On Wednesday, February 18, Governor JB Pritzker released his proposed FY27 state budget. While we recognize the difficult fiscal environment facing Illinois, we are deeply concerned that the proposal does not include the investment needed to restore Illinois’ support for arts and culture to sustainable levels. (The Governor’s full budget report can be found here.)
Illinois Arts Council (IAC)
Illinois still has not fully rebuilt public arts funding after the severe cuts of the late 2000s. Adjusted for inflation, Illinois Arts Council (IAC) funding remains far below 2007 levels even as demand for creative workforce development, arts education, community revitalization, and cultural tourism continues to grow.
The Governor’s proposed budget, while on paper showing a meager increase of $100,000 for the IAC essentially maintains flat funding, particularly given the slight overall state budget increase from $55.2B in FY26 to $56B in FY27. Overall, we’re getting a slightly smaller percentage of a slightly larger pie.
| Illinois Arts Council Funding | ||
| FY26 Budget | FY27 Proposed | |
| TOTAL | $25.7M | $25.9M |
| State Funds | $24.4M | $24.6M |
| Federal Funds (from the NEA) | $1.3M | $1.3M |
Funding levels for specific programs within the IAC did not see any change.
| Illinois Arts Council Line Items | ||
| FY26 Budget | FY27 Proposed | |
| Creative Learning Grants | $0.9M | $0.9M |
| Grants for Illinois’ Creative Future | $17.2M | $17.2M |
| IL Humanities Council Earmark | $1.4M | $1.4M |
| IL Public Media Earmark | $1.7M | $1.7M |
Budget Analysis & Our Advocacy Agenda
In January, Arts Alliance delivered a letter to Governor Pritzker with over 2,000 signatures from creatives across Illinois that called for restoring the arts to 2007 levels in this year’s budget—an increase of 20% from the FY26 budget. This ask represents .0087% of the overall FY27 proposed budget—less than one hundredth of one percent. Meanwhile, requests for Arts Council support are up 120% statewide, reflecting renewed trust in the state’s cultural infrastructure—but also exposing the limits of current resources.
This matters because creativity is not ornamental. It is core infrastructure for what we call the Cycle of Opportunity:
- Thriving places where people want to live (PLACE)
- Strong arts learning pipelines (NEST)
- Sustainable creative careers (CREATE)
- Cultural anchors stabilizing neighborhoods (ANCHOR)
- Revitalized downtowns and corridors (REVIVE)
- Reinvestment that multiplies public impact (REINVEST)
This framework underpins the emerging Illinois Creative Future policy vision, which aims to align economic development, workforce systems, education policy, and cultural investment statewide.
Without stronger investment, Illinois risks losing creative talent, economic activity, and community vitality to states making more intentional commitments.
Encouraging Legislative Momentum
Despite the absence of a proposed increase, there are positive signs:
- The bipartisan Illinois Creative Caucus, launched last year, continues building legislative leadership around cultural policy.
- Caucus members are introducing or exploring proposals supporting:
- Museums & Venues
- Creative Economy Research
- Public Media
- Humanities Funding
These efforts demonstrate growing awareness that creativity is an economic and civic asset — but they require adequate baseline investment to succeed.
Encouraging Legislative Momentum
We must remember that this budget is only proposed. It still needs a final vote by the General Assembly. Over the next few months, legislators will negotiate and special interest groups will advocate for changes. Now is the time for our creative sector to act!
What You Can Do Right Now
Please contact your state legislators using this link and urge them to restore Illinois Arts Council funding toward 2007 levels in the FY27 budget. For less than one hundredth of one percent of the overall budget, we can increase IAC funding by 20% and meaningfully strengthen the creative economy of our state.
Your voice helps lawmakers understand:
- Arts funding drives local economies
- Creative workers are essential to Illinois’ future
- Communities across the state depend on cultural infrastructure
Illinois cannot afford to leave its creative future to chance.