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Illinois Arts Council eNewsletter
Illinois: HeARTland of Creativity
March 2008
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Connect with the Arts
in this issue
From the Chairman & Executive Director
Field Notes
Illinois Art Fair Directory 2008
Recent Announcements
Greetings!

 

Welcome to the March '08 Illinois Arts Council HeARTland newsletter. Here you will find all the information you need to stay abreast of recent and upcoming Illinois Arts Council happenings, deadlines, and opportunities. In order that we may best tailor this newsletter to your specific interests in the future, please take a moment today to tell us a little about yourself using the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this page.

From the Chairman & Executive Director
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Dear Friend of the Arts,
 
On behalf of the Illinois Arts Council and our dedicated staff, we are pleased to announce the Fiscal Year 2008 Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Recipients. Thirty-eight Illinois artists will receive Fellowships of $7,000 each (totaling $266,000) in recognition of their outstanding work and commitment within the arts. Finalist Awards of $700 were also awarded to fourteen Illinois artists for a total of $9,800.
 
This year's Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients were selected from nearly 500 talented creative artists working in the disciplines of choreography, crafts, ethnic and folk arts, media arts, new performance forms, prose, and scriptworks. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our advisory jurors, arts professionals chosen from around the country on the basis of their professional achievements and broad knowledge of the arts. For more information, please see the "Recent Announcements" block below.

 

On a fiscal note, as many of you reading this are doubtlessly well aware, the budget of the Illinois Arts Council was significantly reduced for Fiscal Year 2008. As a result, the average amount of the Illinois Arts Council's grants to arts and cultural organizations has been reduced by 30 percent. We have also cut back on the number of artist fellowships we were able to offer this year, though not the individual award dollar amount.

 

We have heard from many of you that this reduction had serious adverse affects on your organizations, and that many staff and services could be downscaled or eliminated. We also recognize that funding sources for non-profit organizations and the arts are becoming fewer and farther between all around. We are very concerned about the consequences this will have for the people who are served by your effort. We do not see it in any way as a reflection of the state of the arts in Illinois or the great value derived from the arts in communities all across the land of Lincoln. 

 

On February 20, 2008, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced his Fiscal Year 2009 Budget plan for the State of Illinois. The Illinois Arts Council's Fiscal Year 2009 budget has been proposed at essentially the same level as current Fiscal Year 2008. This means the program funds reduced by last year's amendatory veto were not restored.

 

The Illinois Arts Council remains strongly committed to cultivating long-term sustainability in the vitality of our creative spirit and the pathways through which that creativity is channeled by and to the people of Illinois. We hope that you will continue striving and thriving toward excellence in the arts, and help us in raising public will for the important role and value of the arts and creativity in building vital, prosperous, livable communities in Illinois.

 

Sincerely,

    
Shirley R. Madigan
Chairman
 
Terry A. Scrogum
Executive Director
Field Notes
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As indicated in our Strategic Directions 2007-2012, Illinois Arts Council staff is making a concerted effort to expand our fieldwork. Below, Community Arts Director Jennifer Armstrong reports back from her many visits with artists and arts organizations throughout the state, inspired and challenged by the many ways in which the arts help to revitalize communities, celebrate cultural diversity, and attract tourism.

 

Winter 2008

Through rain, sleet, high winds and snow, the sun pops out occasionally during these long winter months to melt the frosty blues away. One element that remains a constant is the depth and breadth of art enlivening communities throughout Illinois. The bitter temperatures and unforgiving winds haven't kept me from traversing the state to spend time with many extraordinary people bringing life to the stark landscape. By plane, train, and rented car, I have been through East St. Louis, Belleville, Alton, Highland, Monmouth, Quincy, Jacksonville, Bloomington-Normal, Danville, Edwardsville, the Quad Cities, and Peoria. Each time, Illinois, I return home feeling more rejuvenated, inspired, challenged, proud, and thankful to have been part of your creative space. My journey has in some ways just begun, and I look forward to roving and reporting from countryside to cityscape again soon. Meanwhile, here are two of many stories I have collected so far.

 

Belleville

Congratulations! Belleville's Art on the Square has recently been ranked the #1 Art Fair in the nation by The Art Fair Source Book. Begun in 2002, Art on the Square has quickly moved up the charts. Founded by the dynamic Patty Gregory, it is the youngest and smallest of the top tiered shows. Volunteers are on a mission to not only bring a cultural event to downtown Belleville annually in May, Photo from Art on the Squarebut to enrich the community, increase pride, and revitalize the emotional and physical landscape of the area in the process. They not only want to foster the appreciation of visual and performing arts in a diverse public, they want to promote the importance of the creative process.  Mark Kern, former Belleville Mayor and present County Board Chairman for St. Clair County, "understood the meaning of art for a community," according to Gregory. "With his leadership, our partnership with the city was forged and continues with today's Mayor Mark Eckert and the city council." Belleville expects an estimated 85,000 attendees to make purchases upwards of $1,000,000 from 100 artists over the course of three days this May. With art, Belleville connects economics, tourism, and community building.

