CHICAGO, IL (OCTOBER 24, 2022)–3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit grantmaking organization, honors the milestone 15th anniversary of the 3Arts Awards with nearly half a million dollars in unrestricted grants to Chicago artists. The 15th annual 3Arts Awards Celebration takes place Monday, November 7 via livestream on YouTube where the organization will honor ten new 3Arts Awards recipients with $30,000 cash grants, announce $50,000 Next Level/Spare Room awardees, and award ten additional artists with $2,000 cash grants through Make a Wave. The online event is free to the public and features commissioned performances by 3Arts artists, including Aram Han Sifuentes, Bethany Thomas, Robby Lee Williams, and Santiago X. Registration is required at https://3arts.org/event/. 

In its 15-year history, 3Arts has supported more than 1,800 artists across all program areas, representing approximately 70% women artists, 70% artists of color, and 20% Deaf and disabled artists working in the six-county metropolitan area, and distributed $5.8 million in direct grants. Through cash awards, project funding, residency fellowships, professional development, and promotion, 3Arts cultivates and sustains the vibrancy of Chicago’s art community by allowing artists to take risks, experiment, and build momentum in their careers. 

Since its founding in 1912 as The Three Arts Club of Chicago by activist Jane Addams and other visionaries, women have been leading the 3Arts organization in its mission to support under-represented artists. In addition to marking the 110th anniversary of the founding of The Three Arts Club of Chicago, 2022 also marks 20 years of women-led leadership under Executive Director Esther Grimm, currently at the helm of 3Arts. During her tenure, the awards have grown significantly to include artists of all performing arts disciplines and the largest grant program for teaching artists in the country. In addition, 3Arts has established and expanded programs that respond to specific moments and changing needs of Chicago artists, such as with the organization’s critical COVID-19 relief funding, the unique Make a Wave initiative, and the newest Next Level/Spare Room Awards in which past 3Arts artists receive second grants of $50,000 each.

"It has been an honor to be a part of the ever-expanding 3Arts community for the past 20 years," reflects 3Arts Executive Director Grimm, "3Arts is more than a granting organization: it is truly a community of artists supporting each other and coming together to enrich and empower our great city. During the 2022 awards ceremony, we invite the whole city to join in our community for an evening of sharing joy, hope, and love with our award recipients and all the artists who call Chicago home." 

The 2022 recipients of 3Arts Awards are:

Dance artists Winifred Haun and Sarita Smith Childs; musicians Akenya and Nashon Holloway; teaching artists Peregrine Bermas and Simone Reynolds; theater artists Miranda Gonzalez and Omar Abbas Salem; and visual artists Rozalinda Borcilă and zakkiyyah najeebah dumas-o’neal.

a Wave artists receive $2,000 per artist, thanks to the generous partnership of the Siragusa Family Foundation. The 2022 recipients of Make A Wave grants are Zahra Glenda Baker (vocalist, storyteller, and teaching artist); Maggie Brown (vocalist and teaching artist); Stephanie “Stef Skills” Garland (street art muralist and educator); Leah Ra’chel Gipson (interdisciplinary artist and scholar); Terry Guest (playwright, actor, and director); Malik Johnson aka 99TheProducer (cellist, composer, and producer); Ivan Lozano (visual artist and podcaster); Elisabeth YJ Seonwoo aka Kerberus (dancer); Andrea Yarbrough (maker, curator, and educator); and Wai Yim (actor, director, choreographer, and playwright).

The celebratory evening is co-chaired by Candace Hunter (past 3Arts awardee), Lynn M. Lockwood (civic leader), and Mel Smith (3Arts Treasurer).

In addition to supporting artists with cash grants, 3Arts will premiere new commissions by Chicago artists during the Awards celebration. This year’s event features: Aram Han Sifuentes (past 3Arts and Next Level awardee) in a new performance with the all-women percussion group Woori Sori (“Our Voice”); Bethany Thomas (past 3Arts awardee) in a new music video for her original song “Walls + Ceilings” from her debut album BT/SHE/HER; Robby Lee Williams (past 3Arts/Bodies of Work Fellow, and dancer and disability advocate) in a new dance film with fellow dancer Connor Cornelius and visual artist Genevieve Ramos; and Santiago X (past 3Arts awardee) presenting a new video from his Land Acknowledgement series.