Above Image: USA CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram

April 3, 2014  at Chicago Cultural Center

Michelle T Boone [Commissioner DCASE], Carolina Garcia Jayaram [CEO USA] and Board of Directors of USA, made an announcement that United Stated Artists [USA] is moving its headquarters from Los Angeles to Chicago. USA is one of nation’s largest grant making and advocacy organizations, supporting artists across eight major disciplines. USA is in the process of hiring local staff and finding a location for the new office within the city.

 

USA is United States Artists, and
DCASE is Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, of the City of Chicago

 

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For more information on USA.. click here..

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is committed to providing access to art for all Chicagoans. United States Artists has a proven track record of supporting some of Chicago’s finest artists representing a wide array of disciplines. Having this important arts organization move to Chicago speaks to the city’s growing reputation as a place where artists thrive.
– Michelle T. Boone, Commissioner DCASE of the City of Chicago.

Chicago is an epicenter for creative activity and is currently experiencing an artistic renaissance. It is site of many of the world’s best visual and permorming arts venues and is home to thousands to artists working in all types of media, making it ideal place for USA to grow as we enter the next phase of our development.
– Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of USA.

I’m pleased to welcome United States Artists to Chicago. Their decision to move here underscores our city’s growing role as a center for artistic innovation on all levels. From architecture and theater to literature, dance, music, and visual arts, Chicago has a diversity of artistic talent to match USA’s commitment to supporting all minds of artistic expression.
– Mayor Rahm Emanuel in press release

 

 

USA is a non-profit funding organization that administers the annula USA Fellows program which has distributed unrestricted grants of $50,000 each to a diverse spectrum of artists across the United States, empowering them with the freedom to create. Founded in 2004, by Ford, Rockefeller, Rasmuson and Prudential Foundations with $22 million to support artists in America, USA is currently funded by a broad range of philanthropic foundations and individuals. The organization honors some of the most talented, innovative artists working today with fellowship awards given in the following disciplines: Architecture & Design, Crafts and Traditional Arts, Literature, Media, Music, Theater Arts and Visual Arts.

In the past five years USA has raised a $ 10 million permanent endowment and has granted $ 19 million to 371 artists, with more than 91% of awards used to develop new art. Past USA Fellows include visual artists Glenn Ligon, Kara Walker and Catherine Opie; designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy [of Rodarte]; performing artists Meredith Monk; Jazz composer Jason Moran; ballet dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied, choreographer Bill T. Jones and writer Sapphire.

Chicago-based USA fellows include visual artists Nick Cave, Theaster Gates, David Hartt, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, William Pope L, Catherine Sullivan and Chris Ware; architect Douglas A. Garafolo; dancers and choreographers Matthew Goulish, Lin Hixon and Bebe Miller, media artist Steven Robert James, musician Ella Louis Jenkins and writers Alexander Hemon and LeAnne Howe. This year’ group of illustrious fellows will be announced in Chicago in late 2014.

 

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Below are videos of the speakers at the function, in the order in which they spoke:

Michelle T. Boone, Commissioner DCASE, of the City of Chicago

Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of USA

David Hartt, Visual Artist and USA Fellow.

 

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Some images from the day..

 

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