INNOVATIVE
ARTiSts
each year—was founded in 2005 by the women presidents of four major American foundations. The benefactors were motivated by draconian cuts in federal arts spending and a national study that looked at key factors affecting artistic success, including noties-attached funding. Today, the organization has given close to $20 million in grants, affecting the lives of almost 400 of the nation’s top artists in eight artistic disciplines. Grantees include everyone from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx and choreographer Bill T. Jones to celebrated photographer Catherine Opie. “When Catherine Opie got the award, she said, ‘Wow! I can finally buy the camera I’ve been needing for years,’” said Jayaram. “I was shocked that someone of her stature couldn’t get the camera she needs—that artists are struggling, even at that level.” The $50,000 grants are unrestricted, giving artists the freedom to take chances, try out new media, and expand on ideas. “Our fellows are already accomplished artists,” said Jayaram. “The problem for them is often, do they continue to lean on the things that they know will be wellreceived? It’s hard to take risks when your livelihood’s at stake. But this infusion of grant money allows them to try out new things.We seed experimentation.” Her goal as CEO is to not only invest in artists but to illuminate their value to society. “They are our translators, helping us understand the world around us, whether it’s politics, environmental issues, human rights, or exposing new ways of understanding beauty and aesthetics,” she said. “They see and interpret our environments in a way that other people can’t.”
UNITED STATES
Lennon, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono. “She did not get caught up in the day-to-day so many students get immersed in—she took what she was doing in the classroom and applied it to the community.” Taking the reins at United States Artists, Jayaram headed the Chicago Artists Coalition, where she breathed new life into a last-gasp organization. “A formidable force for change,” the online art news resource Bad At Sports called her. Her mission at CAC was to build a sustainable marketplace for artists and sharpen their entrepreneurial acumen. Instead of waiting in studios to be discovered, she argued, they could put on a business hat, go into action, and become their own best representatives. “The new generation of artists is much savvier about this. They want to know about the market, want to drive the marketplace. When they understand that they can take charge of the business around them, it opens up a new world,” said Jayaram, who was named “Chicagoan of the Year” in the arts for 2014 by the Chicago Tribune. The Miami Law alumna took over as head of United States Artists in February this year, relocating the organization from Los Angeles to Chicago. She said she uses lessons learned at law school every day on the job, whether she’s working on legal issues or mixing with people in power. “One of the valuable things I learned at the law school is the awareness of the way myriad types of businesses work from the inside,” she said. “A lot of people are intimidated by the seeming complexities, but because of law school, I’m much less so.” United States Artists—which gives $50,000 grants to 50 top artists
IN N OVA TIV E AL UMN I
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