Latest news with #DCASE
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago arts commissioner touts increased grants for artists, defends against criticism
As Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events gears up for another highlight-packed summer, its leader is laying out her vision for the city's arts community as she responds to criticism that has been simmering since she took office. A contentious exhibition, staff complaints and public flak from some arts leaders have tailed DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth since her March 2024 appointment by Mayor Brandon Johnson. Addressing the controversies in an interview with the Tribune for the first time, Hedspeth said she has reflected, but pushed back against much of it as unfounded. 'I think I did walk into a hostile situation,' she said. Meanwhile, Hedspeth is doubling down on a top focus to get artists more money. The department has earmarked an extra $500,000 for grants to artists, in addition to the $7 million allocated by the City Council last fall, she said. 'As much as we talk about water services, as much as we talk about infrastructure, this is the same. This is on par,' Hedspeth said of direct payments to artists and small arts organizations. 'This is vital. This is a service to be able to provide people with funding to create and capture who we are as a city.' Hedspeth is proud of having secured the extra money, given Chicago's thorny fiscal outlook. Johnson and the City Council budgeted $7 million for the grants, $1 million more than the year before, but less than the $10 million allocated in former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 2023 budget, when the city's coffers were bolstered by a massive influx of federal COVID-19 funding. But she says the fund is far larger than pre-pandemic spending on such payments. Because it comes from the city, it is also now more stable, despite the fact federal support is becoming increasingly unreliable. Hedspeth pointed to the Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration as inspiration for her vision to increasingly pay artists directly and praised the federal government's pandemic stimulus spending on arts. 'It was not even enough then, but it was more than what we usually do,' she said, adding she believes the business community should 'absolutely be providing support too in a different way.' 'The goal is always to increase funding, sustainable funding, always.' To tack on the additional $500,000, Hedspeth found 'basic' cuts, such as using city services in place of outside contractors, but said she has not cut at what might be the department's crown gem: its always ambitious summer schedule, headlined by events, including Taste of Chicago, the Air and Water Show and, next week, the Chicago Blues Festival. As the new commissioner has zeroed in on a vision for her department, she has also faced a range of controversies and criticism in recent months. DCASE employees have submitted five formal complaints to the city's Inspector General's Office and Department of Human Resources accusing the commissioner of unfair treatment obtained by the Tribune via records request. Meanwhile, over 20 employees have left the department since Hedspeth's appointment, though the department's headcount has recently risen to levels near where it was when she took office. Hedspeth was summoned to the City Council for a tense hearing in January regarding a pro-Palestinian protest puppet displayed in a broader puppet exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, where she defended free expression and the process for selecting art against some aldermen who called the piece offensive and wanted it removed. And some arts industry leaders have publicly criticized the commissioner, arguing she has left a void in Chicago's arts community by not meeting with them and effectively communicating her plans. In April, the group Artists for Chicago sent a letter to Johnson signed by more than 200 arts and culture workers further faulting Hedspeth's leadership. Johnson has defended Hedspeth, his longtime friend. In April, he said he would 'take the feedback seriously' when asked about the letter. 'You know, look, there's a lot more engagement in government these days, and I welcome that,' Johnson said. 'Arts are incredibly important to me.' Asked about the criticism, Hedspeth pinned the hostility she has encountered in part on miscommunication that arose as she took office. She defended herself against most of the pushback and said she has discussed it with others. 'I reflect on, 'Oh, is there something there?'' she said. 'I would say, almost 85% of it, I'm like, 'No.'' She declined to discuss specific allegations made in the several formal employee complaints. They include accusations she cursed out employees in public, sought a retaliatory 'witch hunt' against mayoral critics and micromanaged the office. Human Resources staff determined investigations into each complaint should not go forward because of the absence of violations in protected categories and speculative allegations. 'But I will say,' Hedspeth said. 'I do wear a lot of black, but I am not a witch.' 'There's going to be complaints in any kind of organization,' she said. 'I value all of the staff. I think we are all human, we are all going to make mistakes. I also think there should be some accountability when we are not being responsible.' The commissioner said that she is 'happy to meet' with arts leaders and others in response to criticism that she is unresponsive, but added that some have been unwilling to meet with her, especially when she started the job. The cold reception she said she got may well have been a sign of the popularity of her predecessor, Erin Harkey, now CEO of the D.C. nonprofit Americans for the Arts, who was fired by Johnson. Hedspeth described her treatment since taking office as 'very political,' and in part a product of pre-existing employee frustrations in addition to miscommunication. 