EVANSTON, IL - This week the Evanston Arts Council allocated subgrants totaling $135,000 to 23 Evanston nonprofit arts organizations following a thorough application and independent review process. The Council was one of only three organizations in Illinois to receive an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which provided funding for the subgrants.

The subgrants awarded by the Arts Council will fund the organizations' general operating expenses to aid recovery from the impact of the pandemic. This is the largest grant program the Evanston Arts Council has ever administered.

Twenty-three arts organizations applied and all were judged worthy of an award by the majority Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) review panel. The top-scoring organizations were Shorefront, the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian and Open Studio Project, each of which will receive the maximum $10,000 grant. View details of the awards and operations of the organizations.

Applicants for the ARPA grants were asked how their work aligns with the purpose of the Evanston Arts Council: "To nourish and build an inclusive community where creative expression thrives and the arts flourish. We empower and amplify artists and arts organizations as community builders and change makers. We support diverse forms of expression and provide equitable access to the arts."

Scored against these criteria and demonstrated impact of the pandemic, the Evanston Arts Council allocated funds that:

-Provided funding to all 23 organizations that applied

-Gave the full ask of $10,000 to the three top scoring organizations

-Made nine awards to BIPOC-led organizations

-Allocated over three quarters of the awards to BIPOC organizations and/or organizations with programs primarily serving underserved communities

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311 or simply dial 311 in Evanston.