Will Chicago arts funding see a boost from City Hall?
Amid questions about sustaining creative industries
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 budget calls for about $73 million for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) for next year, a proposed increase of 11% from the previous year’s budget. However, when compared to last year’s budget, DCASE’s funding is actually down, according to Geoffrey Cubbage, a policy and budget analyst with the Better Government Association.
DCASE is responsible for marquee events like Taste of Chicago and the Chicago Blues Festival that draw locals and tourists downtown. The department has also increasingly become a critical funding source for small and midsize artists, administering grants that allow many in Chicago’s creative scene to continue their work.
Funding for artists and events
DCASE’s funding comes from the city’s special events and hotel tax, plus a mix of public and private grants. The department will not comment on the budget until it is approved, but Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth described next year’s budget as a boost, which is needed to maintain the department’s support of individual artists and arts organizations around town, while also keeping up with rising costs for large-scale events, especially as COVID relief dollars run dry.
Arts advocacy groups are also trying to parse what the proposed budget will mean for the city’s cultural sector, especially when it comes to DCASE’s grant programs.
Grant programs and funding
Rice, with the Arts Alliance, said her organization is “cautiously optimistic” that the same level of funding for DCASE’s direct grantmaking will be available next year.
“We’re optimistic that they can maintain grant funding even in this extraordinarily challenging year, which was our primary goal,” Rice said. “We’re excited to get as much money as we can into the hands of the arts and culture makers of the city.”
DCASE leaders said at the Friday hearing that maintaining the grants programs is a priority.
“We are hopefully, with this increase, able to maintain our number of grants that we’ve had for the past couple of years and not take a decrease,” Meida McNeal, DCASE’s deputy commissioner for cultural grants and resources, told alderpersons. “That is how we will continue to support both individual artists and arts organizations.”
Conclusion
While the proposed budget increase for DCASE is promising, arts advocates are urging the city to prioritize sustained funding for the department and its grant programs. The city’s cultural sector relies heavily on DCASE funding, and a decrease in funding could have significant implications for the city’s artists and arts organizations.
FAQs
What is the proposed budget increase for DCASE? The proposed budget increase for DCASE is 11% from the previous year’s budget.
What is the current level of funding for DCASE? The current level of funding for DCASE is $66 million, according to the city’s budget documents.
What are the main sources of funding for DCASE? The main sources of funding for DCASE are the city’s special events and hotel tax, plus a mix of public and private grants.
What is the goal of the grant programs? The goal of the grant programs is to support individual artists and arts organizations around town, as well as to maintain the department’s support of large-scale events.
