More than 140 Chicago artists and cultural leaders are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to address “dysfunction” within the city’s Cultural Affairs department, arguing that staffing turmoil is leading to delays in grant payments and other key functions.
It all comes, the “letter of concern” states, at a “unique and critical time” for the arts: The sector was not fully back on its feet following the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic and now faces existential funding threats from the Trump administration.
“The arts make Chicago a global destination and are one of the primary vehicles for countering the lies promoted by those with a national agenda intent on spreading false and harmful narratives about our City,” the letter reads. “It is with this understanding that we write to share our deep concern about the dysfunction in the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.”
The letter, posted Wednesday on Instagram by a group called Artists for Chicago, comes about one year after Johnson picked his former staffer Clinée Hedspeth to lead the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Since Hedspeth took over, the department has been roiled by turnover, with at least 19 staff members — including several high-ranking deputies — departing amid allegations of bullying by Hedspeth.
In an emailed statement, Hedspeth said she acknowledges the concerns raised in the letter and that she is “steadfast” in “supporting and empowering this community.” She also said she is “committed to enhancing our processes for grant distribution.”
“Since my appointment last year, I have been deeply focused on navigating the complexities of our evolving arts landscape in a post-pandemic world,” Hedspeth said in the statement. “The arts are a cornerstone of Chicago’s identity, and I am committed to ensuring that DCASE remains a robust partner for artists, cultural organizations, and our communities.”
Hundreds listen and enjoy as the Blind Boys of Alabama perform at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park during Blues Fest in 2023. The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events oversees large-scale events, such as Taste of Chicago and Blues Fest, as well as neighborhood programming and direct grants to artists.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The letter, which is currently accepting signatures, calls on Johnson to intervene on staff turnover, address allegations of bullying and audit the department’s essential operations, which the letter’s authors say has been disrupted under current leadership. The letter also asks the mayor to communicate a vision for DCASE and for the administration to be present at the next Cultural Advisory Council, after Hedspeth did not appear in person at the group’s February meeting.
The department oversees large-scale events, such as Taste of Chicago and Blues Fest, and neighborhood programming, as well as directs grants to artists and organizations — a function that could become even more vital to the local sector after changes at the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities under President Donald Trump.
“During a time defined by increasing polarization and instability, we need a strong, cohesive vision for arts and culture in our city and a partner in DCASE leadership that can be depended on,” the letter reads. “There is still time to do right by Chicago’s artists and creative industry who have been a strongly engaged voting block that significantly contributed to your successful election campaign.”
The letter has been signed by people across the arts sector, including curators, actors, arts administrators and more. The document is notable because it’s the first time that collective criticism of the department has publicly extended past arts leaders and executives.
Amina Dickerson, a longtime arts activist and member of the advisory council, signed her name to the letter.
She said she has been “deeply disheartened” by the department recently, adding that: “We need the arts now more than ever.”
One of the people organizing the effort told WBEZ there has been a “profound” level of fear of retaliation among people considering signing. The organizer said a group of about 35 people have been working together on the effort for the last couple of months.
Hedspeth, a former art appraiser and director at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, previously served as legislative director under Johnson during his time as Cook County Commissioner. In a public appearance last year, Hedspeth said she has known the mayor since college.
Johnson picked Hedspeth to lead DCASE after firing former Commissioner Erin Harkey, who was appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in February 2024. The change has resulted in a high level of staff departures. Last September, a former DCASE staff member told WBEZ that the internal culture of the department had become “discouraging” and “disconnected” under Hedspeth.
In the letter, arts leaders said that the “hollowing out of the department’s expertise and institutional knowledge has had a meaningful impact on the efficient running of the department and its essential functions of providing timely grants and fulfilling permit requests.”
In the emailed statement, Hedspeth said that turnover “is a natural part of any leadership transition.”
“I understand the concerns regarding the impact of this turnover on the department’s operations, and I want to assure the public that we are in the process of recruiting and retaining talented professionals to ensure DCASE functions at the highest level,” Hedspeth said in the statement.
The letter calls for the Inspector General, Mayor’s Office, and Cultural Advisory Council to be “fully briefed” on the “alarming accusations of shouting and cursing at staff members in front of the public, demeaning requests of staff, and instances of retaliation for speaking up,” which the letter states “have all been confirmed by trusted sources within the department.”
Jonah Zeiger, the former head of the Chicago Film Office, was ousted from DCASE in December. In February, he told WBEZ he did not know why he was edged out.
“It was never made clear to me,” Zeiger said. “I know that I was given direction to limit, then ultimately refrain, my engagement with stakeholders and community partners, and I never quite understood why I was receiving that guidance.”
Members of the city’s Cultural Advisory Council, who are appointed, said in a February meeting that they want to hear what direction the department is heading in under Hedspeth’s leadership.
“I think what people are asking [for] is sort of a very clear plan about how DCASE, and the commissioner and leadership would like to use the [council],” the group’s chair, Coya Paz, said at the time.
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.