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We heart your art - get these grants ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES | VOLUME 64| May 28, 2026
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Our featured Arts Organization for this month is ILA Creative Studio! As we close out the month, we’re continuing to lift up ILA Creative Studio for the work that they do for the community. ILA stands, simply, for “I Love Art,” and through multiple avenues - the Hear We Art™ healing initiative, the G-to-G (Getting To Our Goals) professional development series for artists, the BLACC app, a digital platform designed to connect artists with the resources and information they need, and more - ILA continually demonstrates that love truly is at the center of what they do. On June 17th, celebrate that love by joining ILA for Black Art Love Affair (BALA) , their annual celebration and fundraiser honoring Black artists and the creative heartbeat of Chicago.
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BALA will be an evening filled with sponsored cocktails, delicious eats, a silent art auction, an interactive art installation, and more. The evening will also include a beautiful awards program for this year’s honorees, including contemporary artist & Black Temporal Surrealism founder Blake Lenoir, Englewood Arts Collective Director Janell Nelson, Little Black Pearl founder Monica Haslip, and legendary artist and founding AfriCOBRA member Robert Earl Paige. Come through for an experience that will move you. Date / Time: Wednesday, June 17th, 6:00pm-9:00pm CST Location: Little Black Pearl, 1060 East 47th Street Purchase tickets here: ILA - Black Art Love Affair 6/17/26 Can’t attend BALA? There are plenty of other ways to tap in and support. Follow ILA at @ilacreativestudio on Instagram, and visit their linktree to subscribe to their newsletter, see upcoming programs, and learn more about how to support the work. Also, scroll to the section of our newsletter right after the grant listings to learn more about the BLACC app!
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Funder: City of Chicago DCASE (Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events)
Grant Program: CityArts
Max Award/Opportunity: Up to $50,000 based on avg. annual revenue (see p. 9 of guidelines)
Application Closes: June 3, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Nonprofits) The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. Chicago arts and culture nonprofits of all sizes and artistic disciplines can apply for CityArts general operating grants. *NEW FOR 2026: This year the CityArts Program will offer two types of grants: General Operating Grants for Arts & Culture Organizations, and Project Grants for Arts & Culture Organizations Eligible organizations may apply for both a general operating grant AND a project grant in 2026. Some past grantees that cannot apply for general operating support in 2026 may be eligible to apply for project funding if otherwise eligible. Refer to Eligibility Criteria in CityArts guidelines for more details. Watch the replay of an information session to learn more about 2026 CityArts Program grants for arts nonprofits. - Tuesday, May 12, 2026 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Recording - Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | 2-3:30 p.m. | Recording Please email CulturalGrantMaking@cityofchicago.org with any questions.
NOTE: The Arts Alliance IL Help Desk is providing specific support for the 2026 CityArts Grant! Reach out for assistance at the link below: Arts Alliance IL Help Desk
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Grant Tip of the Week 💡- The Power of the ShareThere’s a pot of gold at the end of this newsletter! As creative workers who live and work within the Chicagoland arts scene, we’ve just gotta say - we CANNOT overstate the power of sharing. A share is one of the greatest gifts you can give - a hopeful “what if?” that you pass to someone else, someone who might not have even been aware of the possibility you present before. Since we curate a newsletter dedicated to disseminating information and resources to creatives and culture workers twice a month, we do a lot of reflection on the ripple effect that sharing has on our creative community and economy, and trust us - this is something we firmly believe in and hold near and dear to our hearts. Head to the bottom of this newsletter to read more about what we’ve observed, and how you can lean in more to the ecosystem of sharing information and resources within our Arts & Culture sector.
