The Chicago-based Joyce Foundation today announced new funding opportunities in 2026 and 2027 through its signature Joyce Awards, expanding the program into two cycles and deepening its commitment to Great Lakes region artists and culture bearers whose visionary creative practices meaningfully impact and advance racial equity in their communities.

Shaped by convening and listening to artists, arts leaders, and past awardees, the new Joyce Awards program will provide direct, catalytic support to artists and culture bearers through an unrestricted model of support. The program now welcomes both peer and self-nominations, and for the first time in the Awards’ twenty-year history, the Foundation is broadening eligibility to include artists and culture bearers living and working in any community within eligible states — across major cities, as well as rural, suburban, and tribal communities.

Awardees will receive unrestricted awards of $100,000, along with $40,000 grants to a Great Lakes organization selected by the artist to help realize, expand, or deepen their work in the region. Awardees will also have access to no-cost services such as financial management, marketing, and strategic planning, and will be invited to participate in convenings hosted by the Foundation to foster peer learning and collaboration across the region.

United States Artists will administer the Awards in two cycles. Eligibility will rotate by state: artists based in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will be eligible in 2026, while artists in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio will be eligible in 2027. Following a nomination, application, and panel review process, four Awards will be awarded in each year.

Artists and culture bearers working in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are invited to submit self-nominations now through May 4 for the 2026 cycle. Eligible nominees must be working in the visual arts, performing arts, film and media, multimedia, literary arts, or other traditional, interdisciplinary, or community-based cultural practices. The Awards will support artists whose practices explore issues related to racial equity and deeply engage communities through collaborative approaches.

Artists can submit a self-nomination directly through the United States Artists website. Peer nominations are handled separately through an invitation-only process conducted earlier this spring. Eligible nominees will be invited to submit applications, which will be reviewed by a panel of regional and national arts leaders. The 2026 awardees will be announced in Fall 2026. The 2027 cycle will open in Spring 2027 for artists and culture bearers in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

“Recognizing the vital role of artists in building a more equitable and just society, the Joyce Foundation is committed to building on more than two decades of our signature Award by deepening our support for Great Lakes artists and communities to strengthen racial equity and cultural life across the region,” said Joyce Foundation President and CEO Dr. Julie Morita.

The Joyce Awards program was launched in 2004 and has invested more than $5 million to support the creation of more than 90 new artistic works by historically underrepresented artists working in collaboration with arts and community organizations in the Great Lakes region. These projects have demonstrated the power of the arts to inspire social change and community enrichment and have also facilitated catalytic opportunities for artists.

Learn more about the Joyce Awards and access the self-nomination form and guidelines.