'I walked in without even a transition document,' she said. 'I've reached out to people, and they weren't interested in talking to me.' She also said a 'number of people' who signed the Artists for Chicago letter told her the published version appeared different than what they signed and cast doubt on the connections of some signees to the arts industry. A spokesperson for the group, who asked to remain anonymous, denied the letter changed as people signed it and criticized Hedspeth for discrediting the critical letter instead of addressing the issues it raised. Claims the department has not made payments to artists and organizations in a timely manner or that she is unresponsive are 'just not true,' Hedspeth said, adding that the arts community is understandably angry and anxious about funding amid federal pullback. Some arts leaders have called for Hedspeth to share how she will fight President Donald Trump's budget cuts. Her department has appealed the National Endowment for the Arts' decision to terminate grants awarded to the city. One lesson learned from the recent controversies is that she must be 'a little bit more forceful in getting support' from connections in the arts and government spaces she has worked in, Hedspeth said. 'I've learned to bring in my network more. I've learned to continue to talk directly with people, regardless of others saying maybe that might not be a good idea. Being OK with that I won't be perfect at everything, I've learned that, and managing expectations with interest groups,' she said. 'And I think bringing people in, just critics in general, to have a direct conversation and say, 'OK, this is the problem that you see, what are your some of your thoughts?'' In the last decade, Hedspeth led curation at the DuSable Black History Museum, then worked as Johnson's legislative director at the Cook County Board of Commissioners before becoming a Phillips Auctioneers specialist. At the city, she has found government can be frustratingly slow, but the gig is a 'deep honor' that allows her to combine experiences in policy, museums and commercial art, she said. 'I get to build off of work that was already done, good work, and serve the city and serve artists that I know have not been at the table or been in the room and aren't part of the larger conversation,' said Hedspeth, who was raised by art collector parents in Seattle and collects rare books herself. While Hedspeth said she wants to build upon long-running and beloved DCASE efforts such as summer programming, she also wants to build new efforts in the department. 'There's a lot more ideas on the table,' she said. The increased grants for artists and small organization should come with greater 'giveback,' including longer-term relationships and more support from the city to connect artists with everything from collectors to lawyers to bolster their careers, she said. And she hopes to make sure that funding goes to a greater variety of artists and groups. That includes 'ensuring the large organizations understand, this partnership looks good, but it can look even better. And maybe you need to not take funding and utilize it for operational purposes, maybe it should actually go out directly to the artist,' she said. Speeding up the department's processes is another top goal, the commissioner said. She touted a push to quickly install art at Midway International Airport and efforts to waive fees for smaller organizations at the Chicago Cultural Center as bids to cut 'red tape' and bring the arts to more Chicagoans. Hedspeth also highlighted a new effort to have staff visit places such as ward offices and parks to help Chicagoans speed through paperwork, including grant applications. She similarly wants to streamline the film permit process to help foster the city's revenue-winning filming economy, echoing long-heralded hopes also aired by Gov. JB Pritzker. The goal on film is 'making sure we are not competing with Toronto, we should be the place,' she said. Hedspeth's film office appears to have been leaderless since December, when its head, Jonah Zeiger, left the job. He was in part tasked with recruiting films, shows and commercials to work in the city. She is also leading an effort to digitize the city's art collection and is 'leaning in on' sister agencies, such as Choose Chicago, to make sure taxpayers are getting more 'robust' offerings, she said.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago arts commissioner touts increased grants for artists, defends against criticism
As Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events gears up for another highlight-packed summer, its leader is laying out her vision for the city's arts community as she responds to criticism that has been simmering since she took office. A contentious exhibition, staff complaints and public flak from some arts leaders have tailed DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth since her March 2024 appointment by Mayor Brandon Johnson. Addressing the controversies in an interview with the Tribune for the first time, Hedspeth said she has reflected, but pushed back against much of it as unfounded. 'I think I did walk into a hostile situation,' she said. Meanwhile, Hedspeth is doubling down on a top focus to get artists more money. The department has earmarked an extra $500,000 for grants to artists, in addition to the $7 million allocated by the City Council last fall, she said. 'As much as we talk about water services, as much as we talk about infrastructure, this is the same. This is on par,' Hedspeth said of direct payments to artists and small arts organizations. 