{"article":{"id":955,"title":"UPDATED: Federal, State + Local COVID-19 Loans for Galleries, Artists + Arts Groups","excerpt":"","body":"

By CGN STAFF

Every business that has had to close its doors to the public and suspend planned events and exhibitions is in need of meaningful support from multiple sources right now. As of today there are several avenues officially open for applying for financial assistance for galleries and small arts businesses. 

We are posting key information for you below and hope that you can get started right away to secure funds to keep your operations going and your staff paid during these unpredictable times. These are communications we have received via our aldermen as well as city and state offices. Good luck! Stay safe! If you want to talk to Emily or Ginny in the \"office\" email us.

––

An Overview: 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocated $350 billion to help small businesses keep workers employed amid the pandemic and economic downturn. There are several kinds of loans and grants available. Because funds are limited, it is important to file as soon as possible. If you have a banker today, call them to make an appointment. However, you can apply online now for the EIDL loan below.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program - The Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing federal disaster loans to businesses of less than 500 employees, non-profits, sole proprietorships, independent contractors, and faith based organizations. Apply NOW at the SBA’s website. NOTE: you must have all information available with you when you apply. You CANNOT save an unfinished application.

Paycheck Protection Program, provides 100% federally guaranteed loans to small businesses. Under the program:

The administration is releasing details soon. In the meantime, see if you are eligible and find out needed paperwork by visiting the US Chamber of Commerce website.

SBA 7(a) Loans - These are the typical SBA loans. Under the CAREs Act,

Please contact your lender if you have a current loan, or the local SBA office

There are many helpful resources, and I strongly suggest that every business download these guides.

 

Artists: Apply for the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund

If you are a practicing artist, an Illinois resident, and experiencing financial loss or hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, keep reading.

3Arts is a partner in the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund (AIRF), a statewide effort that provides financial relief to artists and arts organizations with urgent need due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is a public-private partnership between the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the broader philanthropic community, and the residents of Illinois. The fund is managed by Arts Alliance Illinois and implemented by partnering organizations 3Arts and Arts Work Fund.

3Arts is managing the distribution of funds to Illinois artists based on an open application process. (Emergency support for arts organizations is being managed by Arts Work Fund, using a separate application. Learn about that opportunity here.)

Through AIRF, 3Arts will issue $1,500 unrestricted, one-time grants to as many eligible artists as possible, given the total funding available.

Please read our FAQ page for further details on eligibility, the application and selection process, and grant distribution. 

Artists will be required to submit a W9 form in order to receive payment. There are multiple ways to provide us with that form. Please consult our FAQ page for options.

Because of the magnitude of this crisis, we anticipate more requests for funding than there are funds to distribute. Following equitable practices, the grants will be available and distributed in phases to allow time for internal processing as well as communication to reach as many artists as possible, especially those who may not have immediate access to technology or other resources to complete an application quickly. We will update this page with application time frames, and, during temporary closures while we wait to receive additional funding, invite artists to be notified personally when a new cycle opens.

Grant selections will be based on a lottery system. Any applications not selected in one round will automatically be re-entered into subsequent cycles for consideration.

Due to our limited response capacity, please refer to the FAQ and the application itself which will have further instructions. Should you have any obstacles or questions when completing your application that the FAQ page does not answer, you can reach us at: contact@3arts.org.

Apply Now

 

Chicago Artist Coalition Grants

CAC is pleased to share that it is moving forward with its artist grants that are typically awarded in person each spring. Artist grants, which are more important than ever to our artist community will be awarded and celebrated electronically later this month and in early May. We recognize that now more than ever, artists need funds to support their studio practice. Stay tuned! 

In these uncertain times, it is empowering that nonprofit service organizations are providing the necessary resources to artists to continue their livelihood. Below are external resources offering emergency relief. Please contact the organizations listed directly if you have questions about any opportunity:

Closed but keep an eye if they re-open: 

Additional COVID-19 Resources: 

Arts for Illinois

Updated April 1: 

Today, Arts Alliance Illinois joined Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot in launching Arts for Illinois — a collaboration between the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and members of the philanthropic community to support the statewide creative sector during the COVID-19 crisis.

This new platform will raise money for and provide direct relief to the creative professionals and cultural organizations that have been impacted by the shutdown. It will also serve as an online community where creatives share their work, connecting with the public while at home during these challenging times.

Through the newly launched Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, individual artists and artisans – including stage and production members and part-time cultural workers – experiencing an urgent need are able to apply for one-time grants of $1,500 distributed by 3Arts. Grants will be awarded through a lottery system and will be disseminated quickly. 

Additionally, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations of any size will be able to apply for relief through the Arts Work Fund. Based on their demonstrated financial need, organizations will be awarded grants from $6,000 – $30,000. More information about application guidelines and eligibility can be found online. 

Visit Arts For Illinois

 

 

Small Arts Businesses: City of Chicago Resiliency Fund

The Resiliency Fund has a team of trusted experts at your service to guide you through the application, underwriting and closing phases of your loan. Questions can be submitted in English and Spanish.

Due to the high expected demand, the number of Resiliency Fund loans will be limited. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling first-come, first-served basis. We therefore recommend applying as soon as possible. To get started please click here. In the event the website is overwhelmed, we recommend checking back often to submit your application.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is committed to leveraging every dollar available to business owners from any source in order to provide as much funding as possible to Chicago's small businesses. The Resiliency Fund is structured to complement the new federal Paycheck Protection Program that the Small Business Administration (SBA) will launch soon. The City and its partners will seek to provide all Resiliency Fund loan applicants with the best offer available, including from the SBA's new program.  

