Illinois Arts Council
The Illinois Arts Council is a government agency of the state of Illinois formed to encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. Founded in 1965 by the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Arts Council provides financial and technical assistance to artists, arts organizations, and community organizations with arts programming.
The Illinois Arts Council
The Illinois Arts Council is governed by up to 21 members appointed by the Governor of Illinois who serve four-year terms. They meet three times a year. Assisted by volunteer advisory panels, they distribute grants and oversee arts programs and services.
Many arts organizations in Illinois rely on funding from the IAC each year. Governor Rod Blagojevich drastically cut the budget in 2007 in what many saw as a political move against his chief rival, Michael Madigan, whose wife is the head of the IAC.
Programs
- Artist Fellowships
- Arts-in-Education Residency
- Arts-in-Education ArtsResource Grants for Schools and School Districts
- Arts-in-Literacy Grants
- Arts Service Organization Grants
- Artstour Grants
- Community Arts Access (Regranting)
- Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprenticeships
- Governor's International Arts Exchange
- Literary Awards
- Partners in Excellence
- Program Grants
- Project QuickStart for Schools and School Districts
- Short Term Artists Residency
- Special Assistance Grants
- Youth Employment in the Arts
Services
- Application Workshops
- Artists' Registry, a mailing list to link Illinois artists with professional opportunities
- Artslinks, sites through Illinois with coordinators and Illinois Arts Council publications
- Awareness Meetings
- Directory of Illinois Performing Arts Presenters
- Directory of Local Arts Agencies
- Governor's Awards for the Arts
- HeARTland, a resources publication
- Illinois Art Fair Directory, an annual publication
- Technical Assistance
Illinois Arts Council Members
In 2006, Illinois Arts Council members included:
- Shirley R. Madigan, Chairman
- Andy Van Meter, Secretary
- Rhoda A. Pierce, Vice Chairman
References
Illinois Arts Council, "Annual Report 2006", HeARTland Volume 12, Number 1, May 2007