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From Home Furnishing Business

Designing a Better Chicago Announces Winners of 4th Annual Grants

June 7, 2023  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

Designing a Better Chicago, a collaborative initiative organized and supported by NeoCon® and THE MART, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and the Design Museum of Chicago, awards $25,000 in funds each year to support and honor individuals and organizations using design to directly address pressing social and civic issues within the Chicago community. This year the funds will be shared equally between the two grant recipients.

Cognizant of the disparity in support for Native artists within the Chicago Community, the Center for Native Futures will use the grant monies to support the Curatorial Advancement of Native Arts (CANA) initiative. This program aims to provide a residency and curatorial program for their FLEX gallery and produce multiple exhibitions throughout 2024.

This project will provide lasting career skills for four selected curators and create a space of mentorship, guidance, and creativity, all with the goal of strengthening the visibility and presence of contemporary Indigenous curators and artists in the Chicago area.

Chicago is known for its energy and creative spirit, but many nonprofit organizations and educational institutions lack the resources to provide the support needed to take potential to the next level.

The Chicago Tool Library (CTL), a nonprofit “library of things” located in West Garfield Park, provides over 4,500 households access to tools, appliances, and items used for home improvement, building, design, and creative endeavors.

After a recent donation of over 5,000 tools came to the library, the CTL recognized the need to expand its lending program to support a larger, expanding audience.

Their new initiative, “Democratizing Design: Power Tools to the People” intends to elevate the library by growing its staff capacity, engaging with community stakeholders through events and visioning sessions, researching the day-to-day needs of the community, and expanding visibility and outreach to the greater Chicago community.

“Designing a Better Chicago showcases the remarkable efforts of organizations dedicated to enhancing Chicago through design,” comments Tanner Woodford, founder + executive director of Design Museum of Chicago.

“This year's grantees—Center For Native Futures and The Chicago Tool Library—demonstrate a visionary approach to design, pushing the limits of innovation to address challenges with imaginative solutions. We are thrilled to help support their invaluable work.”

This year's grant winners will join 2022 grantee Quilen Blackwell, president of the Chicago Eco House, to discuss their work, the impact they are making on Chicago, and the lessons they have learned at this year’s NeoCon.

The Featured Presentation will take place in the NeoCon Presentation Studio on Wednesday, June 14, at 11:30 a.m. CDT and be streamed live on the NeoCon Programming Hub. Details on this panel and other programming is available at neocon.com.

Additional information about the 2023 Grant Recipients and Designing a Better Chicago can be found at designingabetterchicago.org.