3Arts Awards Nearly Half A Million Dollars To Chicago Artists

3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit grantmaking organization, will award Chicago artists with nearly half a million dollars in unrestricted grants at the 13th annual 3Arts Awards Celebration, taking place Monday, October 19 via livestream on YouTube. The celebration will honor ten 3Arts Awards recipients with $25,000 cash grants, and ten additional artists with $2,000 cash grants through Make a Wave. An additional $200,000 in new and expanded funding will also be announced during the 3Arts Awards Celebration-making this the largest award year in 3Arts' history. The virtual event is free to the public and features 15 commissioned performances by past 3Arts awardees. Registration is required at https://3arts.org/event/.

Since 2007, 3Arts has supported 1,100 artists-representing 70% women artists, 70% artists of color, and 10% artists with disabilities-and distributed $4.3 million through direct grants. By providing cash awards, project funding, residency fellowships, professional development, and promotion, 3Arts helps artists take risks, experiment, and build momentum in their careers. At the October 19 celebration, 3Arts' Executive Director Esther Grisham Grimm will share surprise announcements about how the organization will be supporting artists more than ever this year.

"This year, when many artists have lost their livelihoods virtually overnight, we believe strongly that it is not time to pull back; it's time to give more, do more, advocate more, and invest more in the well-being of our city and its artists," said Esther Grisham Grimm. "While we wish we could celebrate our 2020 awardees in person, a virtual event means we can invite the public, free of charge, to meet and enjoy performances by some of Chicago's most talented creative practitioners. The event is being fashioned as a kind of love letter to Chicago artists, with a goal of sending joy and hope into our city and the artists who power it."