Funding available for Illinois artists/orgs accepted to NALAC Leadership Institute

In my last post, I mentioned I would be searching for opportunities to subsidize the cost of the NALAC Leadership Institute. I have some good news!

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) will have funds available to offer partial support for eligible Illinois applicants who are accepted to attend the week-long Institute in San Antonio this summer.

Applicants can be not-for-profit organizations incorporated in Illinois or an individual at least 18 years old and a legal resident of Illinois for at least twelve months prior to applying.  Given the state’s financial troubles, you should expect the IAC to reimburse you for the costs, rather than pay you in advance of the training.

Nonetheless, this support makes the training very affordable for an individual or small organization, and further compounds the rationale for having an Illinois representative this year.

Props to Eliud Hernandez, Deputy Director at the Illinois Arts Council who helped make this happen. Feel free to contact him for more information on this funding or any other questions on IAC support.

It is my goal to get as many people from Illinois to apply. I know some have expressed doubt as to whether this training can help an independent artist, or is only meant to those who work for an arts organization. I contacted my fellow 2007 alumni for their rebuttal of this type of thinking, and here is what they said:

  

Gerardo Quetzatl Garcia: “I've survived as an independent tattoo artist for almost 3 years..Many of the ways I've kept myself and my wife going are directly related to the connections I made as a result of the leadership Institute. Through the Institute , I was introduced to an entire community of like-minded artists who's positivity and support have been an immense help over the past few years. I've shown work in California, made new friends in San Francisco, and made some decent money the whole way by tattooing any and every potential client I've met. My wife Cardee and I are actually heading to San Diego this month for Chicano Park day, where we'll share a vending booth selling t-shirts and books of our artwork, not to mention tattooing all the clients that have been waiting since our last visit in Aug, 2010.”

Celeste De Luna: “I can tell you that the Institute was beneficial for me as an artist because I learned about taking my own work more seriously and being professional. What you learn from the Leadership Institute is how to manage not just the creative side of art, but the business side as well. NALaC can give you models to follow, with buena gente you can relate to.”

Lizbeth Ortiz: "I can say that NALAC helped me view the bigger picture of the art scene, not only point A where I stand but the universal bird's eye view of the community."

Do it: Apply Here. Deadline is Friday, April 15

P.S.: If question #2 in section B of the application troubles you,  describe your artistic career as your 'organization'. Are you part of a collective? Run an art gallery? Produce shows? That is your 'organization' as well, and you do admin work when you apply for grants, do outreach and handle all the tasks of producing a show.