Issue 62 / September 19, 2025

In this issue:

• Governor Pritzker Announces $16.2 Million in FY26 Arts Funding

• IAC Final Report Reminder

• Chicago Architecture Biennial 2025

• National Museum for Puerto Rican Arts & Culture Unveils New Educational Garden and Mosaic

• Illinois Artist Jennifer Bock-Nelson Receives 2025 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities

• Illinois Artist Spotlight

• Additional Opportunities

Governor Pritzker Announces $16.2 Million in FY26 Arts Funding

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) today announce awards totaling $16.2 million in grants to 1,123 artists, arts organizations, and communities throughout Illinois for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2026. This year's funding empowers the creative sector, bolsters youth employment in the arts, and enhances regional arts initiatives across the state.

Key allocations include $1 million through the Creative Accelerator Fund to support 100 artists, over $14.6 million for General Operating Support and Youth Employment in the Arts, and $575,000 for Regional Arts Partner Grants, addressing local community needs.

As stated by Governor Pritzker, “The arts enrich our lives, our communities, and our culture.” Adds Nora Daley, IAC Board Chair, "By supporting our creative ecosystem, we are fostering innovation, cultural diversity, and economic vitality across the state." For more details on the FY26 Q1 grants, visit today's full press release HERE.

IAC Final Report Reminder

As noted earlier this month, the IAC is happy to report that it has been working to update and simplify its final report process. This work is still in process and final reports are not yet available in Salesforce. Please know that an email from our grants office to FY25 grantees is forthcoming. This email will include necessary links and instructions on how, and when, to file your final report. When the letter is sent out, reports will be due 30-days from the date of that letter. Reports will NOT be due on September 30th for this year. Thank you for your patience during this process!

Chicago Architecture Biennial 2025

A Decade of Innovation and Design

Vertical City by Tom Harris is featured at the upcoming Chicago Architecture Biennial at Chicago's Cultural Center

The IAC is pleased to announce the upcoming Chicago Architecture Biennial, titled SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, running from September 19, 2025, to February 28, 2026. This sixth edition marks a decade of the Biennial as North America’s premier platform for contemporary architecture. Co-directed by IAC Board member Sarah Herda and IAC Board Chair Nora Daley, the Biennial will feature over 100 innovative architects and designers from around the world, showcasing their work in free public exhibitions across Chicago. This year's biennial explores the current and potential impact of architecture and design on global issues, focusing on material production, collective housing, and migration. Many of these free exhibits and events can be found at the Chicago Cultural Center, with a selection of off-site projects, related exhibitions, and programming in neighborhoods all across the city.

“Chicago is known the world over as a hub of architecture and design, and the 2025 Architecture Biennial will further enrich that legacy,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. The Biennial promises to foster critical conversations about design's impact on our communities and the future of urban spaces.

National Museum for Puerto Rican Arts & Culture Unveils New Educational Garden and Mosaic

Opening remarks by Billy Ocasio, President of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture - Photo credit, Illinois Arts Council Deputy Director, Encarnacion Teruel.

On Monday, September 8, 2025, the National Museum for Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (NMPRAC) celebrated the grand opening of its new Outdoor Educational Programming Space and Garden. This significant event featured the unveiling of “El Llamado (The Call),” a mosaic mural by renowned Boricua artist Celso González. The mural, which integrates the faces of notable Puerto Rican figures, symbolizes the rich history and cultural connections between Puerto Rico and Chicago.

IAC's Deputy Director, Encarnacion Teruel, joined museum staff, community members, and local artists in the festivities, which included a special poem by Mayda Del Valle and lively salsa music by Stephanie Rivera and her band. As the museum continues its mission to foster community engagement and cultural celebration, this beautiful new space promises to be a hub for learning and artistic expression. The IAC congratulates the NMPRAC as they celebrate their 25th anniversary, and we look forward to seeing how this vibrant new space will enhance community engagement and cultural education for years to come.

Illinois Artist Jennifer Bock-Nelson Receives 2025 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities

"Exhale" watercolor and colored pencil on paper, 2024 by Jennifer Bock-Nelson

The IAC extends heartfelt congratulations to Jennifer Bock-Nelson of Quincy, Illinois, for being named one of the nine recipients of the 2025 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities by Arts Midwest. Chosen from over 400 submissions, this prestigious award recognizes the remarkable contributions of disabled visual artists in the Midwest.

Jennifer, who has faced challenges with Tourette’s Syndrome, finds that creating art allows her to transcend her physical experience and enter a state of flow. As she returns to academia as an art professor, she is committed to helping students, especially those who are neurodivergent, embrace their unique perspectives. Says Jennifer, “My work is about perception and how we see. In addition to teaching methods of painting and drawing, I help all students learn to see and experience the world around them. I make a concerted effort to help neurodivergent students embrace their unique way of seeing.”

Follow the link below for the full press release from Arts Midwest: 9 Artists Receive the 2025 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities.

Illinois Artist Spotlight

Adriana Trajkovski, FY25 Creative Catalyst Grant Recipient

Adriana Trajkovski is a Chicago-based actor, writer, and filmmaker. She performs regularly with her improv team, My Son, Daniel, and has performed as a cast member of the iO Theater's house team program, The Annoyance Theater’s annual holiday show IT’S CHRISTMAS, GODDAMNIT!, and various other sketch shows at The Second City, The Annoyance, and iO. This year she wrote, co-directed, and starred in two short films, "Plants" and "Pistachio," that are making their way through the film festival circuit. She is represented by DDO Chicago.

"Currently I am in pre-production for three film projects, most of which came from connections I made while making Pistachio and all of which will be filmed in Chicago," says Adriana. "Pistachio is my second short film, and it would not have been possible without the generous support of the Illinois Arts Council’s Creative Catalyst Grant. It allowed me the freedom to take large creative leaps and compensate all of my expert collaborators. Working with exceptional talent from Chicago’s comedy community was my number one goal, and that is exactly what I was able to do with this film. I look forward to bringing everything I have learned from this opportunity to my future projects."

To learn more about Adriana, follow her on Instagram: @adrianatrajkovski.