About
Founded in 1997, Lampo supports artists working in new music, experimental sound, and other interdisciplinary practices. We help these artists realize ambitious, risk-taking performances, and offer the public opportunities to actively engage with their work.
Lampo connects people to new ideas and to each other—guided by our belief that curiosity, open questioning of established forms, and thoughtful listening can be transformative.
Our performance series is our core activity. We invite selected artists to create and perform new work for Lampo, rather than making programming decisions around tour schedules, and then we provide the space, resources, and curatorial support to help fulfill their vision.
Lampo also organizes artist talks, lectures, screenings, and workshops, and publishes written and recorded editions related to its series.
We believe boundary-pushing art should be available to everyone. Our programs are free and open to all. By collaborating with various Chicago institutions, we ensure our reach extends to a broad and diverse community.
To these ends, Lampo commits to fulfilling its stated mission free of discrimination, without bias based on sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, religion, physical abilities, socio-economic status, or gender identity. Lampo proactively seeks to achieve diversity and cultural equity in its staff, volunteers, board, partnerships, and programs.
Lampo was incorporated on December 17, 1998. Tax-exempt status was granted in January 2000.
Presenting Partners
Lampo thanks its 2024-25 presenting partners—Corbett vs. Dempsey, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, the Renaissance Society, and Soccer Club Club.
Past programs have been organized in cooperation with Arts + Public Life, an initiative of UChicago Arts; the Chicago Architectural Biennial; the Center for Experiments in Art, Information and Technology at CalArts; the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; Conversations at the Edge; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Photography; the Poetry Foundation; Rebuild Foundation and the Stony Island Arts Bank; REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater); the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts; and the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.
Education Partners
Current and past education partners include Columbia College Chicago, Department of Audio Arts and Acoustics, and Department of Interactive Arts and Media; Northwestern University, School of Music; the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Department of Art and Technology Studies, Department of Film, Video, New Media and Animation, Department of Performance, Department of Sound, and Department of Visual and Critical Studies; the University of Chicago, Department of Cinema and Media Studies, and Department of Music; and the University of Illinois Chicago, School of Art and Art History.
Public and Private Support
The Lampo series of performances is a project of Lampo, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization. Current programs are supported in part by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts; the Amphion Foundation; the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund; the John W. and Clara C. Higgins Foundation; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Illinois Arts Council; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support comes from New Music USA’s New Music Inc program and the Walder Foundation. Essential contributions also come from individuals, members and volunteers.
Lampo gratefully acknowledges past support from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music; the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University; the American-Scandinavian Foundation; the Arts Work Fund; the Austrian Cultural Forum; the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation; CEC ArtsLink; the Consulate General of Canada; the Consulate General of the Netherlands; the Consulate General of Sweden; the Cultural Service at the Consulate General of France in Chicago; the Foundation for Contemporary Arts; the Goethe-Institut Chicago; the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago; the Irving Harris Foundation; the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago; the MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; mediaThe foundation inc.; the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation; New Music USA’s MetLife Creative Connections program; New Music USA’s Organizational Development Fund; the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Washington DC; the Trust for Mutual Understanding; the Illinois Creative Recovery Grant program; and the National Endowment for the Humanities.