2 Evanston Arts Groups To Get National Endowment For The Arts Grants

EVANSTON, IL — Two local organizations are among the winners of $65,000 in grants from the National Endowment for the Arts' first round of awards of 2024.

The Piven Theatre Workshop is set to receive a $15,000 grant, while the city of Evanston is in line for $50,000 to support various arts organizations in town.

Statewide, the NEA awarded 66 grants totaling nearly $1.7 million to organizations across Illinois, with all but 10 of them based in Chicago. All grants from the NEA's grants for arts projects program require one-to-one matching.

“The NEA is pleased to announce these grants, all of which strengthen our nation’s arts sector in different ways," said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson.

"Whether it’s the creation of new art, opportunities for the public to participate and engage in the arts, or work to better understand the impact of the arts, these grants contribute to the well-being of individuals and communities, help meet the challenges of our time, and build towards a future in which all people can lead artful lives and reach their full potential," Jackson said.

The Piven Theatre's grant will go to the Piven Empowerment through Enrichment Program, a theatre ensemble for artists with developmental disabilities.

After one semester in the program, artists — who have included musicians, visual artists, and Special Olympic athletics — are invited to perform with its improv performance ensemble.

The city of Evanston's NEA matching grant will support the city's cultural fund and the Evanston Arts Council's local regranting program.

Last June, the Evanston Arts Council announced it had awarded $57,500 to 22 local organizations, ranging from choirs for seniors with dementia to outdoor arts festivals to musical theater. According to an announcement from city staff at the time, many of the grantees focus on arts education in schools, community centers and libraries, with 95 percent serving non-white communities and 36 percent led by non-white people. The grant money is to be spent by the end of June, with a final report due by the end of July.

Last January, Evanston Patch reported the NEA awarded grants to a pair of first-time recipients based on Evanston — Art Encounter, which like the Piven Theatre operates out of the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, got $25,000 while Open Studio Project received $10,000.

And back in 2022, the NEA awarded the Evanston Arts Council a $30,000 grant, doubling the amount that was available for local organizations at the time. That year, the city's program awarded $70,000 to local organizations.

Nationwide, the NEA announced the winners of 1,288 grants worth more than $32.2 million.

The endowment's grant review process involved nearly 300 expert reviewers who assessed the applications and presented their recommendations to the National Council on the Arts, with the final decision made by Jackson, the NEA Chair.

Because the NEA is operating under a continuing budge resolution that expires on Feb. 2, there may be a delay in the distribution of some of this year's grant awards, according to the NEA.