One State in the Arts & Humanities
presented by the Illinois Arts Council and Illinois Humanities
One State in the Arts & Humanities is the largest statewide convening of arts, culture, and humanities professionals in Illinois.
Hosted by the Illinois Arts Council and Illinois Humanities in 2025, this dynamic conference emphasized field-building, peer learning, and professional growth for participants from across Illinois’ vibrant cultural landscape.
Participants joined a diverse network of organizations from across the state for a convening designed to help participants make connections, develop skills, spark new ideas, and catalyze a vibrant, resilient vision for Illinois’ arts and humanities ecosystem by:
- Sharing best practices and emerging local and national trends
- Deepening our understanding of arts and culture work in different parts of the state
- Supporting skill-sharing, collaboration, and peer learning
- Increasing access to professional development and skill-building workshops
One State in the Arts & Humanities programming included arts and humanities immersions, keynote presentations, small-group activities, live performances, engagements with our host community, and ample unstructured time for shared experiences.
Inside the 2025 One State in the Arts & Humanities Conference: Meeting the Moment
November 5 – 7, 2025
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
The 2025 conference theme, Meeting the Moment, invited all of us to explore what this moment asks of us — and what we can build together through the humanities and the arts.
Program Highlights
- Dozens of high-impact breakout sessions created to Meet the Moment through skill- sharing, creative exchange, and immersive experiences
- Timely performance from the new Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte speaking to resilience and creativity
- An engaging evening of music and mingling at the renowned Krannert Center for the Performing Arts featuring Freedom Coalition and UIUC students in theater, music, and dance
- An opening powerhouse plenary conversation bridging the federal, statewide, and local arts and culture sectors featuring Americans for the Arts CEO Erin Harkey, Illinois Arts Council Executive Director Joshua Davis-Ruperto, and Illinois Humanities Executive Director Gabrielle H. Lyon moderated by Axios Reporter Monica Eng
- Curated opportunities to explore the vibrant cultural scene in Champaign-Urbana, IL, including partnerships with local galleries and small creative businesses
- Affinity Groups including BIPOC, Accessibility, LGBTQIA+, IL250, New Executive Directors, and New Cultural Workers
- Home rooms bookending the conference, protecting facilitated time for individual and collective reflection with the same group of peers
- A free professional headshot station
- Flash Presentations for any attendee to voice anything they'd like to share with other attendees
- Self-Portrait Station creating an archive of attendees meeting the moment, moment to moment
- A Policy Studio facilitated by Arts Alliance IL that invited participants to contribute to the future Illinois arts and culture policy agendas.
- A block of experiential activation sessions in which attendees directly engage in arts and humanities with practitioners
- A plenary on the importance of state investment in culture, featuring IL State Senator Robert Martwick and Arts Alliance Executive Director Claire Rice
Breakout Sessions & Presenters
- 10 Financial Mistakes Nonprofits Make - Sue Greenberg, St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA)
- Interactive Deep Dive in How to Launch a New Series of Support Programs - Michael Scott; Dr. Mónica Félix; Pooja Das, all Chicago Cultural Alliance
- The Long Haul: Nonprofit Sustainability for Challenging Times - Helene Achanzar, Chicago Poetry Center; B Metzger Sampson, Chicago Poetry Center; Eugene Park, Full Spectrum Features; Jamyle Cannon, The Bloc; Katrina Dion, Free Street
- Silence Isn't Neutral: Why Your Messaging Matters in a Crisis - Diego Ivan Villegas, Illinois Humanities
- (Public) Media 101 and Beyond - Randy Eccles, NPR Illinois; Staci Hoste, WNIJ & WNIU; Heather Norman, Tri States Public Radio; Jared Johnson, WVIK , Dan Bindert WDCB
- Building Creative Worker Power: Policy Agenda Refresh & Resources - Sasha Ongtengco, Arts Alliance Illinois; Elsa Hiltner, Lawyers for the Creative Arts
- Ignite Peoria: A Case Study in Multi-Sector Collaboration - Dr. Julie Traenkenschuh, OSF HealthCare; Dr. Mae Gilliland, ArtsPartners of Central Illinois, Inc.; Chanel Hargrave-Murry, Peoria Fashion Week Academy; Ezra Murry, Joker Visuals; Joe Spanier, ArtsPartners of Central Illinois; Karen Rodgers, Heart of Illinois Special Recreation Association; Mary Jo Papich, Jazz Education Network
