United States Artists

United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting both the life and the work of living artists and cultural practitioners across the country by granting unrestricted awards. In 2003, the Urban Institute conducted a study which revealed that 96% of Americans valued art in their lives, while only 27% valued artists.* Motivated by the study and in response to the NEA’s severe budget cuts, four inspiring leaders of the Ford, Rockefeller, Rasmuson, and Prudential Foundations spearheaded the launch of an organization to illuminate the value of artists to American society and address their economic challenges. Originally established in Los Angeles by Founding CEO Katharine DeShaw with the first set of 50 fellowships being announced in 2006, USA moved the headquarters to Chicago in 2014 under the leadership of Carolina García Jayaram. In 2017, Deana Haggag was named President & CEO and today, USA continues to operate from Chicago with some remote staff working from Baltimore and New York. Since its founding, USA has awarded more than 600 artists and cultural practitioners with over $27 million of direct support in all disciplines including Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing. With this unrestricted award, recipients decide for themselves how to best use the money – whether it is creating new work, paying rent, reducing debt, getting healthcare, or supporting their families. To make their work possible, USA actively fundraises each year and is supported by a broad range of philanthropic foundations, companies, and individuals committed to cultivating contemporary culture in the United States.