Inspiring creativity, artistic excellence, and collaboration in Great Lakes communities

The Joyce Awards is the only regional program dedicated to supporting artists of color in major Great Lakes cities.

Since its inception, the competition has awarded $4.4 million to commission 82 new collaborations between artists and leading arts, cultural, and community-based organizations in six Great Lakes cities: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Each award supports an artist in the creation and production of a new work while providing the commissioning organization with the resources needed to engage audiences, new partners, and their surrounding communities at large.

Demonstrating the capacity of the arts to inspire and mobilize social change, the Joyce Awards act as a catalyst for artists’ creative practices as well as fostering culturally vibrant, equitable, and sustainable communities through the arts.

Applications for the 2024 Joyce Awards will be open on July 5, 2023. Current and previous Joyce applicants must submit letters of inquiry by Monday, September 11, 2023 through the grantee portal. New Joyce applicants who do not already have access to the Foundation’s Fluxx grantee portal will need to create an account and submit it for approval by September 6 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Full proposals will be due on October 30, 2023.

Interested in applying? Register for our Joyce Awards Information Session on Thursday, August 3, at 12:00-1:00 p.m. CDT to learn more about the awards program and application process.