By CGN Staff

3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit that supports artists in the performing, teaching, and visual arts, has announced 17 recipients of its annual 3Arts Awards. The organization will distribute more than $1 million in grants this year, a $400,000 increase from previous years, in direct response to widespread national cuts in arts funding.

“A thriving city depends on a thriving arts community,” said Cat Tager, Executive Director of 3Arts. “Right now, our arts community faces mounting challenges with each new day, each news cycle, and each trip to the grocery store. Recognizing this critical moment, so similar to the onset of the pandemic, 3Arts will dramatically increase our support for artists this year.”

Honoring Artists Across Disciplines

Now in its 18th year, the 3Arts Awards recognize Chicago-area artists working in dance, music, teaching, theater, and visual art. Each awardee receives $30,000 in unrestricted support, part of the organization’s mission to sustain creative practice through direct and flexible funding.

The 2025 honorees include dance artists Wendy Clinard, Chih-Jou Cheng (程之柔), and Torrence “Tea Buggz” Griffin; musicians Tommy Carroll, Ariella Granados, Kara Jackson, and Maxwell Senteney; teaching artists ebere agwuncha, Victoria Boateng, and Tom Lee; theater artists Rammel Chan, Nina Castillo-D’Angier, and Kristin Idaszak; and visual artists Jess Atieno, Leasho Johnson, Fern Logan, and Odette Stout.

The 2025 3Arts Awards Celebration will take place Monday, November 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph St.), featuring performances by past awardees including The Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, D-Composed, and an aerial collaboration by Michel Rodriguez and Jacinda Ratcliffe. Tickets ($150–$300) include a reception, ceremony, and after-party, and are available at 3arts.org/tickets. Proceeds benefit both 3Arts and the Center for Native Futures.

Expanding Reach and Emergency Support

This year’s program introduces two new awards in Music and Visual Arts for artists in downstate Illinois, presented in partnership with Artspace Southern Illinois, expanding 3Arts’ geographic reach.

In total, the organization will increase the number of awards and emergency funds available:

• 17 artists will receive $30,000 awards (up from 10 in 2024).
• Six Next Level Awardees will each receive $50,000.
• The Make a Wave microgrant program grows from 10 to 40 artists, each receiving $2,000.
• More than $150,000 in emergency funding will be distributed to artists facing financial hardship.

Visual Arts Awardees

Among this year’s visual arts honorees:

• Jess Atieno explores diasporic histories and identity through printmaking and research between Nairobi and Chicago.
• Leasho Johnson, a Jamaican-born artist, investigates Black queer identity through painting, installation, and sculpture.
• Fern Logan, a photographer and professor emerita, is celebrated for her Artist Portrait Series documenting prominent Black artists.
• Odette Stout, a Chicago-based artist and drag performer, creates multimedia performances examining technology, transformation, and community.

Investing in the Future of the Arts

Founded in 1912 and relaunched in 2007 with its current awards program, 3Arts has distributed more than $8.2 million to over 2,500 artists across the region. Its support prioritizes women artists (66%), artists of color (74%), and Deaf or disabled artists (17%).

At a time when public and private arts funding has declined nationally, 3Arts’ expansion underscores its belief that investing in artists is investing in community resilience.

Read about all the 3Arts Awardee Bios here.