CHICAGO – State Senator Ram Villivalam joined the Illinois Arts Council to celebrate local artists who received 2023 Artist Fellowship Awards from the Illinois Arts Council.

“Continuing to support and celebrate artists brings more to our culture and to our communities around Illinois. This award gives artists more financial stability and opportunity to continue their outstanding work and commitment to the arts,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “Recognizing these incredible artists who have created a substantial body of work throughout an outstanding artistic career with this award is one way Illinois can continue to support their creative endeavors.”

The IACA is proud to be able to provide Illinois artists with unrestricted funds to support their creative endeavors and artistic growth. The AFA Program offered funding in 8 artistic disciplines. This year's Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients were selected from 283 Illinois based creative artists working in the disciplines of Choreography, Media Arts (category includes audio art, digital art, film and video), Music Composition, Music Improvisation, New Performance Forms, Poetry, Prose, and Scriptworks.

“The Artist Fellowship Awards celebrate the backbone of Illinois’ rich cultural history: its artists," said Illinois Arts Council Executive Director, Joshua Davis-Ruperto. “Continued direct support to artists like Meida McNeal and Reina Hardy shows that the state of Illinois believes in the positive impact arts and culture can have on quality of life and the strengthening of local economies. I would like to personally thank Senator Villavalam for his continued support for Illinois’ creative sector.”

For more information on the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Artist Fellowship Program visit their website.

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