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*REMINDER: Check our new rolling grants listings in the last section 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: Black Film Space x cliveRd. - Proof of Concept Short Film Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $8,000
Application Closes: May 31, 2026
Funding Area: Short Film (Individual Filmmaker) Funder: Whiting Foundation - Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress
Maximum Grant Size: $40,000
Application Closes: May 31, 2026
Funding Area: Short Film (Individual Filmmaker) Funder: Center on Halsted - Spark Community Partnerships Programming Grant (Quarterly grant)
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000
Application Closes: June 1, 2026
Funding Area: LGBTQ+ Cultural expression & well-being (Artist / Organization) 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: Experimental Sound Studio - Ryan Deffet Studio Grant
Maximum Opportunity: 40-hours free, engineered recording studio time
Application Closes: June 1, 2025
Funding Area: Music / Sonic Art (Individual Artist) Funder: Venturous Theater Fund - Venturous Capital Grants
Maximum Grant Size: $45,000
Application Closes: June 1, 2025 (Letter of Inquiry)
Funding Area: Theater (Organization) Funder: Forefront - South Suburban Nonprofit Capacity Building Cohort
Maximum Grant Size: Free 6-week strategy & development program
Application Closes: June 1, 2026
Funding Area: Nonprofit Capacity Building (South Suburban Nonprofits) 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: Film Independent - Fast Track
Opportunity: 4-day Film finance market intensive
Application Closes: June 8, 2026 (non-member deadline
Funding Area: Film (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: First Peoples Fund - Yéego Action Grant for Native Artists / Culture Bearers
Maximum Grant Size: $2,500
Application Closes: Rolling on the 10th of each month (next round closes June 10, 2026)
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Native Artist) Funder: City of Chicago DCASE - Midway Airport Public Art Opportunity
Maximum Grant Size: $170,000
Application Closes: June 12, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art (Individual Artist / Artist Team) 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: National Black Theatre - The SOUL Directing Residency
Opportunity: 18-month NYC Directing Residency + $7,500 minimum stipend
Application Closes: June 12, 2026
Funding Area: Theater (Individual Director) Funder: Experimental Sound Studio - Sonic Pavilion
Maximum Grant Size: $2,000
Application Closes: June 14, 2026
Funding Area: Sonic Art, Multichannel Installation (Individual Artist / Artist Team) Funder: Artists in Public Schools - 2027 Artist Residency
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000
Application Closes: June 15, 2026
Funding Area: Arts Education, multiple disciplines (Individual Artist) Funder: Illinois Capital Development Board - Art in Architecture Program, NEIU
Maximum Budget Size: $375,000
Application Closes: June 17, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art (Individual Artist / Artist-led Team) Funder: Allstate - Main Street Grants Program
Awarded Opportunity: 12-week Boost Camp + $20,000 grant
Application Closes: June 23, 2026
Funding Area: Entrepreneurship (Individual Executive) 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)
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Funder: Chicago Community Trust - Sponsorships
Maximum Grant / Opportunity: $10,000
Application Closes: June 30, 2026 (**next round opens June 8)
Funding Area: Events, Conferences, Cultural Events (Organizations) Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (24th/Michigan | 63rd/Ashland | 79th Street Corridor| Devon/Sheridan | Kinzie Industrial Corridor)
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000 commercial | $250,000 industrial
Application Closes: June 30, 2026
Funding Area: Capital (Organization) Funder: CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) - 2026 Public Art Program
Maximum Grant Size: $50,000
Application Closes: July 1, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Artists &/or Organizations) 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: Asian American Arts Alliance - A4 Arts Fund (*final cycle)
Maximum Grant Size: $15,000
Application Closes: July 13, 2026
Funding Area: Arts & Culture, multiple disciplines (AAPI Organization) 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: AXS Film Fund - Documentary / Nonfiction film grant*
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: July 31, 2026 **(opens June 1)
Funding Area: Film (Individual Filmmaker - prioritizing those w/ disabilities) Funder: Center on Halsted - Blaze Community Partnerships Programming Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: July 31, 2026
Funding Area: LGBTQ+ Cultural expression & well-being (Artist / Organization) Funder: Chicago DPD - Workforce Solutions
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Closes: July 31, 2026
Funding Area: Workforce Development (Organization) 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: Terra Foundation - Collections Grant (Letter of Inquiry)
Maximum Grant Size: $100,000
Application Closes: August 3, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art (Organization) Funder: Chicago Department of Planning and Development -Adopt-A-Landmark Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000 (*select projects may receive more with approval from city council)
Application Closes: August 10, 2026
Funding Area: Historic Preservation (Organization) Funder: Chicago DPD: Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, Q3
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Closes: August 14, 2026
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)
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Rolling / Multi-Cycle Grants
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NEW! Funder: The Neuro - Community, Artist Residency & Mentorship
Opportunity: Reduced Fee 1 - 2 month artist residency
Application Cycle: Rolling
Funding Area: Multiple disciplines (Individual artist who has experienced a neurological disruption - see guidelines) NEW! Funder: First Peoples Fund - Yéego Action Grant for Native Artists / Culture Bearers
Maximum Grant Size: $2,500
Application Cycle: Monthly (due on the 10th of each month)
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Native Artist) Funder: Arts Work Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $40,000
Application Cycle: Rolling
Funding Area: Capacity Building/Planning (Organization) Funder: Center on Halsted - Spark Community Partnerships Programming Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000
Application Cycle: Quarterly
Funding Area: LGBTQ+ Cultural expression & well-being (Artist / Organization) Funder: Chicago DPD: Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Cycle: Quarterly
Funding Area: Capital (Organization) Funder: Chicago DPD - Workforce Solutions
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Cycle: Rolling (*for applicants located in eligible TIF districts)
Funding Area: Workforce Development (Organization) Funder: Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+): Emergency Relief Grant
Grant/Award: $3,000 Emergency Relief Grants
Application Cycle: 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 Cycle: Rolling
Funding Area: Visual Arts (Artist) Funder: New Music USA--Reel Change: Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring
Maximum Grant Size: $20,000
Application Cycle: Rolling
Funding Area: Music (Artist) Funder: Pollock-Krasner Foundation - Grants for Artists
Maximum Grant Size: $50,000
Application Cycle: Rolling
Funding Area: Visual Arts (Artist) Funder: Reva & David Logan Foundation
Maximum Grant Size: Varies
Application Cycle: Rolling until closed (Initial Letter of Inquiry)
Funding Area: Arts, Social Justice, and Journalism (Organization / Individual) (additional rolling grants under construction - stay tuned!)
