A Nicor Pillars of Giving grant will help the Flossmoor Art Council pursue one of its founding goals in the coming year.

Council founder Troy Holmes said the organization has  a strong commitment to education, not just about the creative process but about how to make art sustainable. 

“When we first started, one of our big things was to do this from studio to success, and we wanted to make it an educational component on how to be able to create a business out of their art.”

With the help of the Nicor grant, the council plans to develop a six-week workshop program that Holmes said will focus not only on the mechanics of forming a business — filing paperwork and managing money — but also branding, marketing and how to find spaces where art can be seen and supported by patrons.

The program will also address other issues not always provided for in arts education, things like physical safety and mental health. Holmes said, for example, sculptors need to understand the importance of using the right equipment and using it safely. And mental health care is something independent artists often lack if they do not have employer-provided health insurance. 

“When you’re an artist, it’s hard to have those kinds of resources,” Holmes said. 

The workshop will be designed to serve 15 to 20 students, primarily high school aged or young adults.

The organization’s mission is to bring art and art education to the underrepresented, overlooked artists in the Chicago area, but Holmes said the first workshop would probably focus on helping artists in the South Suburbs. 

Receiving the grant was the topper for what Holmes considered a successful first year for the council. 

The organization’s first event was a screening of “The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells” in February 2025 that included a panel discussion with the filmmakers. 

In September, the council sponsored a forum that brought together film industry professionals who talked about the economic development opportunities the industry could bring to the village. 

The main fundraiser, Hidden Treasures, was an appraisal event that Holmes said was well attended.

Holmes said near the end of 2025 he presented the board with an ambitious three-year strategic plan that he hopes will continue to build the organization’s momentum. One of the first events this year will be Floss Flow, a two-night poetry slam event that Holmes said could be hosted at a small business in Flossmoor. One night will feature teen poets and one night will feature adults, he said.

Another project in the works could bring prominent professional artists to the area to mentor young artists and help them learn not only about the creative process but about how to navigate the world as an artist. 

The council also has been building its leadership structure. Holmes serves as the executive director. Shannon Keys is the president of the board. Directors include Qadree Holmes, Jyrell Keys, Christopher McBride, Troy Pryor, Barry Brewer, Abby Clausing, Brian Stanley and J.R. Willard-Rose.