LOCAL PARTNER: Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
www.cityofchicago.org/culturalaffairs

CREATIVE COMMUNITIES PROJECT
Chicago Artists Resource (CAR): The CAR website, launched in November 2005 for Visual Arts and recently upgraded for Music, Dance, and Theater, connects artists to thousands of opportunities, tools, resources, and articles through a unique combination of a curated directory and community-contributed content. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs’ (DCA) vision for the website is to chart the landscape of opportunity for Chicago artists; connect artists to local, national, and international resources to strengthen their practice; and validate artists’ networks and encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Some of CAR’s community-contributed features include: Artists and Arts Professional Stories, illustrating professional practice through personal endeavors; local and national job listings; an events calendar; calls for artists; user profiles; and a space directory. CAR maintains a database of links and directories of professional services, consultants, facilities and fabricators; and articles on health and materials for artists. Additionally, Square Feet Chicago, a comprehensive 27 chapter guide to buying and leasing space as an artist or arts organization in Chicago, is provided as an online resource.

ABOUT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, through its own research, identified issues and needs faced by Chicago’s artist community, including access to affordable housing and health care; opportunities for employment; and access to community networks and information. The DCA determined that access to information was a unifying theme that could be addressed by creating an online information and community-building resource.

To learn more about LINC, click on the links below to download a text-only brochure or a map of LINC's activities.