Chicago river festival gets $250,000 grant

(Above) A rendering, created by Lin Ye, of a procession of illuminated fiberglass sculptures floating along the Chicago River past Trump International Hotel & Tower. (Click on image to view larger version.)

May 24, 2013 – The artistic but non-profit theater company Redmoon has been given another $250,000 to create a spectacular festival along the Chicago River next year.

ArtPlace America announced the grant on Monday. The money will help Redmoon produce The Great Chicago Fire Festival that will feature live music, acrobatics, “fantastical machines,” and a procession of illuminated fiberglass sculptures floating down the river.

Redmoon was among 54 artistic organizations selected from 1,200 applications by ArtPlace America. The money is in addition to $100,000 the City of Chicago will give the theater company for the festival that will take place in October 2014 and might become an annual event.

“The Great Chicago Fire Festival will be unique, an event worthy of our world-class city,” promised Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a news release.

Jim Lasko (left), artistic co-director for Redmoon, says the grant will “propel The Great Chicago Fire Festival into the hearts and minds of Chicagoans and the nation as a whole as we celebrate the unique character of this great city by engaging its citizens, its neighborhoods, its river, and its history.”

Redmoon estimates the festival will cost between $1.2 million and $1.8 million.

Located southwest of the Loop, Redmoon has been commissioned to create public art events by the Art Institute of Chicago, Mayor’s Office of Special Events, and Millennium Park.