Illinois Humanities receives Art for Justice grant

“I’m pleased to share that Art for Justice is making a $500,000 challenge grant to Illinois Humanities for a new pooled grantmaking fund,” Gund said. “It will support organizations, artists and humanists across Illinois to change hearts, minds and policies. Our hope is that other donors will provide a dollar-for-dollar match to launch this effort. Together, artists, advocates and allied funders can transform the criminal legal system and create a safe and equitable future.”

The Pooled Fund will support the Illinois Humanities’ Envisioning Justice program by providing annual grants of at least $150,000 over the next five years.  

Envisioning Justice, started in 2017, supports humanists and artists in drawing attention to the injustices of the criminal legal system. Using exhibits, programs and grants to amplify the voices of system-impacted people, Envisioning Justice serves as a catalyst for people to learn about the causes and impacts of mass incarceration, and to imagine alternatives.  

“Over the past five years, we have seen the unique challenges faced by Illinois activists and community-based organizations doing this work,” said Gabrielle Lyon, Illinois Humanities’ executive director. “In particular, the barriers they face are due to a dearth of consistent funding and an absence of the capacity-building support necessary for sustained movement building. The gift from Art for Justice is an extraordinary testament to the crucial role artists and humanists play in enabling all of us to envision justice.” 

Illinois Humanities’ goal is to raise $500,000 in the next six months to match Art for Justice seed funding.