APPLY HERE

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible for a Resiliency Fund loan, a small business must meet the requirements below. 

To apply, please visit us here to start your application.

In the event that you/your business does not qualify for this program, please look at the City’s resource website to find other programs that may meet your needs.

Due to the recently passed federal stimulus package, your business may be eligible for aid from the federal government. 

 

COVID-19 Federal Programs Now Available

Due to the recently passed federal stimulus package, your business may be eligible for aid from the federal government. Learn more about the current available options below.

There are additional small business grants and loans available including the Hospitality Emergency Grant (applications due April 1), Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund and Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program. 

Learn more here.

 

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By CGN STAFF


Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will reopen its Skokie location on November 11, 2026, following a renovation that expands visitor spaces, updates its core Holocaust exhibition and adds a new reflection gallery. The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.


The project includes a redesigned Lillian & Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery, an enlarged lobby in the Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center, and a refreshed Resilience Hall with an expanded stage for presentations and public programs.


Updates to the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition include additional material on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, and the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis. A new reflection gallery, accessible from the exhibition, offers visitors a quiet space during and after their visit.


“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, the Museum’s senior vice president of education and exhibitions. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”


Existing attractions, including the virtual reality theater, the interactive Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, the Take A Stand Center and the Voices of Genocide Exhibition, will remain part of the Museum’s offerings.


Following the reopening, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare will open November 15 in the special exhibition gallery. Created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the exhibition examines the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. It will remain on view through March 2027.


The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Experience360, will remain open through December 31, 2026. The downtown space opened during the Skokie renovation to provide continued access to the Museum’s immersive exhibitions.


For information and ticket reservations, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.


Image: Museum exterior. Photo by David Seide/Definedspace.com

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By GINNY VAN ALYEA


SOFA Chicago, the longtime fair devoted to sculpture, objects, functional art and collectible design, will return to the city October 28–31, 2027, as part of Chicago Art Fair at THE MART, which opened its inaugural edition last night.


Founded in Chicago in 1994, SOFA became a popular fixture on the city’s fall arts calendar. For much of its history, collectors and visitors gathered at Navy Pier to discover works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fiber, alongside sculpture and design. Its focus on materials and craftsmanship gave the fair a distinct identity and cultivated a devoted audience.


The announcement comes as the inaugural Chicago Art Fair gets underway at THE MART. The new fair opened with a preview on October 7 and continues through October 10, presenting modern and contemporary art. Tim von Gal, CEO and producer of SOFA Chicago and CEO of Intersect Art and Design, was in Chicago this week for the occasion.

Organizers describe the 2027 collaboration as two distinct but complementary presentations under one roof, with SOFA’s focus on three-dimensional art and design alongside Chicago Art Fair’s broader offerings.


“Chicago has always been an extraordinary home for SOFA and a city with a deep appreciation for art, craft, architecture and design,” said von Gal in the announcement. “Joining the Chicago Art Fair at THE MART gives us the opportunity to build upon that legacy while creating an exciting new experience for collectors and exhibitors alike.”

Eric Smith, owner of Chicago Art Fair and CEO of Redwood Art Group, said the addition would broaden the fair’s scope while preserving SOFA’s identity.


“SOFA has a remarkable legacy and a distinct identity, and its return adds an important new dimension to the fair while reinforcing Chicago’s position as a destination for collectors, galleries and art lovers from around the world,” Smith said.


For those who remember SOFA as an annual opportunity to encounter ambitious work in craft and design, the return will be welcome news. The participating galleries and programming, still to be announced, will provide a fuller picture of how that legacy will take shape in its new setting.


SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.


Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months.


Visit chicagoartfair.com for updates.

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The artist Richard Hunt



By CGN Staff


Pigment International has dedicated Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023), recognizing his contributions to American art and his lifelong connection to the city.


As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening on October 23 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts. Partners include the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, Adler University, CAI Designs, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and Diasporal Rhythms.


Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Hunt developed an internationally recognized practice while continuing to live and work in his hometown. His welded metal sculptures brought together abstract forms, references to the natural world and an enduring interest in freedom and social justice.


Hunt identified attending Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 as a turning point in his artistic life. Till had lived just two blocks from Hunt’s home. Decades later, Hunt’s public commissions would honor figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens and Ida B. Wells, while also addressing the Middle Passage and the Great Migration.

In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Hunt to the National Council on the Arts, where he became its first African American member. In 1971, at age 35, he became the first African American sculptor to receive a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His career encompassed more than 150 solo exhibitions and more than 160 public art installations.


Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.


Recent projects in Chicago offer new ways to encounter Hunt’s work and history. This fall, the Logan Center opened the Hunt, a café honoring the artist. Created and designed by Little Black Pearl founder and executive director Monica Haslip, the space incorporates two Hunt sculptures, African art, archival materials and photographs by Sandro Miller.

In Hyde Park, artist Chris Devins and historian Michelle Duster have brought a mural of Hunt to 1515–19 E. 54th Street. The portrait is based on photographs Devins took in Hunt’s studio before the sculptor’s death.


“Richard Hunt was a giant in the arts world and people need to see what he looked like and be inspired by his legacy,” Devins said.


Pigment International’s dedication also reflects its own relationship with Hunt. The organization featured him in its magazine in 2020, and he welcomed its Black Fine Art Month programming into his studio in October 2021.


#


Two events take place this month:


Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair


October 7–10, 2026.

Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.

Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.

Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms

Featured artists: Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.

Additional events are taking place during the fair


Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening

Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.

Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 pm.

Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.


Details at pigmentintl.com



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