A Road Together

“A Road Together” (ART) is a grantmaking partnership between the Field Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. It is designed specifically for small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations with annual operating budgets up to $1 million. ART is rooted in the belief that the arts are vital to Chicago’s identity, economy, and social fabric. Through the ART partnership, the Field and MacArthur foundations support grant recipients in creating opportunities for more Chicagoans to dream and flourish through a vibrant and sustainable creative ecosystem. To date, the partnership has committed $3.86 million in unrestricted, general operating funding for 131 organizations.

In 2025, a total of 25 grants will be awarded, using a participatory grantmaking approach. Funding will range from $10K to $100K per year. The 2025 ART cohort will be announced this fall.

A Road Together is a commitment to continuously be on a learning-to-action journey with Chicago’s creative community. Together, we are reimagining how a collaboration in the creative realm can enable a stronger and more sustainable arts and culture ecosystem in our city.

Richard Tran
Field Foundation
Director of ART & Leadership Initiatives

Celebrating our 2024 Three-Year ART Grant Recipients

Through the ART initiative, 25 organizations will receive three-year grants. A panel of Chicago artists and cultural leaders recommended this cohort from more than 110 proposals using a participatory grantmaking process—ensuring representation from a wide array of creative disciplines, identities, and geographies. Grants range in size with a maximum grant of $100,000 per year. ART grant recipients will receive unrestricted, general operating funds to help the organizations achieve their missions.

18th Street Casa de Cultura

826CHI

A Long Walk Home

American Indian Association of Illinois

American Indian Center of Chicago

Artists’ Cooperative Residency and Exhibitions Project

Chicago Artists Coalition

Chicago Dancemakers Forum

D-Composed Gives

Definition Theatre Company

Elastic Arts Foundation

Enrich Chicago

Green Star Movement

Haitian American Museum of Chicago

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago

Lawndale Pop-Up Spot

Mezcla Media Collective

Muddy Waters MOJO Museum

National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial

Open Center for the Arts

Rome in a Day

The Simple Good

The WasteShed

Uprising Theater

Celebrating our 2023 Three-Year ART Grantees

Through the ART initiative, 25 organizations will receive three-year grants. A panel of Chicago art sector leaders recommended this cohort from more than 120 proposals using a participatory grantmaking process—ensuring representation from a wide array of creative disciplines, identities, and geographies. Grants range in size with a maximum grant of $100,000 per year. Grantee organizations, all of which have annual budgets of less than $1 million, will receive unrestricted, general operating funds to help the organizations achieve their missions.

Alt Space Chicago

BandWith Chicago

Black Alphabet

Chicago Art Department

eta Creative Arts Foundation

Floating Museum

Jazz Institute of Chicago

Joel Hall Dancers & Center

Kehrein Center for the Arts Foundation

Kuumba Lynx

Live the Spirit Residency

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian

Muntu Dance Theatre

Musical Arts Institute

Playmakers Laboratory Theatre

Praize Productions, Inc.

Prison + Neighborhood Arts Education Project

Silk Road Rising

South Side Community Art Center

Teatro Vista Theater with a View

TGi Movement

True Star Foundation

Water People Theater Group

Young Chicago Authors

Celebrating our 2023 One-Year ART Grantees

Through the ART initiative, the Field Foundation staff selected 55 organizations to receive one-year grants. Among this group, grants range between $10,000 and $50,000. Grantee organizations, all of which have annual budgets of less than $1 million, will receive unrestricted, general operating funds to help the organizations achieve their missions.

About Face Theatre Collective

Africa International House USA, Inc.

African American Arts Alliance

Aguijon Theater Company

American Indian Association of Illinois

Archi-Treasures

Arts & Business Council

Asian Improv aRts Midwest

Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians

Ballet Folklorico de Chicago

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre

Chicago Artists Coalition

Chicago Dancemakers Forum

Chicago Multi-cultural Dance Center

Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Foundation

Chicago West Community Music Center

Collaboraction Theatre Company

Congo Square Theatre Company

D-Composed Gives

Definition Theatre

Diasporal Rhythms

Elastic Arts

Esprit des Concerts

Firebird Community Arts

Free Street Theater

Haitian American Museum of Chicago

Honey Pot Performance

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

ILA Creative Studio, NFP

International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago

Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago

Lawndale Pop-Up Spot

Lawyers for the Creative Arts

Lighthouse Foundation

Links Hall

LOVE UNITY & VALUES INSTITUTE

Muddy Waters MOJO Museum, Inc.

NAJWA Dance Corps

National Museum of Gospel Music

Natya Dance Theatre

OH Art Foundation

OPEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

2nd Story

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

Snow City Arts

Sones de Mexico Ensemble

South Chicago Dance Theatre

Teatro Tariakuri

The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago

The Simple Good

Theatre Y

Threewalls

UrbanTheater Company

West Point School of Music

Geographic Priority Areas for the Arts

The Field Foundation created a series of maps, outlining geographic areas where an analysis of quality-of-life factors indicates areas of greatest need. These maps show the spatial impact of the arts in Chicago through various datasets. Explore the data below to learn more about the arts in our geographic priority areas.