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RDLF News: Issue 40
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Staff on Tour
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MdW: Detroit 2026
MdW (pronounced "Midway") is a regional, artist-run coalition connecting and strengthening hyperlocal art scenes across the Midwest. In June, Senior Program Officer Jessie Mott attended their 2026 convening, MdW Fair, in Detroit.
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MdW Fair is a conference, exhibition, book fair, and gathering for artists, organizers, and cultural practitioners. More than 300 artist-organizers representing over 150 platforms and projects spent the week exploring the city's arts ecosystem through tours, workshops, and events led by local artists.
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Throughout the week, conversations revolved around several pressing topics: what "revolution" means in the present moment, whether some groups should formalize as nonprofits or remain autonomous collectives, and the growing skepticism among artists toward conventional funding models and institutional structures.
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One of the week's most illuminating sessions examined the legacy of the National Association of Artists' Organizations (NAAO). Founded in 1982, NAAO spent two decades building grassroots, artist-led support systems for the alternative art space movement. They formed in direct opposition to the conservatism of mainstream art institutions. Much of that work was led by artists, women, people of color, disabled people, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
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MdW Fair 2026 was a reminder of the power of artist-organizers learning from one another across the region, and the importance of continuously redefining what it means to challenge the status quo.
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Star Farm Fresh Market
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Star Farm Chicago is an RDLF grantee, community-driven urban farm and sustainable food hub in the heart of Back of the Yards. The team visited their brick and mortar Fresh Market, Shared Kitchen and Community Dining Room located at 5256 S Ashland.
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The team toured the space and spoke with several Star Farm staff members about the work they're doing. Chef Omar prepared a delicious lunch highlighting their fresh produce, harvested that morning from their farm just a few blocks away.
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The Fresh Market Storefront is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-4pm. From weekly staples to seasonal fruits, vegetables and more, the Market was established to make locally grown food accessible, available, and affordable. The Market hosts a series of monthly events and community dinners, and is available for catering and venue rentals.
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Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory
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Some RDLF staff volunteered at the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory to pack backpacks for families to use this school year.
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RDLF grantee Cradles to Crayons distributes gently used clothing, new hygiene products, and school supplies for families in need, serving 196,000 kids in the Chicagoland area. The Giving Factory, located in Roscoe Village, receives thousands of items for donation and relies on community support to sort and package goods. "Quality and Dignity" are kept front of mind at every step of the process.
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During their volunteer shift, the team filled backpacks with notebooks, folders, glue sticks, pencils, and other supplies. They had a successful shift, preparing over 400 backpacks in an hour and a half.
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Red Line Service: Housing is the Cure
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Senior Program Officer Jessie Mott and Senior Administrator Sabrina Boggs attended RDLF grantee Red Line Service Institute's art exhibit opening.
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Titled "Housing is the Cure," the exhibition explores the profound impact that houselessness and housing instability have on health and well-being. Through the work of artists, community members, and people with lived experience, it encourages meaningful conversations about dignity, equity, and the importance of safe, stable housing for everyone.
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This exhibition was created in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). During the opening, CDPH presented research on morbidity and mortality of people experiencing houselessness. Part of their research was guided by conversations from members of Red Line Service, who had another opportunity during the opening to provide their feedback. Many of the members were grateful for all the work they had done, but also urged CDPH to work towards greater solutions.
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Attendees of the opening were able to participate in a screen printing activity and take home a copy of artwork from the exhibition.
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The exhibition will be on display at Movement on Montrose through September 10, 2026 and is free to view during regular business hours or by appointment.
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Stomping Grounds Open Stage: Jamila Woods
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Administrators Sabrina Boggs and Sloane Fuller attended a special Open Stage at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, hosted by RDLF grantee Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative (SGLAI). SGLAI hosts creative workshops for incarcerated and criminalized youth to help build resilience, develop practical skills, and become the authors of their own stories.
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The event celebrated the young people's voices and artistic achievements in the program. They shared original poetry, music, and art created throughout the year with the help of their teaching artists. The afternoon also featured an incredible live performance from special guest Jamila Woods and her full band.
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Autumn D., one of the young people in the program, made history as the first female student in 15 years of SGLAI programming to complete a full-length album, which she titled "Pretty Pain." Throughout the album, Autumn uses music as a tool for honesty and healing, tackling topics such as loss, heartbreak, and survival as well as resilience and self-determination. When asked how it felt to see how it all came together, she said, "It was worth the hard work."
