ComEd, League of Chicago Theatres Partner to Shine Spotlight on 17 Arts Organizations in Northern Illinois

To increase access to the arts and strengthen local communities, ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres today announced grants to 17 non-profit arts organizations throughout northern Illinois. The grantees, which range from local theaters to art galleries, will receive up to $10,000 each for projects that expand access to arts and cultural offerings for underserved audiences in the communities ComEd serves.

This is the first year that ComEd and the League, an alliance of more than 200 Chicago theatres, have partnered for the Powering the Arts Program. Both organizations are committed to supporting institutions that broaden exposure and access to the arts to enhance the vibrancy of the community. This unique program fulfills that mission by supporting a range of projects, from a dance training program for children with disabilities to transportation to theatrical performances for the economically disadvantaged.

"Powering our communities goes beyond providing safe and reliable energy. It means enriching the lives of the people who live there," said Joe Dominguez, chief executive officer of ComEd. "By investing in arts and cultural institutions, we have an opportunity to transform the lives of those who have limited exposure to the arts. We're thrilled to play a supporting role in helping these organizations power the arts."

Non-profit organizations submitted their grant applications for Powering the Arts this spring. An advisory committee composed of members of the region's non-profit arts and culture community reviewed eligible applications. ComEd funds the program, and the League serves as the program administrator for grantees.

"At the League, we believe exposure to the arts is vitally important to the health of our communities. In partnership with ComEd, we can make that vision a reality for underserved audiences and fulfill our mission of enhancing the art of theater in the Chicago area," said Deb Clapp, executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres.

Information on the Powering the Arts Program can be found here: https://leagueofchicagotheatres.org/comedpoweringthearts.html.

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The 17 Powering the Arts grant recipients for 2018 are:

About Face Theatre (Chicago)
The grant will provide free tickets and transportation to About Face Theatre performances for LGBTQIA seniors who are economically disadvantaged.

Alma Dance Theater (Wheaton)
The grant will create a dance training program for children with disabilities and provide funding for their public performances.

Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (Chicago)
The grant will support collaborations between musicians and immigrants to create free performances and share their unique stories.

Emerald City Theatre (Chicago)
The grant will provide field trips for students who are economically disadvantaged to see plays at Emerald City Theatre and provide each student with a free book.

Encore! (Mt. Morris)
The grant will support free community arts activities and events for people who are economically disadvantaged and have limited access to art.

Free Street Theater (Chicago)
The grant will allow Free Street Theater to present a theatrical event in each of Chicago's 50 wards, created by a multi-racial, multi-generational ensemble.

Maywood Fine Arts (Maywood)
The grant will provide classical ballet training for children from economically-challenged communities and will allow people of all ages in these communities to experience classical ballet performances.

Merchant Street Art Gallery (Kankakee)
The grant will help provide training, professional experience, and community support to artists with autism.

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (Arlington Heights)
The grant will provide workshops for children with disabilities to learn theatre skills and to create their own public performances.

The Miracle Center (Chicago)
The grant will support the world premiere theatrical adaption of the Puerto Rican children's book, "There's a Coqui in my Shoe!"

My Block, My Hood, My City (Chicago)
The grant will provide opportunities for youth who are economically disadvantaged to visit arts and cultural organizations and connect with professionals who have similar backgrounds.

Piven Theatre Workshop (Evanston)
The grant will support theatre workshops and performances for female inmates at Cook County Jail.

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company (Chicago)
The grant will support "touch tours" and audio-described performances for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

Rockford Area Arts Council (Rockford)
The grant will support an arts apprenticeship program for children to work as a team with a professional artist to create and present their work.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (Chicago)
The grant will support efforts to recruit and engage new audiences of people of color, seniors, and people with disabilities by offering free tickets and transportation through partnerships with local social service agencies.

Special Gifts Theatre (Northbrook)
The grant will support a musical theatre program for children with intellectual disabilities.

Trickster Gallery (Schaumburg)
The grant will support an event during Native Heritage Month (November) with cultural activities and performances to introduce Native culture to new audiences.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.

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