 

Quincy

Sixty years ago, something special happened in Quincy, IL, that has since spread across the state and the nation like wildflowers. Community members acknowledged the value of the arts and wanted to bolster and preserve them for generations to come. They came together to create the Quincy Society of Fine Arts (QSFA), America's 1st Community Arts Council. Rose Parisi and I were honored to be a part of the anniversary celebration in early November. Rob Dwyer, current director of the QSFA, hosted past, present, and future leaders of the local arts agency movement. The guest of honor, Mr. George M. Irwin, not only founded our nation's first arts council in Quincy, he founded the Illinois Arts Council and served as our agency's first Chairman! (Thank you, Mr. Irwin!) On top of all that, Irwin went on to envision a national service organization now known as Americans For The Arts (AFTA), representing more than 5,000 arts councils nationwide. Mr. S. Leonard Pas, Jr., the first paid director of the QSFA and the first director of the Illinois Arts Council was also honored at the celebration. And Maryo Ewell, the first Illinois Arts Council community arts development director, was honored as well. Illinois is truly privileged to hold such a significant place in our nation's artistic history. As we work within our own organizations and communities to build our respective futures, we should also consider our collective role in building a more strong, creative and connected Illinois. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, as Mr. Irwin said that unforgettable night. However, as we look out at the vibrant arts field, who could deny that each wildflower is something extraordinary in and of themselves?

ILLINOIS ART FAIR DIRECTORY 2008 AVAILABLE NOW
Art fairs and festivals in every region of the state, year round
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The Illinois Arts Council & Chicago Artists' Coalition are pleased to announce the publication of the 2008 Illinois Art Fair Directory, listing more than 200 art and craft fairs held throughout the state. Available free of charge, the 2008 Illinois Art Fair Directory is made possible through the Illinois Arts Council in partnership with the Chicago Artists' Coalition. Listings provide fair information for the general public and specific requirements for potential art and craft exhibitors. New this year, a section has been added listing art fairs by artist deadline.

 

More than 3.4 million people are expected to attend art fairs in Illinois this year, providing opportunity for nearly 20,000 artists. This annual guide to the rich, diverse, and unique array of art fairs in Illinois has been developed to help artists find art fairs in Illinois to sell and promote their work. In addition, Illinoisans and visitors alike can locate art fairs and festivals in every region of the state.

 

Note: Information included in the 2008 Illinois Art Fair Directory was obtained directly from fair sponsors. The Council is unaware of any changes which may occur and has no further information about the fairs than what is listed in this directory. Those seeking to confirm information provided or require additional information about any of the art/craft fairs are encouraged to call or write the contact person listed for the particular fair.

 

To obtain a free print copy of the 2008 Illinois Art Fair Directory, please email [email protected], or call 312/814-6750, 1/800/237-6994, or TTY 1/888/261-7957 (for individuals who are deaf or have hearing or voice impairments). Requests may also be mailed to the Illinois Arts Council, 100 W. Randolph St., Suite 10-500, Chicago, IL 60601, or faxed to 312/814-1471. The directory is available at tourist information centers and local arts agencies, and will soon be posted on the Illinois Arts Council and Chicago Artists' Coalition websites.

 

Happy travels!

 

PS: If you are interested in having your Illinois art fair listed in the 2009 directory, please sign up online through the Illinois Arts Council website or click on the following link to go directly to the online submission form: Illinois Art Fair Directory 2009. Current entries will not be automatically updated.

 

Recent Announcements...
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ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES FY08 ARTISTS FELLOWSHIP AWARDS
State of Illinois Recognizes and Rewards Artistic Talent
 
ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL OFFERS ARTS-IN-EDUCATION RESIDENCY PROGRAM APPLICATION WORKSHOPS
Support for Illinois artists' residencies in schools and communities statewide
 
40 ILLINOIS MIDDLE SCHOOLS RECEIVE $10,000 FOR ART SUPPLIES
Schools Celebrated Illinois Arts Week 2007 with Window Mosaic Project to Demonstrate Beauty, Creativity, and Appreciation of the Arts
 
ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES 2nd ROUND OF FY08 GRANTS (PDF)
Over $3-Million in Funds toward a Strong, Creative, and Connected Illinois
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