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More on ILA Creative Studio - tap into BLACC BLACC is ILA’s innovative mobile platform, designed to centralize resources for Black artists in Chicago. With thousands of creative opportunities and resources available, the risk of information overload is high. BLACC provides one easy-to-access platform that connects artists to what they need to grow: think grants, residencies, exhibitions, community, and member perks all in one place. Anthony Bartley is ILA’s Creative Technologist and one of the driving forces behind the creation of BLACC. In the video below he walks you through what BLACC is, who it is built for, and how to get access. Anthony breaks down BLACC on IG Ready to join? Head to blacc.glide.page to get started. Visit ilacreativestudio.com and follow @ilacreativestudio on instagram for more updates! |
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STRATEGY & TIPSGrant Tip of the Week 💡-The Power of the ShareThis Grants newsletter has come a long way. It’s a creative aggregation of the ideas and yes, hopes and dreams, of multiple people coming together due to the realization of one key thing - shared information really does make a huge difference. Part of the origin of this newsletter comes from an email from an organization that said “We’re not eligible for this, but you might be,” which turned into a $20,000 grant Part of this newsletter comes from an arts residency coordinator’s realization that they couldn’t choose every applicant for their residency - but there was nothing stopping them from telling them where to find another.
How many times have you gotten an unexpected opportunity from an offhand mention, a facilitated connection from a mutual, a “share this with your networks” email, a social media repost, share, or tag? How many times have you been the one to share? What new ideas, collaborations, worlds were open to you when the information landed in your lap? How is your organization, your practice, your community different now than it was before? The sharing of information is about as close to free as you can get. The arts ecosystem is exploding with new systems and platforms for sharing - newsletters, apps, co-working sessions, databases, help desks and more, many at free or reduced cost, to help bolster the arts across the city and beyond. The relationships we cultivate as a community undergird all of these, reminding us that we are truly connected, and that connection is where our strength lies. (Speaking of - while we’re updating the “Resources” page of our website, feel free to peruse this growing list of general grant and opportunity resources shared at our last Grant Club on April 9th.) Sure - it can cost time and potentially a bit of thought, but honestly? The best sharing is just taking a thing that landed in your lap and passing it on. It’s up to the folks you share it with to dig deeper and see if the opportunity is right for them. But the possibilities of what happens beyond an email forward, a quick text or phone call, a DM, etc. are nearly limitless. Find out what the power of the share can do - for you, and for your community. Have a story about the Power of the Share and the way shared information impacted you or someone else whom you passed an opportunity on to? Write us at admin@bustlingspaces.com and tell us about it! Lastly - Arts Midwest’s most recent article, 20 Creative Ways of Making from the Midwest, also explores other ways of shared making, shared fundraising, and shared platforms that demonstrate the various ways artists and communities find a way to “get it done,” together.
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The Illinois General Assembly is finalizing the FY27 state budget this week, and lawmakers need to hear from constituents now. Arts Alliance Illinois is urging legislators to support a $5 million increase to the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) above the Governor’s proposed budget, helping restore state arts funding to 2007 levels and continue Illinois’ economic recovery. We need advocates across Illinois to contact their legislators today and ask them to support a $30.9 million appropriation for the Illinois Arts Council in the final FY27 budget agreement. Tell City Council to keep arts funding strong in Chicago’s 2026 budget! Call and email your legislators
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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 .
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Looking for Space on the Southside?
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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.
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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! |
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