Artistic Vitality

Vibrant arts make for vibrant communities. We encourage artistic vitality by nurturing excellence, participation, and appreciation in the professional arts using the following strategies:

  • Supporting professional arts organizations that create excellent and innovative art.
  • Creating lasting public access to significant collections that illuminate the cultural heritage of our two regions.

Over the years, we have come to focus our efforts in three specific initiatives as described below. In the Chicago region, we accept unsolicited grant applications for Nurturing Chicago Region Artistic Vitality and Regionally Significant Collections. In the Lowcountry, we accept unsolicited grant applications only for Regionally Significant Collections.

Artistic Vitality Initiatives

Nurturing Chicago Region Artistic Vitality

The Chicago region is a hotbed, an incubator - a place where young and ambitious artists of all stripes can interact, experiment, sometimes fail, try again, and flourish. Our initiative strives to nurture them by supporting and building the capacity of professional arts organizations with budgets under $1 million.

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Charleston Region Arts Network

Charleston is emerging as an arts hub. Our strategy is to nurture, develop, and strengthen a sustainable network of professional arts organizations.

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Regionally Significant Collections

Both Chicago and the Lowcountry have significant collections that illuminate each region’s artistic, cultural and historic heritage. Many of these collections are not currently accessible to the public. In some instances, they are in danger of deterioration or permanent loss. Our goal is to preserve these collections and provide public access to them.

Learn More »

View all Artistic Vitality grants »

From the Blog

Across Fence Rows: Farmers Training Farmers in Sustainable Agriculture

Two intensive training initiatives target the farmers who are bringing organic food to the tables of thousands of families. Read More »

Learn More about the Calumet Region from “Chicago Wilderness”

  Did you know there are 24 species of orchids in the dunelands of northwest Indiana, while the state of Hawaii only has 4 species? That’s just one interesting piece... Read More »

Making Connections in Northwest Indiana’s Calumet Region: Remarks by Sir Peter Crane

Sir Peter Crane delivered these comments at Calumet Summit, April 27-28, 2010. Read More »

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