With the Chicago mayoral run-off fast approaching on Tuesday, April 4, Chicago’s creative community needs to know where the two candidates stand on issues related to arts and culture.
Arts Alliance Illinois asked both candidates how their administration would approach current issues facing Chicago’s creative sector, as well as questions about their personal involvement with arts and culture. We received responses from both Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas on Tuesday, March 21. Scroll down to read their replies.
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As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Alliance cannot support or oppose candidates for office. These responses are shared for informational purposes only.
Have you attended and/or financially supported any of these forms of cultural expression in the last year? Check all that apply.
Brandon Johnson:
| Film | Music | Theater | Dance | Literary Arts | Visual Arts | Museums/Cultural Institutions |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Additional comments:
I am a drummer and also the father of young, Black musicians who play violin, viola and cello. I am fully committed to creating a better and more inclusive artistic world for my children and future generations. As a family, we enjoy film, theater and dance – in particular, DanceAfrica Chicago and Muntu Dance.
Paul Vallas:
| Film | Music | Theater | Dance | Literary Arts | Visual Arts | Museums/Cultural Institutions |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Additional comments:
The arts play a critical role in driving tourism and investment to the City of Chicago and provide an important commentary on our culture and the current state of public affairs. I use film as a method to unwind after a long day of work, in fact given the opportunity I typically like to watch a film every night.
Do you support maintaining and growing the City’s direct grantmaking to cultural organizations, individual artists, and creatives to levels on par with other cultural destination cities around the US?
Brandon Johnson:
Yes. Access to funds and grantmaking information are critical for artists, yet many share that they don’t find out about opportunities until after the deadline has passed, if even at all. In a Brandon Johnson administration, DCASE will prioritize creating a centralized digital landing page and mailing list that announces all upcoming available arts grants, funds, and paid public art opportunities year round.
Paul Vallas:
Yes. As Mayor, I would use every tool at my disposal to increase tourism and grow Chicago’s economy. I know that when we make smart investments in the arts we are actually investing in our economy. The direct and indirect return on investment will grow Chicago as a hub for the arts.
Do you support making arts education accessible for every child, in every grade, in every school?
Brandon Johnson:
Yes. We must challenge the systematic defunding of arts education in Chicago Public Schools by prioritizing funding to increase resources for arts programs as an integral component to a comprehensive education. My administration will also prioritize the staffing needed to increase after-school programming centering the arts, including increasing capacity through deeper partnerships with After School Matters, the Chicago Park District, and the Chicago Public Library. I will also bolster arts and culture offerings in schools by partnering with artists directly from the schools’ neighborhoods to deepen community building and inspire the next generation of Chicago artists.
Paul Vallas:
Yes. I would push the school resources down to the local level and ensure that we are spending our school resources on expanding educational opportunities for our children. We can provide a complete and competitive number of courses for our children and that will include the arts.
As mayor, do you plan to strengthen the recovery and sustainability of Chicago’s creative sector for nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and individual creative workers?
Brandon Johnson:
Yes. The health of our city’s cultural life is inseparable from the presence and quality of cultural spaces in all of Chicago’s communities. Artist-run spaces across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods would flourish if the independent cultural producers who opened and operated them had more financial stability. I will develop a committee of directly impacted artists to bring together ideas and strategies for alleviating the financial burdens of our city’s cultural producers.
Paul Vallas:
Yes. We must strengthen the workforce for all Chicagoans. Through smart investments in public safety we will make Chicago a destination for tourism and economic development. This would provide the opportunity for our creative workers to return to the workforce.
As mayor, will your administration support arts and culture as an economic and tourism engine for the city, both downtown and in neighborhoods?
Brandon Johnson:
Yes. Thousands of independent artists and cultural producers in our city who create community spaces for artists to hone their practices and thrive are not eligible for foundation grants. A Johnson administration will provide additional funding to the Department of Cultural A airs and Special Events (DCASE), particularly to the Individual Artist Program (IAP), which provides financial support to Chicago artists developing their craft and elevating their careers. Brandon will also work to increase DCASE funding streams from the city’s Corporate Fund, protecting art and culture work from the ups and downs of the tourism industry. Art and culture is an essential service worthy of the city’s core funds.
Paul Vallas:
Yes. Chicago is a wonderfully diverse city with many different cultural hubs. It is critical that we support the proliferation of the arts to every community across the city. By encouraging participation in our schools, community centers, and communities we can bring the arts to all of our residents.
How will your administration leverage the broad-based social benefits of arts and culture in areas like mental health and public safety, integrating our artists and creative leaders in the fabric of city work in these areas?
Brandon Johnson:
My administration, at its core, will fully support increasing arts funding and raising the standards for arts grants so that workers can benefit. I’m a progressive. I will always believe in “more” for workers and working families when it comes in the context of fiscal responsibility. I also support the full funding of the arts in schools, making affordable housing a human right and re-opening Chicago’s closed mental health clinics, returning a vital resource to the people.
Paul Vallas:
As CEO of CPS, I kept our schools open past the dinner hour, over the weekends, and during the summer. This allowed for our students to have a safe space to go and participate in beneficial programs such as learning the arts. As Mayor, I will bring back these opportunities.
