Artist Response Program: Direct Grants

Through the Artist Response Program, DCASE will award 5-10 direct grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 to individual artists to implement ambitious projects which address the current moment through a range of creative approaches. Projects can be anything from physical artwork to transformation of spaces or objects, to happenings or cultural events, focused on any artistic discipline including architecture, culinary arts, curatorial arts, dance, design, film, literary arts, media arts, music, performance art, photography, public art, social practice, theater, or visual arts. Projects can be new work or build upon existing work and must be executed by the end of 2021.

Eligibility requires applicants to be practicing artists with at least a two-year history of public presentation or publication, residents of the City of Chicago, and either residents of the neighborhood where the project will take place or working in collaboration with a resident, organization, or small business in that neighborhood. The program will prioritize projects that address public safety, equity and access through art; are associated with repair and rebuilding on the South and West sides of Chicago; activate Chicago communities and institutions to address broader social issues; use art as a tool to inspire community organizing and civic engagement; activate vacant or underutilized spaces; celebrate and preserve cultural traditions of underrepresented or historically marginalized groups; or recognize and illuminate the character defining attributes of Chicago's neighborhoods.

Applications must include a one-page project overview with description of major activities, list of committed partners, budget, and schedule; five to ten images of past projects with an annotated list including title, media, year, dimensions, location, budget, timeline, and commissioning entity; up to three videos edited to no more than two minutes; a two-page resume or CV; and proof of Chicago residency. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of DCASE staff and external arts experts, with finalists selected for interviews before final decisions. Timeline: Application opens January 11, closes February 5 at 5:00pm CST, finalist interviews in March, grantees selected in April, and payments distributed in May.