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Celebrating 60 Years
SMU DataArts Names Illinois Sixth Most Vibrant Arts State
Arts Impact in Illinois
$37.39B
of our state's gross domestic product was contributed by arts and culture in 2023 - Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept of Commerce
226,407
Illinois jobs were in arts and culture (2023)
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce
22
grants totaling $862,855 were directed to Illinois school districts in developing arts and foreign language curricula in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (FY2024)
$478M
in revenues to state and local government were delivered by Illinois arts nonprofits in 2024 - Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6)
29
local arts councils partnered with IAC through its Local Arts Network to support statewide arts programming (FY2024)
100%
of all legislative districts throughout Illinois receive free access to local and regional news, public affairs and arts programming through IAC support for Illinois Public Radio and Television (FY2025)
Featured Illinois Arts Organization
Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, FY26 General Operating Support Recipient
The Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center (MPAC), located in Rockford, Illinois, proudly celebrates its 141st year as the oldest continuously operating music organization in the United States. Operating from a historic 1952 property at 415 N Church Street, MPAC's concert season spans from September through May. This year, they are presenting 18 concerts across three series. The Mendelssohn Presents! series typically features Friday evening concerts with regional and national performers. Sunday Jazz afternoon concerts showcase regional jazz groups, while the Music Monday after-work concerts offer shorter programs with local and regional artists.
In addition to their concert offerings, the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center sponsors the annual Chandler Starr Miller Scholarship Competition, now in its 64th year. This competition is open to students aged 8 to 18 who are soloists playing acoustic instruments or singing. MPAC's Educational Outreach initiative also provides valuable opportunities in regional schools by bringing musicians to perform and share insights into their lives as performers. Another enduring education program offers two weeks of music and art instruction for underprivileged children.
MPAC is a longtime grantee of the IAC. Says board president Wayne Hatwich, “With significant support from the Illinois Arts Council, Mendelssohn PAC is enabled to continue its musical mission, enriching and inspiring lives in the Rockford community through music.” Recent concerts include the duo Organized Rhythm (pictured) and Blakeley Menghini & Friends, a locally based string quartet known for their eclectic programming. On December 15, MPAC will present its Sounds of the Season concert featuring beloved local musicians Rachel Handlin, Michael Beert, and Tim Anderson who promise to deliver a festive holiday spirit.
Illinois Artist Spotlight
Jay Alan Yim, a distinguished composer and academic, has profoundly impacted the world of contemporary music. With a rich educational background that includes studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Royal College of Music/University of London, and Harvard, Yim has built a formidable career. He has been a faculty member at Northwestern University since 1988, contributing significantly as the Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Composition and Music Technology Program. His compositions have been performed by many prestigious ensembles and orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Jay's innovative work often blends traditional acoustic elements with electronic soundscapes, engaging audiences across the globe with themes centered on climate change and ecological awareness.
With the Creative Accelerator Grant from the Illinois Arts Council, Jay plans to embark on an ambitious multi-CD recording project. This project will showcase a recent series of his electronic works that explore his experimental approach to sampling, known as Tyme Sefari Field Recordings. The grant will serve as a catalyst, enabling Jay to bring these unique compositions to a broader audience, furthering his exploration of sound and pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. Through this recording initiative, Jay aims to enhance the understanding and appreciation of electronic music, with a focus on innovation and conceptual depth.
A large part of Jay's practice is work in partnership with visual artist Marlena Novak. One of those collaborations is currently on exhibit to the public as part of the School of the Art Institute's (SAIC) Faculty Sabbatical Triennial. Says Jay, "The project we made with a team of Marlena's former students is an art game that I co-produced with her and for which I created the electronic score and sound design. In “Dreaming The Prairie,” the player gets to explore a digital recreation of an 8000-year-old prairie in Illinois from the perspective of a rusty patched bumblebee, which is a species on the federal endangered species list. Players can fly around the prairie, searching for rare and threatened plants to pollinate, experiencing the magical realism of individual plants dancing and glowing to entice them." This exhibit is open now through December 6 at the SAIC Galleries, 33 E Washington St in Chicago.
Photo credit: Marlena Novak
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