Winners Of 3Arts Awards Named
published: Oct. 6, 2014
Ten Chicago-area artists working in the performing, teaching, and visual arts will receive a total of $250,000 in 3Arts Awards tonight, Oct. 6, during a celebratory gathering to be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art. And this year’s winners have even more reason to smile than usual as these annual unrestricted awards, now in their seventh year — and presented to directly support women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities — have been increased from $15,000 to $25,000 each.
The amplified annual 3Arts Awards marks the beginning of a long-term increased commitment from 3Arts in support of Chicago’s diverse artistic community. To date, the organization has awarded nearly $1.5 million to Chicago artists.
This year’s 3Arts Award recipients include dancer Darrell Jones; choreographer Erica Mott; circus choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi; playwright Calamity West; instrumentalists Brandi Berry and Carlos Mejía; visual artists Irina Botea and Amanda Williams; and teaching artists Sophia Nahli Allison and Samuel Roberson.
In a prepared statement, 3Arts’ executive director Esther Grisham Grimm explained: “Over the past seven years, we’ve listened to what artists tell us they need and want to help them make their work and build sustainable careers. In response, we have deepened and expanded our programs so that in addition to the cash grant, our awardees are now offered residency fellowships, project support, professional development and promotion. The time has come to raise the bar again— to raise the amount of our award so that Chicago artists can gain that extra bit of freedom to pursue whatever really matters to them.”
Photo: Samuel Roberson via Sun Times Entertainment