- Creating Connection: Arts, Humanities, and Community Conversations on Mental Health - Alexandra Chiatello, Schuyler County Mental Health Association; Erin Eveland, The Hub - Arts & Cultural Center; Xochi Anderson, The Hub - Arts & Cultural Center; Terry Jenkins, Tracy Family Foundation
- Access 101: Easy Wins for Accessibility in Cultural Spaces - Zhen Heinemann; Amy Kisner; Mattie Wilson, all Cultural Access Collaborative
- Arts in Action: Navigating Uncertainty Through Art, History, and Conversation - Audrey King, Ellwood House Museum; Jonelle Bailey, Sycamore Park District; Michelle Donahoe, DeKalb County History Center
- Looking to the Future of Grantmaking with the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) - Joshua Davis-Ruperto, Encarnacion Teruel, Teresa Davis, Jackie Banks-Mahlum, Susan Dickson, Jerome Grand, Danielle Heal, John Gawlik, Angelique Grandone, Jasmine Roberson, all Illinois Arts Council
- Creative Foundations: Integrating Arts and Humanities into Community and Economic Development Planning - Giselle Hamm, MAPPING the Future of Your Community, Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs; Kristin Terry, Value-Added Sustainable Development Center, Illinois Institute for Rural Affair; Quinn Adamowski, Landmarks Illinois
- Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity: Innovating Strategies and Fundraising - Liz Howard, Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University
- The Fabric of Memory - Beth Watkins, Spurlock Museum of World Cultures; Abigail Padfield Narayan, Spurlock Museum of World Cultures; Dale Mize, Spurlock Museum of World Cultures; Jerry Carden, Greater Community AIDS Project
- Financial Management During a Time of Uncertainty - Gretchen Upholt; Kate Piatt-Eckert, both BDO
- The Artist Collective on Race, Equity, and Unity - Breawna Austin; Stephanie Fisher; Lynne Chambers, Esq.; Ammiel Russell; Sarah Dobie; Robert Ketchens; Fern Logan, all Legacy Training Inc.
- Ichi-go Ich-ie: The Way of Tea as a Practice for Meeting the Moment - Jennifer Gunji-Ballsrud; Diana Liao, both Japan House - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- CollabARTive Community: Creative Practices for Care and Connection - Kyla Williams Tate, Cook County Government, Office of the President
- Democracy in Dialogue: Youth-Led Civic Conversations at the Nation’s 250th - Joey Brewer, Spoon River Valley CUSD #4; Jennifer Burdette, Spoon River Valley CUSD #4; Nic Skinner, Beardstown Middle/High School
- Rest Lab: A Pop-Up Experiment for Intentional Rest in a University Art Museum - Ishita Dharap, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign; Kamila Glowacki, Krannert Art Museum
- Thread by Thread: Reframing the Narrative Through Black Story Quilts - Gaye Shannon Burnett; Anita Green, both Azubuike African American Council for The Arts
- Be in This Moment: A Self-Portrait Session - Sue Scott, Western Illinois Museum; Brandace Cloud, The Macoupin Art Collective; Laura Blumenstock, The Macoupin Art Collective
- Fleeting Moments, Lasting Movements - Hannah Johnson, Creative Healing Expressive Arts Center
- Meeting the Moment: Artists Supporting Artists - Paige Brown, Bustling Spaces, LLC
- Access by Design: Creating Seamless Experiences for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Arts Patrons - Dr. Tina Gonzales Childress, Illinois Arts Council
- What Does It Take To Win? An Advocacy and Organizing Strategy Deep Dive - Bindu Poroori, Arts Alliance Illinois; Doug Johnson, McLean County Arts Center; Mary McNamara Bernsten, Rockford Area Arts Council
- Building a Human-Centered Work Practice - Ali Drumm; Jess Hutchinson, both 2nd Story
- Building Place-Based History Together: Vision, Technology, and Local Partnerships - Dr. Megan VanGorder, Illinois State University; Joey Brewer, Spoon River Valley CUSD #4; Dr. Bradley J. Wiles, Northern Illinois University Libraries
- Making Spaces for Community Solidarity - Sara Phalen; Marissa Garza, both West Chicago City Museum
- Resilience in Practice: Sustaining Arts & Humanities in Uncertain Time - Dr. Rachel Storm, Krannert Art Museum
- Preparing Your Board to Meet the Moment: Practical Tools for Resilient Leadership - Dr. Mae Gilliland Wright, ArtsPartners of Central Illinois, Inc.; Lily A. Blouin, Independent Nonprofit Consultant; Lynne Chambers, Esq., Legacy Training, Inc.; Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Illinois Humanities ; Abigail Madden, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
- Aftermath: The Effects of Capacity Building Grants in the Arts - Deidre Huckabay; Kelsey McFalls, both Golden Egg
- What's Your Story? Artists in Residence @ Your Library - Elaine Bearden, The Urbana Free Library; Nika Lucks, Independent Artist