'This is vital. This is a service to be able to provide people with funding to create and capture who we are as a city.' Hedspeth is proud of having secured the extra money, given Chicago's thorny fiscal outlook. Johnson and the City Council budgeted $7 million for the grants, $1 million more than the year before, but less than the $10 million allocated in former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 2023 budget, when the city's coffers were bolstered by a massive influx of federal COVID-19 funding. But she says the fund is far larger than pre-pandemic spending on such payments. Because it comes from the city, it is also now more stable, despite the fact federal support is becoming increasingly unreliable. Hedspeth pointed to the Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration as inspiration for her vision to increasingly pay artists directly and praised the federal government's pandemic stimulus spending on arts. 'It was not even enough then, but it was more than what we usually do,' she said, adding she believes the business community should 'absolutely be providing support too in a different way.' 'The goal is always to increase funding, sustainable funding, always.' To tack on the additional $500,000, Hedspeth found 'basic' cuts, such as using city services in place of outside contractors, but said she has not cut at what might be the department's crown gem: its always ambitious summer schedule, headlined by events, including Taste of Chicago, the Air and Water Show and, next week, the Chicago Blues Festival. As the new commissioner has zeroed in on a vision for her department, she has also faced a range of controversies and criticism in recent months. DCASE employees have submitted five formal complaints to the city's Inspector General's Office and Department of Human Resources accusing the commissioner of unfair treatment obtained by the Tribune via records request. Meanwhile, over 20 employees have left the department since Hedspeth's appointment, though the department's headcount has recently risen to levels near where it was when she took office. Hedspeth was summoned to the City Council for a tense hearing in January regarding a pro-Palestinian protest puppet displayed in a broader puppet exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, where she defended free expression and the process for selecting art against some aldermen who called the piece offensive and wanted it removed. And some arts industry leaders have publicly criticized the commissioner, arguing she has left a void in Chicago's arts community by not meeting with them and effectively communicating her plans. In April, the group Artists for Chicago sent a letter to Johnson signed by more than 200 arts and culture workers further faulting Hedspeth's leadership. Johnson has defended Hedspeth, his longtime friend. In April, he said he would 'take the feedback seriously' when asked about the letter. 'You know, look, there's a lot more engagement in government these days, and I welcome that,' Johnson said. 'Arts are incredibly important to me.' Asked about the criticism, Hedspeth pinned the hostility she has encountered in part on miscommunication that arose as she took office. She defended herself against most of the pushback and said she has discussed it with others. 'I reflect on, 'Oh, is there something there?'' she said. 'I would say, almost 85% of it, I'm like, 'No.'' She declined to discuss specific allegations made in the several formal employee complaints. They include accusations she cursed out employees in public, sought a retaliatory 'witch hunt' against mayoral critics and micromanaged the office. Human Resources staff determined investigations into each complaint should not go forward because of the absence of violations in protected categories and speculative allegations. 'But I will say,' Hedspeth said. 'I do wear a lot of black, but I am not a witch.' 'There's going to be complaints in any kind of organization,' she said. 'I value all of the staff. I think we are all human, we are all going to make mistakes. I also think there should be some accountability when we are not being responsible.' The commissioner said that she is 'happy to meet' with arts leaders and others in response to criticism that she is unresponsive, but added that some have been unwilling to meet with her, especially when she started the job. The cold reception she said she got may well have been a sign of the popularity of her predecessor, Erin Harkey, now CEO of the D.C. nonprofit Americans for the Arts, who was fired by Johnson. Hedspeth described her treatment since taking office as 'very political,' and in part a product of pre-existing employee frustrations in addition to miscommunication. 'I walked in without even a transition document,' she said. 'I've reached out to people, and they weren't interested in talking to me.' She also said a 'number of people' who signed the Artists for Chicago letter told her the published version appeared different than what they signed and cast doubt on the connections of some signees to the arts industry. A spokesperson for the group, who asked to remain anonymous, denied the letter changed as people signed it and criticized Hedspeth for discrediting the critical letter instead of addressing the issues it raised. Claims the department has not made payments to artists and organizations in a timely manner or that she is unresponsive are 'just not true,' Hedspeth said, adding that the arts community is understandably angry and anxious about funding amid federal pullback. Some arts leaders have called for Hedspeth to share how she will fight President Donald Trump's budget cuts. Her department has appealed the National Endowment for the Arts' decision to terminate grants awarded to the city. One lesson learned from the recent controversies is that she must be 'a little bit more forceful in getting support' from connections in the arts and government spaces she has worked in, Hedspeth said. 