Blog
Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director of IFF’s Chicago Metro Region, spoke with Rufus Williams on WVON-AM to discuss the final round […]
WVON-AM 1690 The Rufus Williams Show: Culture Forward Chicago Gifts with IFF’s Vickie Lakes Battle
CHICAGO (April 28, 2025) — Administered by IFF, the Chicago’s Cultural Treasures (ChiTreasures) initiative is excited to announce the 77 […]
77 Chicagoland Arts and Culture Organizations Receive Gift through Culture Forward Chicago
IFF’s Executive Director of the Chicago Region Victoria Lakes-Battle spoke with Block Club Chicago about Chicago’s Cultural Treasures and its […]
Block Club Chicago: Chicago BIPOC Arts Nonprofits Can Get Up To $60,000 In Funding With New Grant
Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director of IFF’s Chicago Metro Region, spoke with Rufus Williams on WVON-AM to discuss Chicago’s Cultural Treasures, […]
WVON-AM 1690 The Rufus Williams Show: IFF’s Vickie Lakes Battle Discusses Culture Forward Chicago
IFF’s Executive Director – Chicago Metro Region Vickie Lakes-Battle recently gave an interview with WSCR-AM 670 Score Values, discussing Chicago’s […]
WSCR-AM 670 Score Values: IFF’s Vickie Lakes-Battle Discusses Culture Forward Chicago
CHICAGO (February 4, 2025) — Administered by IFF, the Chicago’s Cultural Treasures (ChiTreasures) initiative is launching applications this coming Monday, […]
Applications for Culture Forward Chicago Open Next Week; $3 Million to be Awarded to Chicago Arts and Culture Organizations
Five grantees of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures were recently announced to be among 80 Illinois arts organizations to receive funding from […]
Five ChiTreasures Grantees among Recipients of National Endowment for the Arts Funding
CHICAGO (January 14, 2025) — Administered by IFF, the Chicago’s Cultural Treasures (ChiTreasures) initiative will launch Culture Forward Chicago, a […]
IFF Announces Final Round of Grantmaking Through Chicago’s Cultural Treasures Initiative; $3 Million to be Awarded to Chicago Arts and Culture Organizations
Ivan Vega, co-founding director of UrbanTheater, Joseph Pindelski, interim director of Joel Hall Dancers & Center, and Molly Bartels-Roth, manager […]
Windy City Times: Ambitious arts initiative uncovers ‘treasures’ created by BIPOC Chicagoans
Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director for IFF’s Chicago Metro region, and Dr. Jeffreen Hayes, executive director of Threewalls, recently discussed Chicago’s […]
Black Entrepreneur Experience Podcast: Grantmaking to Preserve Cultural Heritage with Victoria Lakes-Battle and Dr. Jeffreen Hayes
Tara Townsend, president of IFF’s Social Impact Accelerator, and Carlos Hernandez, founder and executive director of the Puerto Rican Arts […]
Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: How A Funding Collaborative Can Empower Your Nonprofit, with Tara Townsend & Carlos Hernandez
CHICAGO (June 26, 2024) — Administered by IFF, Chicago’s Cultural Treasures (ChiTreasures) announced today a second round of grant funding, […]
IFF Announces Second Round of Funding, Additional $3 Million Awarded to Chicago’s Cultural Treasures Grantees
Several of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures are among 27 Chicago small arts organizations with budgets under $1 million to receive Cash […]
Broadway World: Chicago Arts Organizations Receive $500,000 in Grants From Donnelley Foundation
Dr. Jeffreen M. Hayes, executive director of Threewalls, was recently interviewed as part of Authority Magazine’s series on women’s leadership, […]
Authority Magazine: Jeffreen M Hayes of Threewalls On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership
Print Magazine recently interviewed Tara Townsend, president of IFF’s Social Impact Accelerator, the department that oversees administration of Chicago’s Cultural […]
Print Magazine: Shining a Spotlight on Chicago’s BIPOC Cultural Treasures
Kenya Thomas, executive director of eta Creative Arts Foundation and Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director of IFF’s Chicago Metro Region, spoke […]
Score Values 670AM: Kenya Thomas (eta Creative Arts Foundation) and Vickie Lakes-Battle (IFF) discuss ChiTreasures
On Tuesday, March 5, Rufus Williams, host of the Morning Show on WVON 1690AM, spoke with Coco Elysses from the […]
