Illinois Arts Council Announces 2023 Artist Fellowship Award Recipients

The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) has announced the 2023 Artist Fellowship Award (AFA) recipients. The IACA AFAs are $15,000 unrestricted awards granted to Illinois artists in recognition of their outstanding work and commitment within the arts. This year 24 Illinois artists will receive Fellowships totaling $360,000. Finalist Awards of $1,500 were also awarded to 10 Illinois artists for a total of $15,000. The Finalist Award category recognizes and encourages applicants who demonstrate considerable talent.

The AFA Program offered funding in 8 artistic disciplines. This year's Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients were selected from 283 Illinois based creative artists working in the disciplines of Choreography, Media Arts (category includes audio art, digital art, film, and video), Music Composition, Music Improvisation, New Performance Forms, Poetry, Prose, and Scriptworks.

“Illinois' artists are one of our strongest and most valuable resources, making a more creative and welcoming state for us all even in the face of global and national challenges,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Congratulations to each of these recipients on their hard work and to IACA for their steadfast support of the arts. My administration will always honor and uplift the contributions of those who work to make our state even more beautiful.”
“As we re-engage post pandemic, Illinois' individual artists are fueling our state's creativity, communities, and economy,” said IACA Executive Director Joshua Davis-Ruperto.“After years of challenges brought on by the pandemic, artists have continued to provide opportunities for re-engagement and connectivity for those around them as well as ongoing investment in our communities. The 2023 IACA Fellows were selected for their remarkable artistic practice and their commitment to Illinois' communities – both within their specific regions and discipline at large.”

The Council is proud to be able to provide Illinois artists with unrestricted funds to support their creative endeavors and artistic growth. The mission of the Illinois Arts Council Agency is “To build a strong, creative, and connected Illinois through the arts.” The Agency recognizes that Illinois' artists are an essential component of the social fabric of the state and its arts community, especially during these challenging times.

The Artist Fellowship Awardees and Finalists hail from 13 different cities across the state including urban, suburban, and rural communities.

Following are the Fiscal Year 2023 Artist Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients listed by discipline.  

Choreography

Joel Hall of Chicago: $15,000

Erin Kilmurray of Chicago: $15,000

C. Kemal Nance of Champaign: $15,000

Regina Perry-Carr of Maywood: $1,500  

Media Arts

Rita Coburn of Flossmoor: $15,000

Monty Cole of Chicago: $15,000

Laura Harrison of Chicago: $15,000

Özge Samanci of Evanston: $15,000

Colleen Plumb of Chicago: $1,500

Music Composition

Carlos Carrilo of Urbana: $15,000

David Vayo of Bloomington: $15,000

Martha Horst of Normal: $1,500

Amy Wurtz of Chicago: $1,500  

Music Improvisation

Bobby Broom of Evanston: $15,000

Robert Chappell and Liam Teague of DeKalb: $15,000

Nick Mazzarella of Chicago: $15,000

Jon Irabagon of Park Ridge: $1,500

New Performance Forms

Lisa Fay and Jeff Glassman of Urbana: $15,000

Meida Teresa McNeal of Chicago: $15,000

Marcela Torres of Chicago: $15,000

Aaliyah Christina of Chicago: $1,500

Poetry

Allison Funk of Edwardsville: $15,000

Christopher Kempf of Champaign: $15,000

Simone Muench of Chicago: $15,000

Suzanne Buffman of Chicago: $1,500  

Prose

Colleen Abel of Champaign: $15,000

Nami Mun of Chicago: $15,000

Eden Robins of Chicago: $15,000

S.L (Sandi) Wisenberg of Chicago: $15,000

Kristi McGuire of Chicago: $1,500

Sahar Mustafah of Orland Park: $1,500  

Scriptworks

Kimberly Dixon-Mays of Chicago: $15,000

Reina Hardy of Skokie: $15,000

Missy Hernandez of Chicago: $1,500

The following advisory committee members reviewed this year's applications in the disciplines of:

Choreography: Margi Cole, AL; Joanna Furnans, IL; Rosanna Gamson, CA; Ayako Kato, IL; Haowen Wang, Washington DC

Media Arts: Paula Champagne, OR; James Duesing, PA; Susan B. Halpern, OH; Kristin McDonough, IL

Music Composition: Regina Baiocchi, IL; Seth Bousted, IL; Marjorie Rusche, IN; Laura Schwendinger, WI; Dan Visconti, IL

Music Improvisation: Geof Bradfield, IL; Ron Perrillo, WA; Dee Alexander, IL; Kathleen Keane, IL; Wayne Wallace, IN

New Performance Forms: Adelheid Mers, IL; Deke Weaver, IL; Chi-wang Yang, CA

Poetry: Rebecca Hazelton Stafford, IL; Emily Hooper Lansana, IL; Joshua Kryah, IL

Prose: Heidi Bell, IL; Mary Anne Mohanraj, IL; Matthew Neill Null, PA

Scriptworks: Julie Proudfoot, IL; Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, IL; Kris Vire, IL
 

ARTIST FELLOWSHIP AWARDS

The intent of the Artist Fellowship Program is to enrich and strengthen the state of Illinois by supporting accomplished Illinois artists who are the foundation of Illinois' creative environment. The Artist Fellowship Program recognizes exceptional artists who have created a substantial body of work throughout their career by providing awards to support continued artistic growth. The awards are non-matching Fellowships in unrestricted fixed amounts of $15,000. In the next application cycle (FY24), the discipline categories of Ethnic and Folk Arts, Interdisciplinary/ Computer-Based Arts, Visual Arts (Visual-Based Arts, Crafts, Photography, and Sculpture) will be offered.

To learn more about the Artist Fellowship Awards visit: http://www.arts.illinois.gov/AFA-Program

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY

The Illinois Arts Council Agency was created as a state agency by the Illinois General Assembly in 1965 through legislation sponsored by Senators Paul Simon, Thomas McGloon, and Alan Dixon. The agency is governed by up to twenty-one private citizens chosen for their demonstrated commitment to the arts and appointed by the Governor. Council members serve in a voluntary, non-paid capacity and are charged with developing the state's public arts policy, fostering quality culturally diverse programs, and approving grants expenditures. A small professional staff with in-depth knowledge of the arts develops and administers the agency's programs, provides technical assistance, and ensures the responsible and impactful distribution of all funds. Resources to support the Illinois Arts Council Agency are provided by the Governor and General Assembly of Illinois and the National Endowment for the Arts.

To learn more about the Illinois Arts Council Agency visit: http://www.arts.illinois.gov/

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