Contact

Staff

Christina Deaton DeMarea
Executive Director
christina@luminarts.org

Alex Benjamin
Director of Programs
alex@luminarts.org

Board

Gretchen Burch, President
Mario Santiago,  First Vice President
Thomas Teichgraeber,  Secretary
Andrew Lapp, Treasurer
Sally Metzler, PhD, Immediate Past President
Mark Arizmendi

Rebecca Beem
Wendy Betts
Richard Doermer
Ardena L. Flippin, MD
Anna Ganse
Michael Goode
Steven Goodwin

Kyle Mackey
Rebecca Makkai
Cherilyn G. Murer
Matt Olaveson
Julianna Tancredi
Eric Wassenaar
Bruce Williams

Contact Information

Luminarts Cultural Foundation

Union League Club‎ of Chicago
65 W Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60604
phone: 312.435.5961
email: info@luminarts.org

ABOUT US

The Luminarts Cultural Foundation cultivates Chicago’s vibrant arts community by supporting exemplary young artists through its competitive programs that offer financial awards, artistic opportunities, and mentoring that bridge the gap between education and career.

History

visual-arts-home_ About Us_ web

Founded in 1949 as the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation (CAF), Luminarts Cultural Foundation was created by members of the Union League Club of Chicago as a separate, not-for-profit organization. Deeply rooted in the Union League Club of Chicago, Luminarts strengthens the cultural community of Chicago by upholding the club’s century-long tradition of advocating for the arts. Luminarts is dedicated to encouraging our city’s outstanding young artists so that their emerging talent might be heard in performance halls, read within libraries and homes, and exhibited in galleries, museums, and the hallowed walls of the Union League Club.

News & Events

Be sure to subscribe to our email list and receive updates regarding program announcements, Fellows, events, and the monthly Luminarts Letter!




ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES

Luminarts welcomes talented young artists of all social, economic and cultural backgrounds. As a young visual artist, musician, vocalist, or writer from the Chicago area, we invite and encourage you to compete for grants, creative opportunities, and to become Luminarts Fellows.

Non Discriminatory Statement and Commitment to Equity

Luminarts is committed to ensuring equity within its programs and welcomes applicants, artists, audience members, and supporters regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, class, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or citizenship status.

Luminarts works directly with artists, jurors, and attendees to make accommodations as needed and holds events at various spaces which are accessible. To request accommodations for Luminarts’ programs or events, please contact Luminarts at info@luminarts.org.

Luminarts Fellowships

The Luminarts Fellowship includes programs in Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Classical Music, and Jazz. Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30 and live or reside within 150 miles of the Chicago Loop. Once an artist is awarded a Luminarts Fellowship, they are eligible to apply for additional opportunities for a period of 10 years. These opportunities include project grants, workshops, mentorship, and facilitated conversations that provide valuable insights into building a successful career in the arts.

2025 Fellowship applications are now available at this link. Applications are due by January 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM CST.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts Opportunities

Classical Music

Classical Music Opportunities

Jazz Music

jazz opp page_luminarts site

Creative Writing

Fellow Project Grants

Luminarts Fellows may apply for funding of artistic projects for up to 10 years after they win their initial Fellowship. While Project Grants aim to support a broad and diverse scope of career development opportunities for Fellows, Project Grant proposals are strongest when they demonstrate a significant and pivotal impact both on the individual Fellow and on the Chicago region specifically. Applying for a project grant is a competitive process and not all applicants can be funded.

Note: you must first be awarded a Luminarts Fellowship in order to be eligible for a project grant.

Deadline

Applications must be submitted in full by October 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

Fellows will be notified on or before December 1, 2024 about the status of their application.

Apply here!

View grant guidelines here.

 

For questions about project grants click below or contact Alex Benjamin, Director of Programs, at alex@luminarts.org or call (312) 435-5961.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Ambassador Award

Luminarts Fellows are eligible to apply for $2,500 awards in support of being ambassadors for the Luminarts Cultural Foundation beyond the Chicago region.

The Luminarts Cultural Foundation will accept funding proposals from Luminarts Fellows who have significant projects (performances, exhibitions, readings, etc.) in major markets outside of the Chicago area whereby they will highlight the Luminarts Cultural Foundation’s support in tandem with their outstanding talent.

