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Chicago Artists Coalition announces awardees for SPARK Grant 2021 - $2,000 per artist

• $60,000 in Unrestricted Funds Go to 30 Artists in 2021 SPARK Grant Cycle
• High Demand Funds for Astounding Artists in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL. May 17, 2021 — Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC) announces today a total of 30 SPARK Grant awardees who will each receive $2,000 in unrestricted funds during the 2021 grant cycle. In its third year, the SPARK Grant program continues to expand the number of awards, in the effort to support more Chicago artists.

The SPARK Grant began in 2019 as an annual, unrestricted award opportunity for Chicago-based visual artists who identify as ALAANA (Asian, Latinx, Arab, African diaspora, Native), an artist with a demonstrated need, an artist with a disability, or as a self-taught or informally trained artist who is striving to make their art practice a primary vocation.

In its first year, the SPARK Grant was awarded to 15 artists and in the subsequent year to 25 artists. Each year there is a continuous increase of SPARK applications indicative of the need within the artists community. With the generous support of the Joyce Foundation and an anonymous donor, the SPARK Grant this year expanded to 30 unrestricted awards of $2,000 each.

Celebrating its 47th anniversary this year, CAC has a strong recent history of supporting emerging Chicago-based visual artists through unrestricted grant funds, and has administered a total of $140,000 in unrestricted SPARK Grants to 70 artists in three years.

Congratulations SPARK Grant Recipients!

SPARK GRANTS 2021 - $2,000 per artist

A.Martinez, Ariella Granados, Cherrie Yu, Cristian Roldan, darien R Wendell, Deborah Awwad, Elnaz Javani, Hankyeol Song, Jada-Amina, Jade Wong, Janelle Miller, Jennifer Villanueva, Jiayi Chen, Jon Veal, Jory Drew, Joshua Jackson, Kris Casey, Mercedes Cardenas, Miao Wang, Qais Assali, Sasha Phyars-Burgess, Shirien Damra, Sky Cubacub, SUNGJAE LEE, Sydnie Jimenez, Tariyawn Knighten, Tattiana Howard, Youree Kim, Yuge Zhou and zakkiyyah najeebah dumas-o'neal

Thanks to our SPARK Grant Jurors!

Nicole Marroquin, Reveca Torres, and Sarah-Ji

And Thanks to our Sponsors!

The Joyce Foundation

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For more information about the SPARK Grant and its recipients, click here.