WVON Morning Show with Rufus Williams: Interview with Coco Elysses (President/Chair, Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) and Molly Bartels Roth (Manager of Capacity Building Programs, IFF)
Three of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures received grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Black Ensemble Theater was granted […]
Chicago Tribune: National Endowment for the Arts provides grants to some of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures
Enterprise Podcast Network sat down with Charlique Rolle, Executive director of Congo Square Theatre, and Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director of […]
Enterprise Podcast Network: Preserving BIPOC-led and focused art and culture in Chicago
Newcity Stage includes several of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures in their list of “The Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago.” […]
Newcity Stage includes several of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures in its Players 50 2024 list
CanvasRebel sat down with Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director of IFF’s Chicago Metro region, to discuss IFF’s commitment to Chicago’s Cultural […]
CanvasRebel: Chicago’s Cultural Treasures and O. Victoria Lakes-Battle
For West Point School of Music – community and positive impact is high on the priority list, and the concerts […]
WGN-TV: Concerts That Provide Music Education For All
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s Artistic Director Nicole Clarke-Springer published a commentary piece in Crain’s Chicago Business discussing the challenges that […]
Crain’s Chicago Business: Funding arts organizations means trusting artists to know what they need
Vickie Lakes-Battle, executive director of IFF’s Chicago Metro Region, recently sat down with We Empower Magazine to answer some questions […]
We Empower Magazine: IFF’S Executive Director of Chicago Metro Region, O. Victoria Lakes–Battle Shares the Impact of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures
Authority Magazine recently interviewed Vickie Lakes-Battle, IFF’s executive director of the Chicago Metro Region, where she discussed her and IFF’s […]
Authority Magazine: How O. Victoria Lakes-Battle of IFF Is Helping To Empower Under-Resourced Nonprofits and the Communities They Serve
The Citizen spotlighted Chicago’s Cultural Treasures and its work supporting BIPOC-led and -focused arts and cultural groups. “What we’re trying […]
The Citizen: Chicago’s Cultural Treasures continues to support BIPOC arts and cultural organizations
The MacArthur Foundation and Field Foundation recently announced 86 recipients of their A Road Together (ART) initiative, a regranting opportunity […]
A Road Together toward Equitable Arts in Chicago: MacArthur Foundation Announces 2023 Grantees
The Chicago Tribune spotlighted Deeply Rooted Dance Theater ahead of a special November 3 performance showcasing the theater’s history. Discussing […]
Chicago Tribune: Deeply Rooted Dance celebrates the past, lives in the present — and looks to the future
While many large or mainstream theaters have been struggling since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black and other culturally-specific […]
The Triibe: Black theaters are LOWKEY thriving right now
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 – Oct 15), Vickie Lakes Battle, Executive Director of IFF’s Chicago Metro […]
WGN-TV: Preserving Cultural Heritage Of Hispanic Communities
Chicago, IL (November 11, 2022) – The 40 BIPOC-led and -focused arts and culture organizations, who have been named Chicago’s […]
Press Release: 40 BIPOC-led Arts & Culture Organizations from Across Chicago Come Together as Chicago’s Cultural Treasures Grantees
KENWOOD — A South Side “cultural treasure” that’s spent nearly three decades working with young creatives of color is expanding […]
Block Club Chicago: Little Black Pearl Will Open A Coworking Lounge, Launch Workshops For Adult Creatives This Month
Chicago’s Cultural Treasures is very pleased to announce $14.4 million in grant funding to 40 organizations that contribute to the […]
40 of Chicago’s BIPOC arts organizations receive $14.4MM
“Arts and cultural institutions can strengthen communities by transforming spaces, fostering empathy, reflecting community identity, advancing economic mobility, improving academic […]
