AWF Pod: Lights Camera Harm with OTV | Open Television
2nd Story's Artistic Director Amanda Delheimer joins Elijah McKinnon from OTV. Listen...
We are excited to share that significant enhancements are coming to the Arts Work Fund! Based on feedback from the field and lessons learned over the past several years, we are implementing strategic updates to better respond to the evolving needs of Chicago and Cook County's vibrant arts and culture community. The Arts Work Fund will:
These changes reflect our ongoing commitment to meeting the capacity-building needs of small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations.
Throughout these changes, our core mission remains unchanged: supporting the essential work of Chicago and Cook County's small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations as they build capacity, strengthen operations, and expand their community impact.
Look for our official announcement with full program details in late August 2025.
Stay tuned for updates!
The Arts Work Fund Team
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AWF Connect is a discussion list specifically geared for the arts community. Members of the AWF Connect list include: seasoned arts administrators, funders of the arts, artists, and other amazingly talented folks in the arts community.
2nd Story's Artistic Director Amanda Delheimer joins Elijah McKinnon from OTV. Listen...
2nd Story's Artistic Director Amanda Delheimer joins Adam McMath from Black Alphabet discusses their current project Rebuilding Our Chicago. Read More...
2nd Story's Artistic Director Amanda Delheimer joins Logan Jones and Kirsten Baity from About Face Theatre for the premiere episode of the AWF Podcast. Listen...
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A conversation with three AWF grantees working to provide holistic supports and address trauma within their communities. Read More...
From the beginning, it was clear that COVID-19 would have a devastating impact on the arts and cultural sectors and that Arts Work Fund needed to pivot to provide unrestricted, immediate support to arts organizations as they grappled with the fallout. In short order, a robust collaborative was formed between Arts Work Fund, 3Arts, Arts Alliance Illinois, the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the local philanthropic community, and individual donors. Called the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, Arts Alliance Illinois administered the fund, 3Arts leveraged its expertise to make grants available to artists, and the Arts Work Fund focused on grants to nonprofit arts organizations. Read More...
Throughout 2019, the Arts Work Fund AWF partnered with 21 African American, Latinx, Arab American, Asian American, and Native American arts leaders to co-design a new grant program and refine our grantmaking criteria and processes. COVID-19 interrupted the launch of our new grant program as we shifted to respond to emergency relief efforts. But we have instituted the grant making refinements that emerged from this process. Read More...
If you really want to get something going, you've got to think outside the box and do it a little different. Arts Work Fund helped us get there.
Billy Ocasio
President & Chief Executive Officer, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & CultureWhat makes the Arts Work Fund so different is that there is a lot of risk taking. There are arts organizations who are coming to them with big bold ideas. We certainly saw that in our grant cycle.
Lauren Sivak
Managing Director, 2nd StoryArts Work Fund was pivotal for reimagining what True Star 2.O would be. It was the first kind of investment into us imagining what our next steps would be.
DeAnna McLeary-Sherman
Founder, True Star Media & FoundationI think the Arts Work Fund is particularly unique in that they are excited to–this is going to sound nuts–but, they're excited to see how you can fail and learn and grow.
Kate Piatt-Eckert
Executive Director, Steep TheaterIf you really want to get something going, you've got to think outside the box and do it a little different. Arts Work Fund helped us get there.
Billy Ocasio
President & Chief Executive Officer, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & CultureWhat makes the Arts Work Fund so different is that there is a lot of risk taking. There are arts organizations who are coming to them with big bold ideas. We certainly saw that in our grant cycle.
Lauren Sivak
Managing Director, 2nd StoryArts Work Fund was pivotal for reimagining what True Star 2.O would be. It was the first kind of investment into us imagining what our next steps would be.
DeAnna McLeary-Sherman
Founder, True Star Media & FoundationI think the Arts Work Fund is particularly unique in that they are excited to–this is going to sound nuts–but, they're excited to see how you can fail and learn and grow.
Kate Piatt-Eckert
Executive Director, Steep TheaterIf you really want to get something going, you've got to think outside the box and do it a little different. Arts Work Fund helped us get there.
Billy Ocasio
President & Chief Executive Officer, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & CultureWhat makes the Arts Work Fund so different is that there is a lot of risk taking. There are arts organizations who are coming to them with big bold ideas. We certainly saw that in our grant cycle.
Lauren Sivak
Managing Director, 2nd Story