FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions How do I apply for an artist award? The 3Arts Artist Awards recipients are selected through a nomination and jury process, with anonymous nominators selecting candidates and panels of judges selecting the awardees. 3Arts does not accept unsolicited applications. I’ve been nominated for an artist award. How can I find out who nominated me? Nominators remain anonymous, so we can’t tell you who nominated you, but we can tell you that you have been honored by one of the top arts leaders, artists, curators, and presenters our city has to offer. May I get in touch with the judges if I am nominated for an award? Nominees may not get in touch with the judges during the selection process under any circumstances. The judges’ only tasks are to look at, discuss, debate, be inspired by your work, and select the award recipients. Do you use the same nominators and judges every year? No. We are interested in reaching a wide variety of Chicago’s underrepresented artists, and working with an equally wide variety of nominators and judges helps us achieve that goal. Judges may not serve twice in a three-year period. Do you support dance, film, and literary arts? Currently, we focus only on music, theater, and visual arts—the three art forms that inspired our organization’s name in 1912. I want to apply for a Special Projects grant on behalf of my organization. Does our project have to be about Chicago’s underrepresented artists? Your project must be about Chicago artists first and foremost. We are open to a wide variety of ideas, as long as your event, project, or program series relates to our mission, vision, and values and centers on music, theater, and/or visual arts. I want to apply for the Vision Award on behalf of my organization. What if we need less than $32,000 to complete our project? With so many small organizations in Chicago, we will typically provide up to three organizations with up to $32,000 in this program area. Therefore, if your initiative costs less than $32,000, it may be that you will share the grant with another organization or with two organizations. If your initiative costs more than $32,000, let us know where you intend to seek the remainder of the funds you’ll need to pull it off. If my organization is not selected for a Vision Award, can we submit another letter of intent in the future? Yes—You may submit a Letter of Intent every year, even if you have received a Vision Award in the past. How can I find out about artist residency programs? The best place to start is at the Alliance of Artists Communities You may also contact the Ragdale Foundation Where should I go to learn about other resources for artists? There are a number of excellent resources—too many to list here. But the following are some we find especially useful: Chicago Artists Resource Chicago Artists’ Coalition Department of Cultural Affairs Illinois Arts Council The following resources provide information on national (open call) grants and competitions. Artadia Creative Capital New York Foundation for the Arts The Fund for Women Artists