Issue 29 / November 15, 2024

In this issue:

• Creative Accelerator Deadline Reminder

• Upcoming Folk Arts Mentorship Drop-In Sessions

• Chicago Poetry Center Announces Poetry Out Loud Regional Competitions

• Illinois Arts Educators Association Conference

• USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka; Seeking Cultural Performers and Expert Speakers

• Forgottonia Goes to Galesburg

• In Remembrance of Ella Jenkins

• Celebrating IAC's FY24 Folk Arts Mentorship Recipients

• Illinois Artist Spotlight • Additional Opportunities

Creative Accelerator Deadline Reminder

This is a reminder that the deadline to apply to the Illinois Arts Council’s (IAC) Creative Accelerator Fund (CAF) is Wednesday, November 20, 2024. CAF provides crucial support to artists with a goal of strengthening the creative workforce that composes a significant portion of Illinois’ economic activity. This is a $10,000 taxable award.

A Creative Accelerator Fund recorded webinar with transcripts is available. In this webinar, IAC staff discuss application tips and best practices including how to use the agency’s online Salesforce grant platform. Applicants are encouraged to contact their respective Program Director with questions before the November 20 deadline.

Upcoming Folk Arts Mentorship Drop-In Sessions

Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council's (IAC) Folk Arts Mentorship (FAM) grant supports the mentoring relationship that develops between exemplary practitioners working with dedicated apprentices in ethnic, folk, and traditional arts.

In advance of the December 18, 2024 FAM deadline, the IAC will host drop-in sessions on the dates listed below. Drop-in sessions are one-hour sessions that have no agenda. Participants may ask questions of the participating Programs staff and get answers in real time. Drop-ins do not require pre-registration, click the link below to join the meeting at the designated time.

Thursday, November 21st at 10:30am

Tuesday, December 10 at 6:00pm

A pre-recorded webinar with transcripts along with all FAM grant details are available on IAC’s FAM landing page.

The FAM grant replaces a previous IAC grant known as the Master Apprenticeship Program grant. The application has been simplified and is now a $4,000 taxable grant to the Mentor artist and a $1,000 taxable grant to the Apprentice artist.

Chicago Poetry Center Announces

Poetry Out Loud Regional Competitions

Yohanna Endashaw, Chicagoland Regionals Winner & Illinois State Champion - photographed by Glenn Willoughby

Since 2017, the Chicago Poetry Center has partnered with the Illinois Arts Council as the Chicagoland Regional host for Poetry Out Loud (POL). This February, students and school partners will be offered the opportunity to perform on a stage shared by every modern US Poet Laureate, and likely their favorite poet too!

The Chicagoland Regionals two-day competition will be held at the Poetry Foundation, 61 W. Superior St. in Chicago. City School Regionals will take place on February 5, 2025 from 10am-1pm and Suburban School Regionals will take place on February 12, 2025 from 10am-1pm.

Two-time Illinois POL champion, Yohanna Endashaw, won the Suburban Schools Regionals in 2023 and again in 2024. In a recent interview, IAC's Director of Communications, George Tarasuk, spoke with Yohanna and Chicagoland Regionals Coordinator, Joy Young of the Chicago Poetry Center.

Yohanna, you have plenty of experience with POL. For you, what stands out as the most memorable moment?

For me, Poetry Out Loud was about more than reciting lines. Standing on stage, I felt the connection between myself, the poet, and the audience. The energy in the room when the audience silences to listen is both exciting and intimidating. Most of all, it is meaningful to be heard, and have a space to voice issues important to me. One of my favorite moments was performing “Once the World Was Perfect”—the power of Joy Harjo's words was unifying whether discussing humanity's faults or our ability to collectively uplift each other. 

What would you say to students thinking of signing up?

Embrace the new, even if you've never done spoken word before. It’s a chance to find your voice, build confidence, and discover the power of language. Poetry Out Loud will push you. I started as someone who loved literature but wasn’t sure about performing. POL is an incredible way to explore yourself and your capabilities to connect with an audience.

Joy, where should teachers go for help in organizing a POL competition in their school and might you have any recitation tips?

The Poetry Out Loud website offers free materials to aid teachers in implementing the program in their schools. This includes free lesson plans and other educational resources to teachers and organizers, including an online anthology with a collective of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems. E-lesson plans and other educational resources to teachers and organizers, including an online anthology with a collective of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems. 

Students should choose poems that resonate with them. Watch and study recitation videos of past performances from national finalists on the Poetry Out Loud website. A strong recitation involves making a connection with the audience through eye contact, voice projection, articulation, and body language. A student’s performance must honor the poem. Their style of delivery can influence how the audience understands and internalizes the poem’s meaning.  

Lastly, Yohanna, what would you say to a teacher thinking of bringing POL to their school?

Poetry Out Loud offers students a space to express themselves with depth, building confidence and empathy. For myself, and many other champions I've spoken to, it became a journey of self-discovery through language. POL is a unique community around the art of expression.

Poetry Out Loud Registration is now available. The deadline to register is January 17, 2025.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. For questions about Chicagoland Regionals registration and contest details contact Joy Young at: joy@poetrycenter.org.

Illinois Arts Educators Association Conference Celebrating Creativity and Collaboration

Susan Tiemstra, Hinsdale, Angelique Grandone, IAC Program Director, and Jennifer Wargin, Oak Lawn, at the IAEA conference opening reception on Thursday October 17 in Bloomington IL

IAC Program Director, Angelique Grandone, attended the 76th annual Illinois Arts Educators Association (IAEA) conference in Bloomington, Illinois this past October. The conference provided lively and insightful professional development for visual art, media, and design educators from throughout the state.

