Opportunities for Artists

Opens: February 5, 2025
Deadline: March 5, 2025

The Illinois Poet Laureate is an appointment made possible by the Office of the Governor. The Poet Laureate advances awareness of and appreciation for the literary arts and humanities within the state.

Opens: February 26, 2025
Deadline: April 9, 2025

The Illinois Arts Council’s (IAC) Creative Accelerator Fund (CAF) provides crucial support to artists with a goal of strengthening the creative workforce that composes a significant portion of Illinois’ economic activity.

Opens: July, 2025
Open Deadline

Creative Projects Grant offers support to Illinois artists and non-profit organizations for arts-related projects, events, or professional development.

Opens: October 30, 2024
Deadline: Closed

Award Size: $4,000 to the Mentor and $1,000 to the Apprentice

Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Folk Arts Mentorship (FAM) grant supports the mentoring relationship that develops between exemplary practitioners working with dedicated apprentices in ethnic, folk, and traditional arts.

Request for Qualifications

Deadline: March 7, 2025

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is seeking proposals from Cook County individuals and organizations to partner with the Conservation & Experiential Programming (CEP) Department to provide public programs that educate and activate the public to become lovers, users, stewards and advocates of and for the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Are You Really Winning?

Deadline: March 31, 2025

The Illinois Department of Human Services is looking for artwork (in all media) to bring attention to a statewide educational campaign addressing problem gambling: Are You Really Winning? Illinois-based artists ages 14 and up are called to shine a light on the journey from darkness to hope for individuals challenged with gambling addiction. 

Commission artwork (exterior sculpture)

Deadline: April 11, 2025, 3:00 pm

The Art-in-Architecture Program of the Capital Development Board is pleased to announce a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to Illinois professional artists to create permanent original public art for The Phillip J. Rock Center and School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. 

USArtists International

Deadline: February 26, 2025

USArtists International® (USAI) supports performances by artists from any state or territory in the U.S. at engagements at international festivals and global presenting arts marketplaces outside of the United States. The program funds individuals and ensembles across all performing arts practices and disciplines.

2025 Access/VSA Emerging Young Artist Program

Deadline: February 28, 2025

Calling all U.S.-based visual artists ages 16-25 with disabilities. Applications are now open for the 2025 Access/VSA Emerging Young Artist Program. Fifteen winning artists will each receive a $3,000 award and have one of their submitted pieces featured in an exhibition in D.C. at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., June 17-21, 2025.

Deadline: March 1, 2025

Longtime partners, the Japan U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the NEA extend an invitation to contemporary and traditional artists from the United States to apply for a unique federally funded artistic residency—the U.S.-Japan Creative Artist Program.

Walking Together: Investing in Folklife in Communities of Color

Deadline: March 19, 2025

Walking Together is a national program that offers grants of $15,000–$50,000 to support folklife and traditional arts rooted in communities of color.

Jazz Road Tours
Deadline: March 5

Jazz Residencies
Deadline: April 2

Jazz Road Tours offer grants to jazz artists to develop tours into communities across the country. 

Jazz Road Creative Residencies offers grants to jazz artists to support a residency for artistic creation or connecting with audiences. 

Search for additional state and national resources for organizations through the IAC's Discipline-Specific Resources database.