'I've learned to bring in my network more. I've learned to continue to talk directly with people, regardless of others saying maybe that might not be a good idea. Being OK with that I won't be perfect at everything, I've learned that, and managing expectations with interest groups,' she said. 'And I think bringing people in, just critics in general, to have a direct conversation and say, 'OK, this is the problem that you see, what are your some of your thoughts?'' In the last decade, Hedspeth led curation at the DuSable Black History Museum, then worked as Johnson's legislative director at the Cook County Board of Commissioners before becoming a Phillips Auctioneers specialist. At the city, she has found government can be frustratingly slow, but the gig is a 'deep honor' that allows her to combine experiences in policy, museums and commercial art, she said. 'I get to build off of work that was already done, good work, and serve the city and serve artists that I know have not been at the table or been in the room and aren't part of the larger conversation,' said Hedspeth, who was raised by art collector parents in Seattle and collects rare books herself. While Hedspeth said she wants to build upon long-running and beloved DCASE efforts such as summer programming, she also wants to build new efforts in the department. 'There's a lot more ideas on the table,' she said. The increased grants for artists and small organization should come with greater 'giveback,' including longer-term relationships and more support from the city to connect artists with everything from collectors to lawyers to bolster their careers, she said. And she hopes to make sure that funding goes to a greater variety of artists and groups. That includes 'ensuring the large organizations understand, this partnership looks good, but it can look even better. And maybe you need to not take funding and utilize it for operational purposes, maybe it should actually go out directly to the artist,' she said. Speeding up the department's processes is another top goal, the commissioner said. She touted a push to quickly install art at Midway International Airport and efforts to waive fees for smaller organizations at the Chicago Cultural Center as bids to cut 'red tape' and bring the arts to more Chicagoans. Hedspeth also highlighted a new effort to have staff visit places such as ward offices and parks to help Chicagoans speed through paperwork, including grant applications. She similarly wants to streamline the film permit process to help foster the city's revenue-winning filming economy, echoing long-heralded hopes also aired by Gov. JB Pritzker. The goal on film is 'making sure we are not competing with Toronto, we should be the place,' she said. Hedspeth's film office appears to have been leaderless since December, when its head, Jonah Zeiger, left the job. He was in part tasked with recruiting films, shows and commercials to work in the city. She is also leading an effort to digitize the city's art collection and is 'leaning in on' sister agencies, such as Choose Chicago, to make sure taxpayers are getting more 'robust' offerings, she said.
Time Out
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Chicago Jazz Fest announces headliners for summer 2025
Summer is festival season in Chicago and there's one event happening that should not be missed—the Chicago Jazz Festival is not only a great way to hear international powerhouses and local musical artists alike, but it's also a fun outdoor experience that you can enjoy free of charge. This annual four-day event, which takes place during Labor Day weekend on August 28 to 31, is run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) with programming help from the Jazz Institute of Chicago. (DCASE works hard to expand access to the arts throughout all of the Windy City's neighborhoods, supporting artists and local communities along the way.) Free and open to the public, as always, make your way to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues around the city to celebrate all-things jazz. And the performers' docket is packed —headliners include the bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, piano legend Monty Alexander, trumpeter-vocalist Kermit Ruffins, Afro-Cuban guitarist Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, and saxophonist Gary Bartz with his ensemble NTU Troop. Elsewhere, you can hear an impressive roster of Chicago's finest jazz treasures and talents, including Patricia Barber, Ari Brown, Ernest Dawkins, Sarah Marie Young, Ava Logan, G. Thomas Allen, the Natalie Scharf Quintet featuring Paul Asaro, and Silvia Manrique & Marcel Bonfim. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chicago DCASE (@chicagodcase) 'Chicago's jazz legacy runs deep – from Bronzeville basements to global stages,' said Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement. 'This festival represents our city's enduring creativity, cultural excellence, and commitment to bringing people together through the universal language of music.' For a full lineup of the festival, including timing and locations, click here. Jazz-focused festivals have been hosted throughout the course of Chicago history. When Duke Ellington—the legendary pianist, composer and band leader—died in 1974, a festival was organized in Chicago to honor his legacy. Another festival sprouted up in 1978 to celebrate the life and work of John Coltrane. Soon after, the Chicago Jazz Festival was born in '79, drawing thousands of festivalgoers to Grant Park each year. In 2017 the festival moved to Millennium Park to accommodate the size and scope of the popular jubilee.