- Humanities for Healing: Museums on Call and the Resiliency Collective as Models of Creative Care - Joseph Calderone, Illinois Association of Museums & VITAS Healthcare; Shana Cooper, Illinois Association of Museums; Alison Costanzo, Lombard Historical Society
- Forgottonia: The Challenges of Creating New Work In Rural Illinois - Chris Vallillo, Independent Artist; Fairouz AbuGhazaleh, Illinois Humanities; Angelique Grandone, Illinois Arts Council
- There Be Dragons: Things to Think about in an AI World - Jeanne Schultz Angel, Illinois Association of Museums; Kelly Klobuchar, Joliet Area Historical Museum; Sara Benson, Scholarly Communication and Publishing University Library, University of Illinois
- Money Meets the Moment: How States Sustain Cultural Investment - Andrew Schneider, Arts Alliance Illinois
- Risk Assessment: Federal and State Nonprofit Reporting Requirements - Elsa Hiltner; Weston Dombroski, both Lawyers for the Creative Arts
- From Lemons to Lemonade: Utilizing Untapped Resources to Build Community in Rural Areas - Jessica Modica, Freeport Art Museum
In the News
"Illinois artists and humanists just mapped the future together right here in C-U," November 10, 2025, Smile Politely
Last week’s One State in the Arts & Humanities event kicked off at Carmon’s in downtown Champaign; the vibe felt intentionally urban with soft brick, warm light, and the energetic charge of people who actively build cultural life in this state.
Artists stood beside archivists; development specialists chatted with theatre-makers; humanities educators slipped into conversations with municipal arts staff and independent creatives.
Representatives from Krannert Art Museum, Krannert Center, Urbana Arts & Culture, the Urbana and Champaign Park Districts, 40 North, Parkland’s Giertz Gallery and others were out in full force. If you wanted a snapshot of Illinois’ arts and humanities ecosystem, Carmon’s offered the wide-angle view.
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"McLean County's culture sector moves through a tricky moment with solidarity and collaboration," November 12, 2025, WGLT.org
The state's chief arts and humanities councils gathered cultural leaders from across Illinois last week to discuss successes and challenges in an evolving landscape for the sector.
A delegation from the Twin Cities represented the Town of Normal, McLean County Arts Center and Museum of History and Envisioning Justice, the latter a statewide program challenging mass incarceration through the arts with one of its hubs in Bloomington-Normal.
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2025 One State Planning Committee
Illinois Arts Council and Illinois Humanities extend immense gratitude to the statewide planning committee for their invaluable guidance and thoughtful collaboration in shaping this year’s gathering. Thank you for your vision, time, and deep care for our state’s arts and culture community.
- Bella Szabo, Springfield Area Arts Council
- Breawna Austin, Legacy Training, Inc
- Camille Wilson White, Oak Park Area Arts Council
- Carolyn Randolph-Kato, College of Fine & Applied Arts, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Cat Tager, 3Arts
- Chuck Benya, Artspace 304
- Douglas Johnson, McLean County Arts Center
- Erin Eveland, The HUB - Arts & Cultural Center
- Fairouz AbuGhazaleh, Illinois Humanities
- Gabrielle H. Lyon, Illinois Humanities
- Jane Beachy, Illinois Humanities
- Jessica Modica, Freeport Art Museum
- Joseph Gackstetter, Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum
- Joshua Davis-Ruperto, Illinois Arts Council
- Kacie Smith, Arts Alliance Illinois
- Kelly White, 40 North
- Lynne Chambers, Esq., Legacy Training, Inc.
- Mae Gilliland Wright, Arts Partners of Central Illinois
- Marcella Cloud, Macoupin Art Collective- The MAC
- Martin Matsuyuki Krause, Illinois Humanities
- Mónica Félix, Chicago Cultural Alliance
- Rachel Storm, Krannert Art Museum
- Samuel Smith, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
- Sue Scott, Western Illinois Museum
- Susan Dickson, Illinois Arts Council
- Teresa Davis, Illinois Arts Council
- Vanessa Harris, Strategy for Access Foundation
Contact Us
One State in the Arts & Humanities
Contact
Suite 650, 125 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603
312.422.5580 312.374.6787 Fax
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Illinois Humanities respects the privacy of its audiences and will at no time sell or distribute personal information to any party not directly affiliated with Illinois Humanities and its programs.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.
© Copyright 2025 Illinois Humanities