During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arts Alliance Illinois put in advocacy work to demonstrate how hard the creative sector was impacted.
“It was hundreds of millions of dollars of losses across our state. It’s not just the revenue lost that we are talking about here, we are really talking about the loss of our cultural assets,” Claire Rice, executive director of Arts Alliance Illinois told NBC 5.
They were able to secure a $50 million grant called The Illinois Creative Recovery Grant or B2B Arts Grant, benefitting individual creatives and arts organizations.
“And when they told me about the grant, I was like, whoa, this is so big,” says Sam Thousand, Chicago musician, composer and producer.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
He told NBC 5 that 2019 was his best year in terms of live performance gigs, a good streak that came to a screeching halt when the pandemic hit.
“I went into a deep depression at one point, without even understanding why,” Thousand said.
He is also a curator and booking manager, so he was hit from all angles, telling NBC 5 he was greatly impacted financially.
Local
Sam Thousand also co-founded an arts advocacy organization called ChiBrations. Thousand plans to use some of his grant money to help other artists.
The deadline to apply for the grant is May 10.
“If you’re part of that creative economy in the arts and culture sector that brings such vitality to our state, it is very likely that you are eligible for this if you lost income due to COVID," Rice said.
Rice says the application process is fairly streamlined, and the Arts Alliance has online resources to help you navigate the process, and can offer one-on-one counseling.
“To me, it's an unprecedented opportunity, because it's is simple,” says Thousand. “But, it's also for people who may feel like there is no more opportunity out there.”
There are also separate grants available for restaurants and hotels. Check out the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for more information.
