Program draws record number of applicants, marking largest applicant pool to date

CHICAGO – The City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced a record expansion of its Individual Artists Program (IAP), underscoring the City’s deepening commitment to creative equity and artist support across all neighborhoods. This year’s awards represent a significant increase in support from grantees funded in 2024 with nearly 250 grantees for 2025, reflecting the City’s ongoing investment in its creative community and its belief that artists are essential to civic life, community well-being and economic vitality.

“Chicago’s artists are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods and the storytellers of our city,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “With the Individual Artists Program, we are not only funding creativity but also fostering equity, ensuring that artists from every neighborhood have the resources they need to thrive. I’m proud that my office can help strengthen Chicago’s creative community by supporting artists at every stage of their journey.”

This year’s IAP awards set new benchmarks for inclusive support:

• 63% of funded artists are based on Chicago’s South and West Sides, bringing critical resources to communities that have historically faced underinvestment.
• 59% of awardees are first-time grantees, signaling a powerful infusion of emerging and underrepresented artistic voices into the city’s cultural ecosystem.

“These emerging voices reflect the true diversity and resilience of Chicago,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “We are proud to champion their work and amplify their impact across our communities.”

This year, more than 1,300 applications to IAP were received – the most in the program’s history. DCASE recognizes the critical importance of Chicago artists and is actively working to expand resources and opportunities for artists to create, share, and grow their careers.

The Individual Artists Program is supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the National Endowment for the Arts. These two critical public partners share Chicago’s commitment to arts access, creative workforce development and cultural representation.

“Public investment in the arts delvers a public good,” said DCASE Commissioner Hedspeth. “When artists are resourced, neighborhoods are strengthened, young people are inspired, and the city’s cultural legacy grows.”

The full list of annual DCASE Cultural Grants Program opportunities, including support for Chicago-based individual artists, art and culture organizations and event producers can be found below. All annual grant application cycles are closed for the year. The next annual cycle will begin with the 2026 Individual Artists Program application near the close of 2025.

• Individual Artists Program: Provides project-based funding for practicing artists.
• CityArts: Provides grants to Chicago-based arts and culture-focused nonprofit organizations of all sizes.
• Chicago Presents: Provides presenting support for free public programs. 2025 grantees will be announced by early August.
• Neighborhood Access Program: Provides grants for all types of community-based arts and culture activities that are produced by neighborhood residents, for neighborhood residents. 2025 grantees will be announced in the fall.

For more information about DCASE's cultural grants program, visit ChicagoCulturalGrants.org.

For the full list of Individual Artist Program grantees, please visit Chicago.gov.

In addition to grantmaking resources, DCASE will launch the Chicago Made: Artistic & Professional Development Workshop Series in late 2025 to enhance support of Chicago’s creative sector. The Artistic & Professional Development Workshop Series is a program of standalone workshops and series across public art, event production, film and general capacity building for individual artists, nonprofit arts organizations and creative businesses.

Mayor Brandon Johnson and DCASE remain committed to supporting the local fabric of arts and culture from individual artists to small, medium and large arts nonprofits, along with neighborhood cultural stewards and producers. Capacity building for the sector is a continuous priority, alongside supporting creative risk-taking, innovation and access to arts and culture across Chicago neighborhoods.

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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.