Arts group calls on Mayor Brandon Johnson to boost cultural grants by $15M in 2027 budget

The statewide arts advocacy group Arts Alliance Illinois is calling on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to boost cultural funding in the next budget.

In an open letter to the mayor, the group says it wants the city to increase the grantmaking budget at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, which gives funding directly to artists and arts organizations, by $15 million.

How much cities and states contribute to the arts has become a key question among cultural leaders as federal funding priorities have shifted under President Donald Trump. Last year, DCASE awarded a total of $10.8 million in grants to artists and arts organizations across a number of programs, according to public records. Recipients included everything from large companies like the Joffrey Ballet to the South Side storefront Perceptions Theatre.

At its peak, the department awarded more than $22 million across all its grant programs in 2023, driven by COVID relief dollars allocated to the department by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

A recent WBEZ analysis found that while Chicago trails only New York in per capita arts dollars, Chicago was the only among the country’s five largest cities (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix) to cut the funding for its local arts agency during its most recent budget cycle. DCASE took a 15% cut in the 2026 budget.

Now, Arts Alliance is calling on Johnson to reverse the trend and is asking local cultural workers to sign on to its open letter, which they say they will share with the mayor as his administration develops next year’s budget proposal.

The group acknowledged the budget hardships the city faces, but argues that “investment in the arts should be a key part of Chicago’s FY2027 economic strategy.”

“As the City develops its FY27 budget, we ask you to demonstrate that commitment through restoring investment in the artists and cultural organizations that make Chicago great,” the letter reads. “DCASE’s direct grantmaking programs serve as a key source of support for our neighborhoods.”

The advocacy group said local investment is especially needed at a time when federal arts support has withered under the Trump administration. Private foundations have also shifted priorities elsewhere.

The group also pointed to the economic impact of the arts sector, including a study it released this summer that found Chicago’s creative economy is the city’s third-largest industry.

“Government support of arts and culture is felt not only in our theaters, our community art centers, and our studios,” the letter reads. “But across shared priorities including violence prevention, youth development, education, public health, and community building.”

Courtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.