Illinois Arts Council

The Illinois Arts Council is a government agency of the state of Illinois formed to encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. Founded in 1965 by the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Arts Council provides financial and technical assistance to artists, arts organizations, and community organizations with arts programming.

The Illinois Arts Council is governed by up to 21 members appointed by the Governor of Illinois who serve four-year terms. They meet three times a year. Assisted by volunteer advisory panels, they distribute grants and oversee arts programs and services.

Many arts organizations in Illinois rely on funding from the IAC each year. Governor Rod Blagojevich drastically cut the budget in 2007 in what many saw as a political move against his chief rival, Michael Madigan, whose wife is the head of the IAC.

In 2006, Illinois Arts Council members included:

Illinois Arts Council, "Annual Report 2006", HeARTland Volume 12, Number 1, May 2007

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