MacArthur announced a $15 million, five-year grant to the Field Foundation of Illinois to invest in equitable arts in Chicago. The award supports the A Road Together (ART) regranting partnership between MacArthur and Field. With $15 million in funding, Field will administer and regrant MacArthur funds to support small and midsized arts-centered organizations. MacArthur continues to award grants directly to large Chicago arts and culture organizations, with budgets over $1 million, as part of our Culture, Equity, and the Arts program. ART began accepting applications for the first round of funding in April 2023.
Field’s vision for the ART program is aligned with our Chicago Commitment goal to make a meaningful contribution to advance racial equity and to address complex disparities in Chicago by acting in collaboration with others. With this grant, Field aims to prioritize funding to South and West Side organizations, as well as to organizations led by people of color and serving communities of color. Field will use a participatory grantmaking process to invest in the sustainability of smaller organizations with unrestricted support and multi-year funding, and it aims to keep the sector informed through publications.
Field will also offer single-year general operating grants outside of the participatory process. Finally, Field will use MacArthur funds to convene its grantee partners to network, form new and stronger relationships, and foster innovation and collaboration among artists, organizations, and collectives.
