3Arts Awards

About the 3Arts Awards

The 3Arts Awards express our gratitude to Chicago’s artists for their indisputable contributions to the health and vibrancy of our city. Every year, ten artists who live and work in the six-county metropolitan area receive unrestricted $30,000 awards in dance, music, teaching arts, theater, and visual arts. Artists may use the award in any way that makes a difference to their lives and careers, including paying off debt, purchasing equipment, hiring collaborators, producing new work, and saving for the future.

We invite you to read two reports that compile reflections from artists who have received a 3Arts Award:

We thank our Award Partners and Community Award donors for their generosity in helping 3Arts support and advocate for local artists.

Selection Process

3Arts awardees are selected through a nomination and jury process. More than 100 artists are nominated annually by at least 35 anonymous local nominators--artists, curators, presenters, and advocates--who are acutely knowledgeable about the breadth of artists working in neighborhoods across the metropolitan area.

After the nominees have completed our online application process, five national, discipline-specific panels of jurors convene to select ten awardees from the applicant pool. 3Arts requires panelists to disclose conflicts of interest as part of the selection process. If a strong personal or professional relationship exists between a panelist and a nominated artist that might be an impediment to the integrity of the process, a full recusal from the discussion and vote is implemented.

In honor of the time and energy it takes to apply, all artists who submit an application will receive a $100 honorarium.

We express our gratitude to the most recent jury panelists.

Profiles of all 3Arts Awards recipients are accessible further below on this page, or download an awardee list in PDF here.

2024

Emily Rach Beisel
Improviser, Composer, Educator, & Woodwind Specialist

Emily Rach Beisel (they/them) is a Chicago-based improviser, composer, educator, curator, and woodwind specialist whose work is celebrated for its visceral intensity and innovative blend of techniques. Emily’s debut solo album, Particle of Organs (2023) released on the Amalgam label, …
Imania Fatima Detry
Dancer & Choreographer Laksmi Fund Awardee

Imania Fatima Detry (she/her), born and raised in Chicago, is a performing and teaching artist with a concentration in West African dance. With over 20 years of professional training and performance experience with Muntu Dance Theatre and as the …
Cecilia Beaven
Multidisciplinary Visual Artist & Art Instructor Chandler Family Award

Cecilia Beaven (she/her) is a Chicago-based visual artist and art instructor from Mexico City. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Studio from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which she pursued as a Fulbright scholar, and …
Stephanie Manriquez
Producer & Educator Reva and David Logan Foundation Award

Stephanie Manriquez (she/her) is an award-winning writer, radio producer, journalist, and teaching artist based in Chicago. She sees storytelling as a radical act for BIPOC communities and has committed herself to develop spaces for diverse voices to be heard with …
Shariba Rivers
Actor Stan Lipkin & Evelyn Appell Lipkin Award

Shariba Rivers (she/her) is a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native but has called Chicago home for 19 years, living in South Shore for 16 years and currently residing in Auburn Gresham. Shariba moved to Chicago to work at Betty Shabazz Academy …
Rich Robbins
Hip-Hop Recording Artist, Performer, & Educator MSUFCU Community Award

Rich Robbins (he/him) is a Chicago-based rapper, songwriter, producer, educator, and television host. He first gained recognition in college as a First Wave Hip-Hop & Urban Arts Scholarship recipient (Madison, Wisconsin), where he honed his skills and developed his artistry. …
Farah Salem
Artist & Art Therapist HMS Fund Award

Farah Salem (she/her) is a Kuwaiti-Iraqi interdisciplinary artist and art therapist based in Chicago. Farah’s studio practice is rooted in photography, expanding through video, performance, fiber-materials, and installation. Her origins in photography influence the ways she uses materials to sensorily …
Levi J. Wilkins
Lighting Designer Alison Zehr Award

Levi J. Wilkins (he/him) was born and raised on the Southwest Side of Chicago by a single mother. He has been a member of the Chicago theater community since the age of 6, performing in plays at ETA Creative Arts …
Robby Lee Williams
Dancer & Theater Performer Morrison-Shearer Foundation Award

Robby Lee Williams (he/him) is a Black/Latiné wheelchair dancer in Chicago. His dance practice is driven by explorations in connection with others and a drive to help build community practice. Robby has had the privilege to learn about and work …
Wanees Zarour
Composer, Multi-instrumentalist, & Educator

Wanees Zarour (he/him) is an award-winning Palestinian-American composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist steeped in Middle Eastern music and jazz traditions. His compositional and arranging styles transcend borders, drawing from traditions spanning the entire globe. He is a community leader who believes …