out. Enter - the Spice Rack! The Spice Rack will be a series of programs and evergreen resources to support neurodivergent artists, arts administrators and creative entrepreneurs as they tell their story and access resources to support their work. We’ll be rolling out programs a bit at a time while continuing to do research, seek out experts who teach / speak / write on the subject, so look out for opportunities for initial open discussions and peer-sharing regarding how we navigate the funding landscape and the arts & culture landscape in general as neurodiverse creatives. Have a story, question, or concern that you’d like to share about navigating the art world as a neurodiverse arts & culture worker? Is there certain Spice Rack programming you’d like to see? Share with us at admin@bustlingspaces.com!
|
|
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 Programs > Newsletter Catalogue .
|
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! |
|
|
|
|
