Illinois: Individual Artist Support Initiative

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) recently announced the Individual Artist Support (IAS) Initiative to help Illinois artists realize career goals, take advantage of professional opportunities, and/or produce a project or body of work for public viewing. Steep reductions in IAC’s operating budget resulted in several programs being suspended and others greatly reduced for fiscal year 2010. The limited funds available in FY2010 to provide direct support to individual artists forced the agency to suspend the Artists Fellowship and Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprenticeship Program and severely limit the availability of Special Assistance opportunities for artists. The IAS Initiative was developed to bridge the gap left by the suspension of these programs. IAC recognizes that individual artists are the keystone to the creation of art and IAS represents the Council’s commitment to continuing to support the work of individual artists. To help orient artists to the new initiative, IAC hosted a Webinar on the topic and posted a recording of the session for 24-hour access. To find out more, contact IAC Director of Visual Arts, Media Arts & Multi-Arts Programs Encarnacion Teruel.