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Supporting Illinois' Arts Sector
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
Springfield Area Arts Council - Recipients of IAC General Operating Support, Youth Employment in the Arts, Poetry Out Loud and Regional Arts Partner Grants
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Illinois Artist Spotlight
Alonso Galue - FY26 Creative Accelerator Fund Recipient
Alonso Galue, born in Venezuela, is a multidisciplinary artist now based in Chicago. His work spans across muralism, puppeteering, and performance, often delving into themes of migration, post-colonial thought, mental health, and Andean traditions. Galue holds a BFA from the University of Los Andes and has exhibited his work internationally, including at Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center and the Chicago Cultural Center. As a curator at Agitator Gallery, he champions immigrant voices through various artistic endeavors.
Galue’s installation, "Push-On: The Prophet of the Extra-Life," will run from June 12 to August 30 at The Flip: Chicago’s Playable Pinball Museum at Block 37- Lower Level, 108 N State St #15, in Chicago. The installation features a pinball machine transformed into a functional sculpture. This piece draws inspiration from ancestral Andean traditions, merging Venezuelan and Chicagoan cultural elements. Additionally, Galue's "Paradise Aliens," a series of murals focusing on climate change and exile, is on view at the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center. The exhibit is open through the summer of 2027. Galue also curated "A Painting Retrospective of Augusto Yanacopulos," currently at Agitator Gallery and in collaboration with Aguijon Theatre. This exhibit presents the first retrospective of Aguijón Theatre founder and multi-awarded Chilean-Greek-American painter Augusto Yanacopulos, spanning his 40-year career in theatre and visual arts in Chicago. The exhibit is open through June 27.
Galue said about the IAC's impact on his career: "Thanks to the IAC Creative Accelerator Grant, I was able to rent a studio, purchase materials, and develop a series of large murals addressing climate change and exile that has benefited thousands of visitors at the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, expanding the understanding of Ancestral Cultures and refugees in Chicago. The IAC Accelerator Grant pushed my career forward by allowing me to take risks in my socially engaged work and develop new research for more projects.“
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