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Empowerment Self-Defense
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The workshop balanced the sobering reality of the risks participants face with low pressure interactive activities. Staff members paired up and practiced with one another in a safe learning environment that allowed for connection and support. They also got to try their hands (and feet) at hitting the practice pads.
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While the workshop provided concrete self-defense moves in the event of a physical assault, most of the team agreed it was most helpful to learn the intangible skills behind self defense, such as spatial awareness, setting physical boundaries, and finding your voice.
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WellPower Coaching and Iron Orchid offer community workshops at Movement On Montrose for ages 9 and up.
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Upcoming Opportunities
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For Nonprofits
- PMAFF Performing Arts Program: The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation is currently seeking proposals from Chicagoland arts organizations to support new performance work that is created and premiered within our local community. This pilot grant opportunity provides organizations with holistic resources to create bold new work, across performing arts genres, that speak to the complexities of our time and advances
compelling visions of the world they hope to create. Any genre of performing arts is eligible. Applicants must not have received funding from PMAFF since January 1, 2023. The application deadline is July 31st at 5 PM CT.
- Human Connection Microgrant Program: In the new age of AI, Workday's new grant program seeks to seed grassroots, community-driven projects that demonstrate the power of joyful, in-person connection, and to learn from the diverse approaches that communities will bring to this shared challenge. The application deadline is July 31st at 11:59 PM PT.
- Cook County Community Violence Intervention Grants: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is open to community-based non-profit organizations that provide eligible Community Violence Intervention (CVI) services in Chicago and Suburban Cook County. CVI services required by this NOFO include Street Outreach, Case Management, and Victim Services. The application deadline is August 3rd at 5 PM CT.
- Community Development Grants: The City of Chicago helps support business and neighborhood vitality through Small, Medium and Large Community Development Grant (CDG) awards. CDGs support a variety of eligible, business-related investments that create and maintain jobs and quality-of-life improvements for local residents. The application deadline for Small and Medium CDGs is August 14th at 11:59 PM CT. Large CDG applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Forty Acres Activation Fund: Forty Acres Fresh Market is an independent, Black-woman-owned grocery business dedicated to making high-quality, fresh food more accessible to Chicago residents regardless of zip code. The Christopher Family Foundation is launching a $100,000 fund to support programming that activates the space and introduces Austin residents of all ages to the store. The application deadline is August 17th at 5 PM CT.
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For Individual Artists
- Fall 2026 Bridge Program: The Bridge Program fosters generative dialogue among a select group of artists (10 artists), in a seminar-centered experience designed to push artist practices. Artists work in a small-group setting to refine ideas for practice development, articulate professional intentions, deepen conceptual grounding, and situate practices within a wider art world context. The program is open tuition, meaning artists decide how much they can contribute. The application deadline is end of day August 2nd.
- 2027-2028 Co-Prosperity Open Call: Co-Prosperity (Co-Pro) is an experimental cultural center located in Bridgeport, Chicago that hosts exhibitions, screenings, installations, gatherings, and performance programs. They have an open call for solo and group exhibitions which run for 6 weeks and come with a $5,000 work stipend. The application deadline is August 24th at 11:59 PM CT.
- 35th Ward Viaduct Mural RFQ: The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in partnership with the 35th Ward, invites professional artists and artist teams to apply for two mural opportunities located at viaducts along Kimball Avenue and Sacramento Avenue on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Emerging artists with experience completing large-scale murals are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is August 28th at 11:59 PM CT.
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CCWF Paper Trail: "The Center for Restorative Justice Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to family reunification, sponsored Get On The Bus (GOTB), which allowed 24 incarcerated mothers from CCWF to spend meaningful time with their children and loved ones during a day designed to bring families together. "
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Invisible Institute: "Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon, directed by Bill Morrison and produced in collaboration with Invisible Institute, reconstructs the incident through witness cellphone footage, federal body-worn camera footage released through litigation, and investigative reporting."
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The War Horse: "'We’re all concerned that this study is going to be used as a pretext to remove women from combat arms,' said Sue Fulton, the executive director of the Women in the Service Coalition, which advocates for women in the military."
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Good Jobs First: "Yet the school districts losing the most revenue have no say in whether these subsidies are granted, or whether the benefits outweigh the costs."
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We craft this newsletter for you. If you have any comments or suggestions, please reply to this email and you might see your ideas implemented in our next issue.
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We have an open call for content from our partners to highlight the brilliant work they're doing in the community. If you are a current grantee or partner with The Reva and David Logan Foundation, please send your content to Sabrina Boggs, Communications Coordinator at sabrina(at)loganfdn(dot)org. Please note that we will not share fundraising campaigns.
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
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