Sessions covered dozens of topics relevant to K-12, higher education, museums, and beyond. This year's distinguished speakers included Rose Marshack (ISU School of Music and founding member of the bands Poster Children and Salaryman), Oscar Joyo (Chicago-based portrait artist), and Candido Crespo (K-12 art educator and founder of the creativiDAD project). Notable organizations, such as the McLean County Arts Center, Illinois State University Center for Visual Arts, Illinois Art Station, and Illinois State University Galleries led special art demonstrations and workshops showcasing innovative arts practices.

Attendees were also invited to immerse themselves in the local art scene with a gallery walk in downtown Bloomington. The conference culminated in a celebration of young talent at the annual Student Art Show and the Student Video/Animation Showcase Award Ceremony, coordinated by Susan Tiemstra (elementary art teacher, Dist.181, and 2024 recipient of the IAEA President's Award).

Said IAC Program Director, Angelique Grandone, "With a blend of inspiration, education, and community engagement, the conference reinforced the importance of arts in education and the collaborative spirit of those dedicated to nurturing creativity in students throughout Illinois."

USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka; Seeking Cultural Performers and Expert Speakers

Meridian International Center and the United States (U.S.) Department of State’s International Expositions Unit (Expo Unit) are seeking U.S. Cultural performers and expert speakers to perform and/or speak at the USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. This program is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and is implemented by Meridian International Center. All travel and lodging expenses will be covered by the program. Cultural performers and expert speakers should:

• Embody the best and most authentic representation of American dance, music, theatre, literature, art, food, sport, and other aspects of American culture;
• Collectively reflect the full cultural richness and diversity of the U.S.;
• Attract the interest and engagement of Expo visitors through varied performances, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, master classes, and media engagements; and
• Support U.S. public diplomacy goals to promote U.S. history, culture, and values in Japan and throughout the region.

The Application deadline is November 30, 2024.

Forgottonia Goes to Galesburg

Chris Vallillo, an arts educator and a long-time Artstour Roster artist has dedicated the last 35 years to capturing the essence of "un-metropolitan America" through his music and folklore projects. He documented the last of the pre-radio generation of rural Illinois musicians in his culminating work entitled, Forgottonia. This production was developed with the help of two Rural Initiative Grants from Illinois Humanities, as well as a Creative Catalyst Grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

On November 23, Chris Vallillo will bring Forgottonia, to the Orpheum Theater in Galesburg, Illinois in the first of three performances booked around the state. 

The show, which premiered in July at the Hainline Theater in Macomb, is a uniquely Western Illinois performance that features Vallillo’s music and storytelling, choreographed with the striking black and white image projections from award winning photographer, Tim Schroll, chronicling the changes that have taken place in rural Illinois over the past forty years.

Kevin Maynard, past Executive Director of Quad City Arts Council saw the debut performance and had this to say, “The show is incredible! It felt like being in the audience of Prairie Home Companion as Chris shared stories and music. It is about that region of Illinois, but really is a look at rural America.” 

In Remembrance of Ella Jenkins

The IAC extends deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ella Jenkins, who encouraged millions of children to sing along with her in a career that spanned more than 60 years. Ella Jenkins died this past week at the age of 100.

Aptly nicknamed the “First Lady of Children’s Music,” Ella Jenkins laid the groundwork for the field of children’s music and inspired generations of children’s music leaders who have followed in her footsteps. Her irrepressible love of music, songs, and children have endeared her to millions worldwide.

Celebrating IAC's FY24 Folk Arts Mentorship Recipients

Mentor, Tatsu Aoki, (aka Sanjuro Toyoaki), is a leading advocate for the Asian American community, as well as a prolific composer, a performer of traditional and contemporary music forms. He was born in 1958 into the Toyoaki-moto artisan family in Tokyo, Japan and was performing Toyoaki shamisen by the age of four. In the early 1970s, Aoki was active in Tokyo’s underground arts movement with traditional music and experimental arts. In 1977, Aoki left Tokyo and is now one of the most in-demand performers of bass, shamisen, and taiko, contributing to more than 100 recording projects and touring internationally over the last 40 years. He has received numerous awards including the Chicago’s Cultural Achievement Award, the “Living in our Culture” Award and the Illinois Arts Council Ethnic and Folk Arts Master Apprentice Grant for over 10 years teaching shamisen. In 2017, he received the Illinois Secretary of State Community Service Award by Asian American Advisory Council and a Commendation for Promotion of Japanese Culture by the Foreign Ministry of Japan. In 2019, Aoki was also awarded the Community Service award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago for his continued leadership and contribution to the community. In 2020, he received the United States Artists Fellowship for Traditional Arts and the Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award for Ethnic and Folk Arts for his achievements in shamisen. Tatsu currently serves as Executive Director of Asian Improv aRts MidWest (AIRMW), an Asian American cultural arts presenter organization.

Apprentice, Kiku Taura, is a third-generation Japanese American (Sansei), born and raised in Chicago. She received her BFA degree from the University of Illinois in 1975, and MFA degree from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1977. Kiku lived in Japan for 21 years, during which time she studied taiko with the American artist Kenny Endo, followed by nagauta-style shime taiko and shamisen under the tutelage of the Japanese artist Mochizuki Saburo. In 1995, Kiku joined Swiss Bank which later became the global financial services company UBS, eventually becoming Head of Human Resources for the Global Asset Management division. Kiku returned to the US in 2007, and began studying shamisen and taiko under Tatsu Aoki in 2012. She and Aoki sensei have received the Master Apprentice grant from the Illinois Arts Council 10 times over 11 years. In 2023, Kiku took part in a special ceremony in Japan in which she received her Meimei (name) certification from Toyoaki Toyoko, Aoki sensei’s mother, receiving the name Toyoaki Umeshi. Kiku continues to study under Aoki sensei, assisting with and learning to teach students of the Toyoaki school.