Issue 60 / September 5, 2025

In this issue:

• New Music Chicago's Ear Taxi Festival

• Final Report Update

• Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Grants

• Arts Midwest GIG Fund Application Deadline is Approaching

• Muse Vlog Artist Spotlight

• Additional Opportunities

New Music Chicago's Ear Taxi Festival

A Historic Showcase of Illinois Composers, Ensembles

Featured composer, Damien Geter, who infuses classical music with various styles from the Black diaspora, will present the Midwest premiere of “An African American Requiem” performed by the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra and the Apollo Chorus of Chicago at this year's Ear Taxi Festival.

The Ear Taxi Festival, running from October 3-31, 2025, is set to be a cornerstone of Chicago's contemporary music scene. Organized by New Music Chicago (NMC), this year’s festival will feature over 500 artists and more than 50 hours of innovative programming, showcasing the immense talent of Illinois-based composers and ensembles. This third iteration builds on the success of previous festivals in 2016 and 2021, providing a platform for both established and emerging voices in new music, in an array of genres.

Said Ear Taxi's Curatorial Director, Amy Wurtz, “The spirit of Ear Taxi has always been inclusion of the vast diversity of styles at play in the "new music" landscape and we really have made every effort to represent this diversity in all its scope. We have also chosen to focus on collaboration this year, not only with our stated theme of voice and instruments, but also in terms of organizations both large and small (Chicago Philharmonic//Chicago Fringe Opera), venues both grand and intimate (Harris Theater/Experimental Sound Studios) and composers both established and just starting out (Regina Harris Baiocchi/any one of our 27 commissioned composers!). We have spread out the festival across the city in multiple venues in all directions, bringing music to people right where they are.” Adds NMC's President Ben Zucker, "It doesn't happen often, but every time it does, Ear Taxi catalyzes audiences and artists alike, showing us all the big picture of our community's creative power and keeping the city and state at the forefront of national and global audiences' minds."

This year’s thematic focus, ‘The Composer’s Voice,’ offers an unprecedented number of commissions for Illinois-based composers—20 through the Composers Showcase and up to 15 more through the Taxi Concerts—making it the largest single commissioning initiative in Illinois history. 

Final Report Update

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is happy to report that it has been working to update and simplify its final report process. This work has caused a slight delay as to when final reports will be available to complete 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. Thank you for your patience during this process!

LISC and Foot Locker, Inc., through the Foot Locker Foundation, are launching a fifth round of grants for the Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program, which funds nonprofit community organizations that connect youth to mentorship, education, career development, and health services.

The Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program offers two types of grants: 


• Grants to support current youth programming, create new programming or extend existing programming. These grants will range from $25,000 to $75,000 over one year. 
• Grants to support capital improvement projects that enhance the impact of youth programming. These grants will range from $25,000 to $100,000 over one year. 

Interested organizations must submit an online application by September 30, 2025.

Reminder: Arts Midwest GIG Fund Application Deadline is Approaching

Applications are still open for the GIG Fund! These grants of up to $15,000 help Midwestern organizations host creative and engaging public activities.

Intents to Apply are due September 15, 2025.

What is it? The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 that helps organizations bring artists into their community. This year, there are two tracks: GIG Fund and GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness.

Who can apply? 501c3 non-profit organizations, hospitals, and clinics; and tribal organizations.

• GIG Fund is for organizations with budgets under $2 million annually whose projects reach underserved audiences.
• GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness is for organizations of any budget size whose projects have an arts and wellness focus.

Where? Your organization must be located and operate in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography. 

When to apply? A mandatory Intent to Apply is due September 15, 2025, with final applications due September 29, 2025. Notifications will be made in November 2025, with funded projects occurring between December 2025 – June 2026.

Muse Vlog Artist Spotlight

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is proud to present the latest episode of The Muse VLOG, featuring craft artist and FY24 IAC Fellowship recipient Jade Yumang. Born in Quezon City, Philippines, and raised across Dubai and Vancouver, Jade now resides in Chicago, where he serves as an associate professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work intricately explores the nuances of queer identity through innovative techniques and materials, engaging viewers in a dialogue about phenomenology and cultural narratives.

The interview, led by IAC's Margaret Gonzalez takes place at the Oh Art Foundation with Jade's recent exhibit, "A Queer Viscera Sucker Comes to America" as its backdrop. Jade describes the viscera sucker, a figure from Philippine folklore, as a symbol of resilience against dominant forces, free from constraints and proudly displaying colorful, embellished wings. The work invites audiences to engage with the ongoing conversation about identity and belonging.

On receiving an IAC Fellowship, Jade shares, "It has been an incredible opportunity that propelled me to present three consecutive solo shows throughout 2024, all of which were immersive installation exhibitions. Additionally, I decided to invest in a double-bed knitting machine, which opened up a world of creative possibilities. This new equipment allowed me to produce a fresh body of work that quickly developed into yet another solo show in 2025, and I am currently preparing for another solo show in 2026."

This year Jade will be featured in a hardcover international publication by Thames and Hudson AU on textiles in contemporary art. In 2026, Jade will participate in residencies at Roger Brown in New Buffalo, Michigan, and AHVA/University of British Columbia, Vancouver as well as a show at Borzello Gallery, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. 

Don’t miss this inspiring episode of the Muse VLOG!