Inciter Art

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By Anna Brickman on November 1st, 2018

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Artist Campaign School 2019 in Chicago

Updates and Announcements | Tips and Tools | Arts | Chicago

 

Fractured Atlas is thrilled to be hosting the second Artist Campaign School which will be held in May 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. This program is a series of all-expenses-paid trainings to recruit and mentor artists and arts administrators for elected office. Artist Campaign School Chicago will bring in top-tier campaign veterans from across political parties and ideologies as trainers for approximately 100 accepted applicants. The intense two-day session will cover topics including voter targeting, message and policy development, media training, fundraising, and social media strategies. Travel, hotel accommodations and meals for the trainees will all be funded through a generous donation from The Joyce Foundation.

Applications for Artist Campaign School Chicago are currently being accepted until January 14th, 2019. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis and those selected will be notified in mid-February 2019. Fractured Atlas will be working with the various other arts service organizations and one Super PAC, all of whom share a vision of seeing a greater representation of artists in the political process.

Cloud Gate, a Chicago public sculpture by artist Sir Anish Kapoor

Lauren Ruffin, Chief External Relations Officer of Fractured Atlas explained, “Artists are exactly the kinds of people we need to run for office. Being an artist is all about creative problem solving, innovation, and collaboration — perfect skills for making change in local communities. When artists see something wrong in the world, they want to get involved and fix it. But when that something is politics, it’s hard to figure out where to begin. So, we decided to join with other dedicated partners to launch ‘Artist Campaign School’ to support first time candidates who want to impact policy decisions which have direct implications for the arts and cultural community — and shape the kinds of neighborhoods they live in. Specifically, we are grateful to partner with the Arts Alliance to bring this program to Chicago.”

Claire Rice, the Executive Director of the Arts Alliance Illinois added that, “The Arts Alliance is pleased to partner with Fractured Atlas on the next iteration of Artist Campaign School, with thanks to The Joyce Foundation for their support of this program. This non-partisan effort, taking place in Chicago for its second iteration, offers Illinois creative practitioners the opportunity to join national colleagues to deepen their civic engagement and learn how to have a direct impact on policy change. We urge our talented, committed, and incredibly civically active Illinois creative community to apply to join us for this unique offering in May of 2019!”

This program would not be possible without the generous donations of The Joyce Foundation. The Joyce Foundation is a nonpartisan private foundation that invests in public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. The Director of The Joyce Foundation’s Cultural Program, Tracie Hall notes that, “The siting of an Artist Campaign School in the Midwest, and in Chicago, more specifically, feels timely. Some of the most critical community advocacy efforts in the region have artists and cultural workers at their centers. Supporting Arts Alliance Illinois in hosting this important program aligns to the Joyce Foundation’s longstanding commitment to bolstering artists’ capacity as civic leaders and stewards.”

Joining Fractured Atlas in this effort are The Joyce Foundation (Chicago), Arts Alliance Illinois (Chicago), Alternate Roots (Atlanta), Art Up (Memphis), Creative Capital (New York), Creative Many (Detroit), For Freedoms (DC), The Laundromat Project (New York), National Performance Network (New Orleans), and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco). Additional partners are also expected to join the effort.

To learn more, please visit www.artistcampaignschool.org.

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