After a long search, Evanston Made found a space to purchase AND a family foundation funding the purchase.

Evanston Made will use the space as an Arts Incubator that will carry out the organization’s mission to bring visibility and opportunity to artists, with art studios, coworking and gathering space and art exhibits. Artists and creative entrepreneurs will be invited to create, show and sell their goods, attend professional development workshops and exhibitions.

The family foundation had three requirements with the grant application:
●  A non profit community partner
●  Private donor support
●  Support from the City of Evanston (Evanston Made gets TIF funds, $1.2 million grant for ‘arts incubator’. Read Evanston RoundTable story here)

Non Profit Partner
Evanston Made will partner with the artist faculty of Northwestern University’s Department of Art Theory and Practice (ATP) to design a curatorial program of contemporary art exhibitions and events. Selected graduate students of ATP will be in residency in one of the artist studios, providing Evanston Made members and the community at large direct access to the creative practice of these emerging artists.

Private Donor Support
Evanston Made will launch a fundraiser to create a Matching Grant Fund of $1,200,000, to match the donation from the family foundation to cover the acquisition. The funds will be used to support the build out and first three years of operations. Contributions to Evanston Made are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law, tax identification number: 84-3971750. Click here to make a donation in support of this project.

Support from the City of Evanston

At its meeting on November 11, 2024, the Evanston City Council voted unanimously to allocate $217,000 in building renovation funds from the West Evanston TIF district to nonprofit arts organization Evanston Made. Photo of Denise Wilmer Barreto, Board President, asking City Council to support Evanston Made’s request for TIF funding, 11/11/24. News: Evanston Made gets TIF funds, $1.2 million grant for ‘arts incubator’. Read Evanston RoundTable story here.

On October 23, 2024, the city’s Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to distribute the TIF money to Evanston Made. Twelve people spoke during public comment, praising the group’s work and encouraging the grant. News: Funding for new Evanston Made HQ clears Economic Development Committee. Evanston RoundTable story here