Expressions for Justice

Grantmaking in the arts for systems change

Tuesday, October 15, 10:00am – 11:30am

Organized by and facilitated by Tempestt Hazel, arts program officer, Field Foundation; and Angelica Chavez, Justice Program Officer, Field Foundation.

Presented by Mathilda de Dios, associate director, Free Write Arts & Literacy; Hoda Katebi, founding member, Blue Tin Production; and Christian Snow, executive director, Assata’s Daughters.

Recently, Field Foundation went through a transformation, putting racial equity in the center of its grantmaking. It has changed who it funds and how it funds, placing emphasis on ALAANA grantees and the work happening at the intersections of art and systemic interventions. How are these pieces distinct and where do they overlap? How can funders outside of arts find their way into funding artists who are operating within the justice realm? This session introduces how Field is thinking about the intersection of art and justice by providing case studies from its grantee pool that illustrate how art can be a driver for systemic change. The session explores the ways that artists engage with activism, and policy reform while also championing creative production and the advancement of artists. This session begins with a prompt, getting the audience to think about examples of how art can be used as a tool for justice. We will then share the foundation’s definition of this intersection by profiling several of its grantees and giving the floor to those who are using art to address workers’ rights, environmental justice, criminal legal system, LGBTQIA+ rights, political education, and community organizing in Chicago.