Greater than 140 Chicago artists and cultural leaders are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to deal with “dysfunction” throughout the metropolis’s Cultural Affairs division, arguing that staffing turmoil is resulting in delays in grant funds and different key capabilities.
All of it comes, the “letter of concern” states, at a “distinctive and important time” for the humanities: The sector was not absolutely again on its toes following the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic and now faces existential funding threats from the Trump administration.
“The humanities make Chicago a world vacation spot and are one of many major automobiles for countering the lies promoted by these with a nationwide agenda intent on spreading false and dangerous narratives about our Metropolis,” the letter reads. “It’s with this understanding that we write to share our deep concern in regards to the dysfunction within the Division of Cultural Affairs and Particular Occasions.”
The letter, posted Wednesday on Instagram by a gaggle known as Artists for Chicago, comes about one yr after Johnson picked his former staffer Clinée Hedspeth to steer the Division of Cultural Affairs and Particular Occasions (DCASE). Since Hedspeth took over, the division has been roiled by turnover, with at the very least 19 employees members — together with a number of high-ranking deputies — departing amid allegations of bullying by Hedspeth.
In an emailed assertion, Hedspeth mentioned she acknowledges the considerations raised within the letter and that she is “steadfast” in “supporting and empowering this group.” She additionally mentioned she is “dedicated to enhancing our processes for grant distribution.”
“Since my appointment final yr, I’ve been deeply centered on navigating the complexities of our evolving arts panorama in a post-pandemic world,” Hedspeth mentioned within the assertion. “The humanities are a cornerstone of Chicago’s identification, and I’m dedicated to making sure that DCASE stays a sturdy companion for artists, cultural organizations, and our communities.”
A whole bunch pay attention and revel in because the Blind Boys of Alabama carry out on the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park throughout Blues Fest in 2023. Town’s Division of Cultural Affairs and Particular Occasions oversees large-scale occasions, comparable to Style of Chicago and Blues Fest, in addition to neighborhood programming and direct grants to artists.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Solar-Instances
The letter, which is at present accepting signatures, calls on Johnson to: intervene on employees turnover and deal with allegations of bullying and audit the division’s important operations, which the letter’s authors say has been disrupted underneath present management. The letter additionally asks the mayor to speak a imaginative and prescient for DCASE and for the administration to be current on the subsequent Cultural Advisory Council, after Hedspeth didn’t seem in individual on the group’s February assembly.
The division oversees large-scale occasions, comparable to Style of Chicago and Blues Fest, and neighborhood programming, in addition to directs grants to artists and organizations — a perform that might grow to be much more important to the native sector after adjustments on the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts and Nationwide Endowment for the Humanities underneath President Donald Trump.
“Throughout a time outlined by growing polarization and instability, we’d like a powerful, cohesive imaginative and prescient for arts and tradition in our metropolis and a companion in DCASE management that may be relied on,” the letter reads. “There’s nonetheless time to do proper by Chicago’s artists and inventive business who’ve been a strongly engaged voting block that considerably contributed to your profitable election marketing campaign.”
The letter has been signed by folks throughout the humanities sector, together with curators, actors, arts directors and extra. The doc is notable as a result of it’s the primary time that collective criticism of the division has publicly prolonged previous arts leaders and executives.
Amina Dickerson, a longtime arts activist and member of the advisory council, signed her title to the letter.
She mentioned she has been “deeply disheartened” by the division not too long ago, including that: “We want the humanities now greater than ever.”
One of many folks organizing the hassle advised WBEZ there was a “profound” degree of concern of retaliation amongst folks contemplating signing. The organizer mentioned a gaggle of about 35 folks have been working collectively on the hassle for the final couple of months.
Hedspeth, a former artwork appraiser and director on the DuSable Black Historical past Museum and Training Heart, beforehand served as legislative director underneath Johnson throughout his time as Prepare dinner County Commissioner. In a public look final yr, Hedspeth mentioned she has identified the mayor since faculty.
Johnson picked Hedspeth to steer DCASE after firing former Commissioner Erin Harkey, who was appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in February 2024. The change has resulted in a excessive degree of employees departures. Final September, a former DCASE employees member advised WBEZ that the inner tradition of the division had grow to be “discouraging” and “disconnected” underneath Hedspeth.
Within the letter, arts leaders mentioned that the “hollowing out of the division’s experience and institutional information has had a significant influence on the environment friendly working of the division and its important capabilities of offering well timed grants and fulfilling allow requests.”
Within the emailed assertion, Hedspeth mentioned that turnover “is a pure a part of any management transition.”
“I perceive the considerations relating to the influence of this turnover on the division’s operations, and I need to guarantee the general public that we’re within the technique of recruiting and retaining gifted professionals to make sure DCASE capabilities on the highest degree,” Hedspeth mentioned within the assertion.
The letter requires the Inspector Normal, Mayor’s Workplace, and Cultural Advisory Council to be “absolutely briefed” on the “alarming accusations of shouting and cursing at employees members in entrance of the general public, demeaning requests of employees, and cases of retaliation for talking up,” which the letter states “have all been confirmed by trusted sources throughout the division.”
Jonah Zeiger, the previous head of the Chicago Movie Workplace, was ousted from DCASE in December. In February, he advised WBEZ he didn’t know why he was edged out.
“It was by no means made clear to me,” Zeiger mentioned. “I do know that I used to be given path to restrict, then finally chorus, my engagement with stakeholders and group companions, and I by no means fairly understood why I used to be receiving that steerage.”
Members of town’s Cultural Advisory Council, who’re appointed, mentioned in a February assembly that they need to hear what path the division is heading in underneath Hedspeth’s management.
“I feel what individuals are asking [for] is kind of a really clear plan about how DCASE, and the commissioner and management wish to use the [council],” the group’s chair, Coya Paz, mentioned on the time.
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and tradition reporter at WBEZ.
