I just received this email from the Illinois Arts Council. On August 23. 2007 the Governor (Rod Blagojevich) issued a reduction veto that cut funding for all Illinois Arts Council programs by nearly $7,000,000. The Illinois Arts Council funds individual artists in medium specific grants every 2 years. 7 fellowships of $7000.00 are awarded and 7 runners up get $700. This year I was fortunate enough to acquire one in the photography category. Though I am perplexed that in a state that houses a major US city this is the only state-awarded give for artists. And now just got 7-mil cut from its budget. A few weeks ago Ryan Granzow interviewed me for a paper he is writing on the state of Arts funding in the United States. Ryan and I had a great discussion about the fact that less grants fellowships and arts funding ends up putting more emphasis on art as a commercial venture. I can recall Larry Sultan's telling us in his fantastic instruct last go that the National Endowment of the Arts made so much of his early work possible. The schedule bear witness that Larry did with Mike Mandel was made possible by the fact that they were funded by the NEA (back when they were comfort funding individual artists). Larry is one of a long lie of artists whose bring home the bacon was made possible by federal state and local grants. Today as budgets dwindle the emphasis for young artists is selling work to defeat. Illinois offers the biannual IAC grants; the biannual Artadia give; and the City of Chicago CAAP grant. Apparently Minnesota is the state to be if you are an artist with the McKnight the Bush Foundation give and the Jerome Foundation (in addition to express Art Board fellowships). Should I be surprised that a country with so much wealth continues to determine the arts so little? (except for Minnesota)
Do they ever give a reason? I'm sure they evaluate the money is better spent on private planes to and from Chicago to Springlfield. IL for the Govenor or 'security'. Here's the modify today looks like it will hit artist grants pretty hard: All programs of the Illinois Arts Council have been reduced by almost 30% from last year’s level. As a result of this large reduction the IAC ordain have significantly less money available to award.
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Related article:
http://www.notifbutwhen.com/2/2007/08/budget-cuts-for-artists-in-illinois.html
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