The DuPage Foundation is pleased to announce the second round of recipients of the Picture This Mini-Grants awarded quarterly through the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation. 

Proposed projects focused on art creation in classroom settings and art displays, both in stationary and traveling exhibits. After careful consideration, the following organizations were selected to receive funding:

Little Friends and the DuPage Art League, Inklude Studio Exhibition (Naperville, IL)

• Work of the Inklude Studio artists will be showcased. These artists, adults with autism and other special challenges, will create art pieces and then frame, mat, and prepare their work for public display. This experience will teach participants technical and conceptual art techniques as well as fortify them with the experience necessary to price, sell, and market their work. Communication skills will also be developed through artist statements and public appearances. Grant funds will be used for art supplies, framing materials, marketing campaigns, and reception hospitality.

NAMI DuPage, Art for People with Mental Illness (Wheaton, IL)

• Free art programs will be offered to adults with mental illness, allowing them to explore their creativity in a supportive group setting. Facilitated by art therapists, these sessions will provide artist interaction and expression, thus decreasing anxiety and isolation while improving self-esteem and brain plasticity. Student work will be included in NAMI’s traveling art exhibition and will be used to demonstrate the skill, talent and abilities of individuals with mental illness. Grant funds will be used for art supplies, mats, and framing materials. Additionally, a portable three-panel mesh display wall will be purchased to accommodate show entries.

Wayne Township Pantry and Senior Services NFP, “Arts” at Wayne (West Chicago, IL)

• Nine art instructors will be engaged to teach a variety of art classes to seniors, increasing the class offerings from six to twenty-four annually. The space and staff needed for the sessions will be provided by the host organization, with grant funding used to offset the cost of instructors and materials. An upturn in attendance is anticipated as a result of expanded programming, lower tuition, and regularly scheduled classes. These sessions, offered to seniors to encourage a sense of competence and to alleviate boredom, have a positive impact on health by creating a sense of purpose and protecting the mind from aging.  

Wheaton Public Library, Arts and Culture Center Movable Wall Display System (Wheaton, IL)

• The Wheaton Public Library’s Arts and Culture Center is a hybrid programming and exhibit space designed to engage library patrons with their local arts community. Currently, the Center has limited room to hang artwork and has realized an increase in the number of artists and arts groups requesting a platform to show their work. To alleviate the problem, grant funds will be used to purchase a movable 3-wall display system that will provide ample space for multiple local artists to exhibit simultaneously or allow community partners to showcase a body of work in one exhibition.

About JCS Fund’s Picture This Mini-Grant: In an effort to enrich the creative landscape in DuPage County, the JCS Fund offers quarterly opportunities for painting and drawing related projects. Not-for-profit arts organizations and governmental agencies can request up to $2,000 for locally-developed, high-quality, visual arts projects that reflect the art and strengths of our diverse yet unified community. Mini-grant applications are considered quarterly. See guidelines and apply here by September 30, 2018.