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 ART portal application is open though Friday, May 16.
Info Session
On April 14, 2025, the Field Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, hosted an info session to launch the third year of ART. In this webinar, Field and MacArthur leaders described our aspiation to enable more Chicagoans to dream and flourish through a vibrant and sustainable creative ecosystem. We covered eligibility criteria, the application process, and the program timeline. We also devoted time for Q&A.
Key links:
Watch the recording
Download the ART presentation
Review the ART scoring rubric
Read MacArthur’s perspective on participatory grantmaking
Important Dates:
April 15: ART application portal opens
May 16: Portal closes
June-August: Panel review
November: ART grant recipients announcement
Field Foundation ART & Leadership Initiatives Director Richard Tran shared details of the ART initiative during the April 14 info session.
Questions? Email us at arts@fieldfoundation.org or cea@macfound.org.
“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 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.
American Indian Association of Illinois
American Indian Center of Chicago
Artists’ Cooperative Residency and Exhibitions Project
Haitian American Museum of Chicago
Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago
National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2024 “A Road Together” (ART) grants! Through this initiative—a partnership between the Field Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation—51 small to mid-sized, arts organizations will receive $1.6 million in funding.
Celebrating our One-Year ART Grant Recipients
Through the ART initiative, the Field Foundation staff selected 26 organizations to receive one-year grants. Among this group, grants range between $10,000 and $50,000. ART grant recipients will receive unrestricted, general operating funds to help the organizations achieve their missions.
Africa International House USA
Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center
Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Foundation
Collaboraction Theatre Company
National Museum of Gospel 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.
