By CGN Staff via PR

On Monday night 3Arts, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Chicago's women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities who work in the performing, teaching, and visual arts, held their annual awards ceremony, this year virtually. Staff was busy in advance of the event sprading the word that they hoped to make it a 500-person strong event. Monday's livestream ended up drawing more than 1,700 people, far more than would have ever fit in a single room were the event held in person as usual. 

The event helped raise $30,000, which will be distributed evenly among 3Arts, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

The nonprofit also shared the news of a new award: 3Arts Next Level/Spare Room Awards. Thanks to the generosity and vision of an Anonymous Donor from the Chicago Community Foundation, 3Arts is inaugurating a new program: an unrestricted cash grant of $50,000 for three women visual artists who are past 3Arts awardees.

A unique concept in the grantmaking field in which a second award at a higher level is distributed to a past recipient, the Next Level Awards reflect 3Arts' belief that once is not enough and that artists thrive with continued investment at critical junctures.

The three inaugural recipients are: Hương Ngô, Amanda Williams, and Folayemi Wilson.

The full press release is here.

More $$$. More help for artists.

3Arts also revealed that, as it has been six years since we they last increased the amount of the annual 3Arts Awards, 2020 seemed like the perfect time to double down on support for Chicago artists. They announced that beginning this year, the ten annual 3Arts Awards will be unrestricted cash grants of $30,000.

Announcing: 3ER (3Arts Emergency Response)

3ER is both an immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on artists and an effort to establish an ongoing fund for artists in any time of personal crisis. Beginning this fall, 3Arts will invite nearly 350 artists from their network to apply for $500 grants to alleviate pressing financial needs as a result of lost income. 

This program is intended to provide swift, short-term relief when artists’ basic livelihoods are precarious and to utilize a distribution process that puts as little administrative burden on artists as possible.

3Arts shared that individual donors and other supporters have already helped them launch the fund with an initial 3ER grant cycle of $50,000.

The Livestream Lives On

If you missed the show or just want to relive the magic, here are archived video links and more:

• 2020 3Arts Awards Celebration (full program)
• 2020 3Arts Awardee profiles
• "Exquisite Arts" performances created by 13 past 3Arts awardees
• Sam Trump's music video for "New World"