The IAC is excited to report on the governor’s proposed $10 million increase to it’s 2025 budget. The increase to $26.9 million would restore the IAC budget to 2007 funding levels and move Illinois from 25th to 11th place in the nation in per-capita support amongst state arts agencies. The IAC funds roughly 850 organizations annually, making it the sixth largest creative economy in the country.
With this dramatic increase, the IAC hopes to triple the size of support for its Youth Employment in the Arts grant, increase project support to artists and organizations through the Creative Catalyst grant and activate its new national model for direct support of individual artists through the Creative Accelerator Fund.
The governor’s support sees the arts as essential to building up neighborhoods and communities that have been hard-hit by the pandemic. “The needs of the arts sector are similar, whether it’s in a small rural community or a neighborhood in Chicago” says IAC Board Chair, Nora Daley. The arts are a core value, but this is more,” she said. “It’s about investing in small and mid-sized businesses and helping to rebuild communities.”
INCREASED INVESTMENT IN IAC WILL:
• Give Illinois the competitive edge. Illinois is well behind other states like Florida and Minnesota when it comes to per capita funding for the arts. Increased funding will help attract tourism, investment, and workers, while helping to attract and retain talent in Illinois.
• Empower communities to spend dollars where they need to go. IAC funding has reached 97% of state legislative districts for the past two years. Public investment is the best vehicle to get money to localities that need it most, deepening impact in underserved communities often overlooked by private funders.
• Leverage and catalyze private investment. Public investment in the arts helps to incentivize and amplify private giving and leads to public-private partnerships that benefit local communities across the state, leading to more equitable distribution than private investment alone.
• Support small businesses and entrepreneurial activity. Many creative workers are sole proprietors, founders, or employees of startups or microenterprises that create new goods and services and enliven neighborhoods.
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