Axios
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Chicago arts groups face cuts; Links Hall to close in June
The arts funding landscape is looking somewhat bleak, forcing local organizations to compete for a piece of a smaller pie. The big picture: Nonprofit arts organizations rely on national, state and city grants for programming and general operations. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) cut more than 1,000 grants nationwide this month, while the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) has scaled back some of its grants, which has already caused irrevocable fiscal damage, and some groups have canceled events. Driving the news: Performance art collective and venue Links Hall announced recently it was closing in June because of a dire financial picture caused in part by not securing a DCASE CityArts grant. Executive director SK Kerastas tells Axios that Links has received anywhere between $80,000 and $120,000. "In our feedback session [with DCASE], there wasn't a clear reason, and the person facilitating the session gave us the impression that it was budget cuts. And this was not unique to us," Kerastas says. "There were many, many, many organizations that had consistently received that grant for years and didn't get it this past year." "Our options are few, our capacity is diminished, and with another looming cash flow gap on the horizon, this time months-wide, we feel the most responsible decision to make is to sunset," Links leaders wrote in a public letter about the decision to close. Zoom in: At least one DCASE grant that local groups rely on to cover free arts programming, Chicago Presents, is not currently available as DCASE says it's "undergoing program revisions." No Small Plans Productions, which runs the popular Slo 'Mo Party, is not moving forward with its Queer Fam Pride this year due to the absence of funding, founder Kristen Kaza tells Axios. State of play: More than 200 artists and arts organizations, including Links Hall, signed a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson recently criticizing DCASE commissioner Clinée Hedspeth for budget and staff mismanagement and lack of transparency. Among the many concerns outlined in the letter, organizations and artists say they have not received payments and grant opportunities have been postponed or denied, making it unclear what kind of city funding will be available. Yes, but: Kerastas said they talked to Hedspeth on Monday about what DCASE could do to help Links Hall. "They're clearly responding to the feedback," Kerastas says. The other side: DCASE did not respond to Axios for this story. Zoom out: The Trump administration's cuts are also having a ripple effect on local organizations, Kerastas tells Axios, as individual donors are in even more demand by all nonprofits, beyond the arts, looking for funding to replace DOGE-related cuts. The NEH cut a third of Illinois Humanities' budget, about $2 million, as part of DOGE's overall slashing of the NEH. The latest: The Institute of Museum and Library Services terminated grants to several Illinois museums, the Tribune reported Monday — including the Chicago History Museum, which lost a $237,000 grant last month, a museum spokesperson tells Axios.
Chicago Tribune
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
City announces Blues Fest, and Taste of Chicago and all the 2025 summer festivals
This summer's schedule of music festivals and city events was announced Thursday by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, including the return of Blues Fest, Jazz Fest and other summer favorites, including the Chicago Air and Water Show and Taste of Chicago. In addition, the announcement stretches further than summer, beginning with the farmers markets in Daley Plaza in May and including city plans for next New Year's Eve on the Riverwalk. Look for more information about music lineups, performers and film titles at a later date. Chicago Farmers Markets (May through October), the Division Street Market opens May 17 and Daley Plaza Market opens May 22; Maxwell Street Market (second Sundays from May through October) at 1330 S. Halsted St.; Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade (May 24) in Daley Plaza and State Street; Millennium Park Summer Workouts (Saturdays from May 17 to Aug. 30) in Millennium Park on the Great Lawn; Chicago Blues Festival (June 5-8) at the Ramova Theatre (on Thursday), Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park; Grant Park Music Festival (June 11 to Aug. 16) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, presented by the Grant Park Orchestral Association with support from the Chicago Park District and DCASE; Millennium Park Summer Music Series (June 26 to Aug. 7) with 10 concerts, most Mondays and Thursdays at Jay Pritzker Pavilion; Gospel Music Festival (July 12) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park; Millennium Park Summer Film Series (Tuesdays from July 1 to Aug. 26) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park; Chicago SummerDance (Aug. 7-23) in the Spirit of Music Garden in Millennium Park, plus other city events and Night Out in the Parks events June to September; Chicago Air and Water Show (Aug. 16-17, with rehearsal Aug. 15) at North Avenue Beach and the lakefront; Chicago House Music Festival (Aug. 22-23) in Millennium Park, Spirit of Music Garden and Riverwalk, with House Music Conference at the Chicago Cultural Center on Aug. 22; Chicago Jazz Festival (Aug. 28-31) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, plus city events and at the Chicago Cultural Center; Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (Nov. 21) in Millennium Park, plus Holiday Market (Nov. 21-23) and Holiday Sing-Alongs (on Fridays Dec. 5, 12, 19). New Year's Eve Celebration (Dec. 31) on the Riverwalk.
