Make a Wave

Make a Wave is an artist-to-artist grant program that erases the traditional gatekeeper by inviting each of the previous year’s 3Arts Awards recipients to select another artist to receive a surprise award from 3Arts—in effect sending a wave through Chicago’s brilliant cultural core.

Thanks to our 2018 Make a Wave Partner, the Siragusa Family Foundation, these grants to artists were $1,000 each. 

2018 Make a Wave Partner

Siragusa Family Foundation Logo

artists posing in front of stairs at the Museum of Contemporary Art during the 3Arts Awards

2018

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    Nura Aly

     Violinist, Educator, Dancer Make a Wave Artist

    Nura is a 31-year old woman born with Spina Bifida. She has played violin for 23 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from DePaul University and Music Teacher Certification from Northeastern Illinois University. She has been involved …

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    Jo de Presser

     DJ Make a Wave Artist

    Jo de Presser (aka Marlon Billups) is a DJ, poet, and music curator and collaborator for Honey Pot Performance. Jo has been DJ’ing throughout Chicago’s House scene since 1987, starting at DiVinci Manor with promoter Quik Claude. He has DJ’ed …

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    Silvia Inés Gonzalez

     Interdisciplinary Artist & Educator Make a Wave Artist

    Silvia Inés Gonzalez is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator in Chicago who actively participates in spaces where collective wellness takes on critical dialogue, art making, and community building.  Her visual and audio work are a ballad to nostalgia--the borderline between …

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    Krystal Grover-Webb

     Visual Artist & Educator Make a Wave Artist

    Krystal Grover-Webb is a mosaic collage artist. Her authentic, creative style began almost twenty years ago. For Krystal, collage is symbolic of life. As each piece of paper comes together to form an image, so do our many experiences combine …

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    Joelle Lamarre

     Soprano, Teacher, and Playwright Make a Wave Artist

    Joelle Lamarre is currently part of the Freedom Ride cast at Chicago Opera Theater. This past fall (2019), Joelle was seen celebrating South Shore Opera Company of Chicago’s 10th Anniversary and the Chicago Humanities Festival concert Power Couples. Last …

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    Jenna M. Lyle

     Experimental Musician & Performer Make a Wave Artist

    Composer, performer, and installation-builder, Jenna M. Lyle has presented her own works as well as those of her colleagues throughout the U.S. and abroad, with performances recently by Spektral Quartet, Popebama, Argonaut Ensemble, Contemporaneous, Chicago Composers Orchestra, Loadbang, and The …

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    Krystel V. McNeil

     Actor Make a Wave Artist

    Krystel V. McNeil is a Chicago native from the South Side who has worked around the Chicago theater community for the last ten years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and Black World Studies at Columbia College …

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    Gonzalo Escobar Mora

     Visual Artist & Experimental Filmmaker Make a Wave Artist

    Gonzalo Escobar Mora is an artist who wants to be filmmaker, and a filmmaker who wants to be an artist. He loves this confusion. Gonzalo received a Master of Arts in Film Directing from the Sarajevo Film Academy and a …

  • Picture of a white female 50 something with short spiky hair and chunky framed glasses, blue eyes, and a little grin.

    Carolyn O'Brien

     Composer Make a Wave Artist

    Carolyn O’Brien (she/her) is a composer, creator, and collaborator who creates shows that integrate multidisciplinary artists with the audience. Kinetic sculpture, absurdist theater, visual art, vaudeville, silent film, dance, jazz, and folk music inspire much of her work. She uses …

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    Ana Santos

     Actor Make a Wave Artist

    Ana Santos is an actress, singer, director, and teaching artist from Cidra, Puerto Rico. She has participated in film, music, and theater performances and the International Theater Festival in Besançon, France. Ana was part of the University of Puerto Rico …

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