“Chicago’s creative vitality is worth celebrating, but we must acknowledge that support for the arts and culture sector has not been distributed equitably across the city’s geographies or populations. With this in mind, in 2019 MacArthur announced a new approach called Culture, Equity, and the Arts (CEA), through which we directly support organizations with annual budgets of $2 million and above,” Geoffrey Banks, senior program officer, Chicago Commitment, shares a new, more equity-centered approach for our funding to small and medium sized arts and culture organizations.
Banks continues, “The Culture, Equity, and the Arts (CEA) program has a new central goal: To promote equity by fostering collaborations between arts organizations and leaders and increasing culturally relevant experiences that reflect Chicago’s diversity.” Banks discusses the impact of the changes stemming from this central goal and how the Foundation plans to “be in close communication and conversation with the organizations most impacted as we navigate this transitional planning year on our journey toward a more equitable city together.”