Cook County announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25, the launch of the Creative Placemaking grant program as part of the Cook County Arts initiative, which is designed to boost the arts and culture sector in the suburbs.
The Creative Placemaking program is a $2 million effort that will provide grants between $50,000 and $250,000 to nonprofit organizations leading collaborative creative placemaking projects across Cook County suburbs.
“The arts represent an important economic sector that directly generates revenue, creates jobs and contributes to community well-being and vitality,” said Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “We are thrilled to announce this new grant program today to catalyze creative, collaborative and impactful projects throughout the suburbs. My administration is committed to creating communities where people want to live, work and play.”
Creative placemaking integrates arts, culture and design activities into efforts geared toward supporting social, physical and economic change in communities. Such efforts might include renovating a historic theater, building affordable live-work spaces for artists, or transforming vacant lots into lively gathering places or community exhibition sites.
Suburban nonprofit organizations, in collaboration with community stakeholders, can apply for Creative Placemaking grants through April 7 at 11:59 p.m.
By supporting the livelihoods of artists and facilitating partnerships with local community organizations and municipalities, the Creative Placemaking program will highlight the importance of arts and culture as a driver of community pride and economic vitality.
The County selected the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to manage the Creative Placemaking application process, conduct peer-to-peer learning circles and provide technical assistance to grantees as they work to implement their projects. LISC is a national leader in creative placemaking, partnering with local leaders to strengthen and transform communities.
In Chicago alone, LISC has supported 35 creative placemaking projects.
“We truly appreciate Cook County for recognizing the transformative power of the arts and creative economy in revitalizing communities economically, culturally, and artistically,” said LISC Senior Executive Director Meghan Harte. “This initiative underscores the County’s leadership in investing in areas that have often been overlooked, helping them thrive and shine. Creative placemaking serves as a core pillar of LISC’s mission to celebrate and support the unique cultural identities of these communities. Together, we’re creating vibrant, inclusive spaces where residents feel pride, connection and opportunity.”
Cook County Arts has also partnered with Arts Alliance Illinois to consult on the program and provide one-on-one support to applicants through an online Help Desk.
Information sessions and office hours will also be held online to support interested applicants.
Arts Alliance Illinois is also working with Cook County Arts to lead an ecosystem assessment that will survey the needs of the arts and culture sector in the suburbs and evaluate how the County can continue to support the sector moving forward. More information about that work can be found at artsalliance.org.
Cook County Arts is a $5 million pilot arts initiative supported by funding the County received through the American Rescue Plan Act. Established in 2024, Cook County Arts seeks to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and culture sector. The initiative focuses on suburban communities, which cannot access City of Chicago funding.
In 2024, Cook County Arts distributed $790,000 in grants to 100 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in suburban communities. Organizations received $5,000 or $10,000, depending on their annual budgets.
Since the pandemic, arts and culture organizations have faced significant challenges due to changing operational needs and decreased earned and contributed revenue.
According to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Arts Impact Initiative, artists faced significantly higher unemployment rates during the pandemic.
Despite this, the arts and culture sector is a key economic driver in Illinois; according to the National Assembly of State Art Agencies, the sector contributes over $36 billion annually to the state’s economy, as well as over 216,000 jobs.
For more information on Cook County Arts, including to apply for a Creative Placemaking grant, visit cookcountyarts.org.