While the available funds should be of benefit to the Luminarts Fellow, a primary goal of this funding is to raise awareness of the Luminarts Cultural Foundation outside of the Chicago region. In accordance with this, awards will be distributed based on the following criteria:

Ambassador Guidelines

  • Location of the Luminarts Fellow’s project
  • Anticipated number in attendance at event
  • Anticipated marketing/media for the event
  • Luminarts prominence in event materials
  • Luminarts prominence in promotion and media
  • The use of social media to promote the project and the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and the potential number of people reached

 

We are not currently accepting applications for the Ambassador Award.

 

Residencies

Sponsored by Cherilyn G. Murer

Luminarts Fellows are invited, on a revolving basis, to two annual residency programs for 15 artists each: one at Ragdale Foundation Lake Forest, IL and one at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency in Saugatuck, MI. Each residency includes an artist stipend, mentorship, professional development, studio visits, meals and lodging, and unscheduled time to work on projects which residents may not otherwise have the time or resources to complete. Programming is paired with the opportunity to be in community with other Luminarts Fellows, and to connect with professional artists, staff members, and supporters.

Knowing that many residencies have historically been out of reach for artists of color, low income artists, and other marginalized identities due to location, cost, and systemic racism, we work to ensure that all of our Fellows have access to both residencies on a revolving basis.

OUR FELLOWS

Introducing the Chicago area’s most talented, emerging young artists. Join us in celebrating their exceptional creativity and work.  

FELLOWS BY YEAR

NEXT BEGINS NOW

Thank you to all our sponsors, host committee members, attendees, and performers who made this year’s Next begins Now a success!

Click here for event photos by Elliot Mandel Photography – for personal use only.

Couldn’t make it to the event but want to make a donation?

Please contact Christina DeMarea, Executive Director, at christina@luminarts.org or 312-282-2217, with questions or to make a gift.


Thank you to our sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Thank you to Wintrust Bank for helping ...

Innovation Sponsors

Sally Metzler, PhD, and George Dunea, MD

Creativity Sponsors

Rebecca and Richard Beem

Richard Doermer, in memory of Bill Richards

Sandy Richards

Impact Sponsors

BMO Bank

US Bank

Gretchen and Jonathan Burch

Christina and Brad DeMarea

Anna Ganse

Garrett Museum of Art

David Helverson and Stephen Alvey

Cherilyn G. Murer

Lynne and Tim Rinkoski

Host Committee

Wendy Betts – Rebecca & Richard Beem – Gretchen & Jonathan Burch – Anna Ganse
David Helverson & Stephen Alvey – Karen & Bob Jones – Andrew & Elizabeth Lapp
John & Carol McKinnon – Cherilyn G. Murer – Sally Metzler, Ph. D & George Dunea, MD
Alyssa & Brian Quinlan – Lynne and Tim Rinkoski – Bob & Viki Ryan

We thank Alyssa Quinlan, CEO of Freeman’s | Hindman, for facilitating this evening’s fund-the-need.

PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships

Union League Club of Chicago

 

Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago
Oxbow Logo_White_2018
Chicago Artists Coalition Logo

 

Hyde Park Art Center
Ryan Opera Center Logo_ web
Architecture Logo_ web__

 

SAIC Logo
11_Joffrey Logo-White
Ragdale Logo

 

Mooney Logo

 

SUPPORT

The Luminarts Cultural Foundation cultivates Chicago’s vibrant arts community by supporting exemplary young artists through its competitive programs that offer financial awards, artistic opportunities, and mentoring that bridge the gap between education and career.

Interested in making a gift to Luminarts?

  • To make an online contribution via credit card, please click here.
  • To make a gift over the phone, please call Christina DeMarea, Executive Director, at 312.435.5961
  • To make a gift via check, please send your check, made out to “Luminarts Cultural Foundation” to:

Attn: Christina Demarea
Luminarts Cultural Foundation
65 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3598

Are you a member of the Union League Club of Chicago? If you are a Union League Club of Chicago Member and would like to use your ULC Member Number to make a contribution please contact Luminarts at (312) 435-5961 or info@luminarts.org to provide your ULC Member Number and contribution amount.

Questions or comments? Please contact Christina DeMarea, Executive Director, at christina@luminarts.org or 312.435.5961

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Thank You to Our 2023 Donors

You can view our 2023 donor list here.

This list reflects gifts made between January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. Luminarts sincerely apologizes for any omissions or spelling errors. Please contact Christina DeMarea, Executive Director, at (312) 435-5961 or christina@luminarts.org with any corrections.