Talks: Esther Grimm

My explorations around accessibility and the funding of access have put me in touch with a tremendously rich community of people, here in Chicago. In May, I was fortunate enough to speak with one of the leaders of this community. Esther Grimm is the Executive Director of 3Arts, an organization that has held artists with disabilities at its core since its establishment ten years ago.

3Arts is one of the few organizations I've encountered that explicitly outlines its advocacy for "Chicago’s women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities who work in the performing, teaching, and visual arts." (You can read more about 3Arts' unique mission and vision here.)

When we spoke, Esther was adamant that that specific declaration, that direct language was key. Not only do I agree, but because so few arts organizations are doing so, I think it is a very profound and bold act. 3Arts asked themselves -- Who are the underrepresented groups in the arts? Where are the gaps in funding those groups? -- and then stepped in to help close those gaps.

And how are they enacting this vision? Through cash awards, project funding, residency fellowships, professional development, and promotion. These initiatives allow artists to "take risks, experiment, and build momentum in their careers." 3Arts awards are mostly unrestricted; "artists may use the awards to defray expenses, pay off debt, purchase equipment, and focus on their creative process—or in any way they see fit. They know what they need." This trust in risk-taking and experimentation is crucial to a thriving art practice, and the fact that 3Arts recognizes and encourages that is extremely important.

Esther and I discussed a couple of these areas more in depth. Of particular interest to me was the evolution of their residency fellowships. Initially, artists with disabilities didn't seem to be applying for residencies and organizational staff couldn't figure out why. Before testing anything new or worse yet -- making assumptions -- they actively sought input from the artists. The artists explained that while the fellowships were appealing, most were in distant and sometimes remote and/or international locations. Proximity to their preferred medical care and ease of access were major contributing factors to why they were not ultimately applying. What one artist saw as an opportunity to become fully immersed in nature or a foreign culture, others saw as an environment that wouldn't work for their creative practice or possibly their health. With this feedback, 3Arts partnered with the University of Illinois at Chicago to develop customized in-town residencies. This new fellowship program, launched in 2015, "supports the creation of new work in residencies that increase the conversation around disability culture on- and off-campus." It seems simple, but direct first-person feedback is often left unconsidered. Fortunately, 3Arts had the wherewithal to ask what artists really needed and deliver on those needs.

To celebrate their tenth anniversary this year, 3Arts launched a new initiative called Make a Wave. This "unprecedented peer-to-peer giving program" invites 83 past awardees to grant $1,000 awards to other women artists, artists of color, and/or artists with disabilities. This surprise and delight grant-making empowers artists to acknowledge and support the work being done in their own communities. Of course cash never hurts, but the true power lies in the recognition of the work and the agency it provides to past awardees. With up to $83,000 in support, Make a Wave is great example of the ripple effect that grant-making have for minority artists working in Chicago. All of this year's awards, including Make a Wave recipients, will be announced at the 10th Anniversary 3Arts Awards on November 6th.

The world of accessibility, as Esther expressed, "is changing all the time, [but] it's our job to become more educated all the time." By asking artists what they need and putting financial support behind those needs, 3Arts continues to contribute to the vitality of culture in our city. And in focusing their efforts on funding minority artists, including artists with disabilities, Esther and her team are also doing critical social justice work.

You can find out more about 3Arts on their website: 3arts.org.