The Illinois Arts Council is a government agency of the state of
Illinois formed to encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. Founded in 1965 by the
Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Arts Council provides financial and technical assistance to artists, arts organizations, and community organizations with arts programming.
The Illinois Arts Council
The Illinois Arts Council is governed by up to 21 members appointed by the
Governor of Illinois who serve four-year terms. They meet three times a year. Assisted by volunteer advisory panels, they distribute grants and oversee arts programs and services.
Many arts organizations in Illinois rely on funding from the IAC each year. Governor
Rod Blagojevich drastically cut the budget in 2007 in what many saw as a political move against his chief rival,
Michael Madigan, whose wife was the head of the IAC.
Governor Pritzker's Y25 budget for the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) brings a 65% increase from previous budgets setting it back to previous amounts. ($15.5M to $25.58M).
Programs
Artist Fellowship Program
Arts & Foreign Language
Arts Service Organizations
Artstour & Live Music
Community Arts Access
General Operating Support
Individual Artist Support
Master/Apprentice Program
Partners in Excellence
StARTS Program
Summer Youth Employment in the Arts
Services
Application Workshops
Artists' Registry, a mailing list to link Illinois artists with professional opportunities
Artslinks, sites through Illinois with coordinators and Illinois Arts Council publications
Awareness Meetings
Directory of Illinois Performing Arts Presenters
Directory of Local Arts Agencies
Illinois Art Fair Directory, an annual publication