Visual Arts
A Conversation with Julia Marciari-Alexander, Incoming Samuel H. Kress Foundation President
When Dr. Julia Marciari-Alexander was in the sixth grade, she and her family traveled to Europe. After spending time in London and Paris, they ended up in Rome, attending New Year’s Day mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.Having grown up just outside of Los … [Read more...] about A Conversation with Julia Marciari-Alexander, Incoming Samuel H. Kress Foundation President
A Conversation with Anne Kraybill, New CEO of the Art Bridges Foundation
In January, Anne Kraybill became the new head of the Art Bridges Foundation, which was established in 2017 by Alice Walton, arguably the nation’s most important arts philanthropist, to expand access to American art. Seven years, a pandemic and a … [Read more...] about A Conversation with Anne Kraybill, New CEO of the Art Bridges Foundation
How Getty’s Bringing Curators Together After the Disruption of COVID
I recently attended an art exhibit at the Getty Center in Los Angeles called “Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s–1700s.” I’d never given much thought to the color of a drawing’s paper, but as the exhibition and accompanying … [Read more...] about How Getty’s Bringing Curators Together After the Disruption of COVID
Improving Nonprofit Tech Can Be Tricky. Here’s How One Funder Is Getting it Right
With an open call for applications dropping in January, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program offers a solid opportunity for arts organizations in the U.S. and U.K. to receive critical support with their technology infrastructure. … [Read more...] about Improving Nonprofit Tech Can Be Tricky. Here’s How One Funder Is Getting it Right
“More Than Just a Check.” This Funder Couples Cash and Professional Support to Help Artists Thrive
Founded in 1999, Creative Capital provides individual artists with cash support — still hard to come by in arts philanthropy — while cultivating a deep network where artists can explore collaborations, manage their finances, and tap expertise to … [Read more...] about “More Than Just a Check.” This Funder Couples Cash and Professional Support to Help Artists Thrive
After a Trailblazing Career in Tech, a Donor Couple Boosts Black History, Higher Ed and More
Born in 1958, Rodney C. Adkins grew up in Miami and earned multiple degrees from Rollins College and Georgia Tech before joining IBM in 1981 as a test engineer. In the early 1990s, he helped to develop the flagship IBM ThinkPad, one of the first … [Read more...] about After a Trailblazing Career in Tech, a Donor Couple Boosts Black History, Higher Ed and More
Philanthropy Born of Luxury Goods Helps Fuel a Revival of Art in France
On a wet, cold Saturday in late November, Parisians lined up on the slick, cobbled plaza outside the Fondation Louis Vuitton (FLV), gripping umbrellas against the wind. The shiny, Frank Gehry-designed museum rose in the rain on the edge of the Bois … [Read more...] about Philanthropy Born of Luxury Goods Helps Fuel a Revival of Art in France
These Fellowships for Latinx Artists Are a Bright Spot Amid Pervasive Underfunding
May’s announcement of the third cohort of Latinx Artist Fellowships was obviously great news for the 15 visual artists who were each awarded $50,000 in unrestricted funds. Beyond the impact on the artists, though, the awards — and the trajectory of … [Read more...] about These Fellowships for Latinx Artists Are a Bright Spot Amid Pervasive Underfunding
Art is for Everybody: Keith Haring’s Artistic and Philanthropic Legacy Lives on at the Broad
Los Angeles’s first-ever, full-scale museum exhibit of the work of the late, great artist Keith Haring opened at the Broad Museum over Memorial Day weekend. It took about three years to pull the show together, featuring the artist’s signature thick … [Read more...] about Art is for Everybody: Keith Haring’s Artistic and Philanthropic Legacy Lives on at the Broad
This L.A. Collaborative Is Strengthening the Local Arts Scene and Challenging Funding Norms
It’s hard to be a small arts organization in a big city — and it can be even tougher to get noticed by funders often focused on large, established institutions. The Los Angeles Visual Arts Coalition (LAVA) has taken it upon itself to show … [Read more...] about This L.A. Collaborative Is Strengthening the Local Arts Scene and Challenging Funding Norms
“Miami Is Our City.” How Two Generations of the Billionaire Pérez Family Give
Back in the late 1970s, Argentina-raised Jorge Pérez linked up with Stephen Ross and his affiliated Related Companies, the developer of New York City’s Hudson Yards. The Related Group, founded in 1979, began with a focus on building affordable … [Read more...] about “Miami Is Our City.” How Two Generations of the Billionaire Pérez Family Give
“A Desire for Change.” Here are Five Ideas Animating an Evolving Museum Field
In 2018, business advisory firm M+D, with support from the Knight Foundation, launched the Arts Funders Forum (AFF) to develop new funding models to help arts organizations engage the next generation of philanthropists. At the risk of sounding … [Read more...] about “A Desire for Change.” Here are Five Ideas Animating an Evolving Museum Field
The Regional Arts Philanthropy Boom, So Cal Style: The OCMA Gets a New Home
A long line of people standing in the late afternoon sun for an art opening is probably not the image that springs to mind when you think of Orange County, L.A.’s southern neighbor, better known for surfing, shopping and Disneyland. But the 24-hour … [Read more...] about The Regional Arts Philanthropy Boom, So Cal Style: The OCMA Gets a New Home
How Much Funding Is Going to the Arts? And Where Is it Headed? Tax Data Offers Fresh Insights
Back in July, my colleague Paul Karon spoke with Northeastern University researcher Louis Shekhtman, who, along with two colleagues, crunched electronic Form 990 data to generate a revealing look at foundations’ science and medical research giving. … [Read more...] about How Much Funding Is Going to the Arts? And Where Is it Headed? Tax Data Offers Fresh Insights
Four Things to Know About the Teiger Foundation’s Support for Arts Curators — and Climate Action
Inside Philanthropy periodically publishes quick overviews of the grantmakers that are on our radar, looking at recent developments and key details about how they operate. Today, we’re taking a look at the Teiger Foundation, a New York City-based … [Read more...] about Four Things to Know About the Teiger Foundation’s Support for Arts Curators — and Climate Action
Seven Questions for Getty Foundation Director Joan Weinstein
In 2019, the J. Paul Getty Trust appointed Dr. Joan Weinstein as the new director of the Getty Foundation. The foundation fulfills the mission of the trust — which also happens to be the world’s wealthiest arts institution — by supporting individuals … [Read more...] about Seven Questions for Getty Foundation Director Joan Weinstein
A Foundation Is Helping Museums Tackle Climate Change—and Drawing a Big Response
Artist-endowed foundations (AEF) are emerging as an increasingly influential force shaping the world of cultural philanthropy. AEFs traditionally focused on preserving and promoting their namesake’s artistic legacy, while also making grants to … [Read more...] about A Foundation Is Helping Museums Tackle Climate Change—and Drawing a Big Response
Eleven Ways Funders Are Supporting Social Justice Within and Through the Arts
Art both reflects societies and has the potential to transform them. And although conventional cultural organizations like museums, opera houses and the like have historically received the lion’s share of arts philanthropy, today, some notable … [Read more...] about Eleven Ways Funders Are Supporting Social Justice Within and Through the Arts
IP Briefing: What’s Going on With Philanthropy for Visual Arts?
In a sentence: In a philanthropic field long dominated by extraordinarily wealthy individual donors, some grantmakers and nonprofit leaders are boldly seeking change. What’s going onPublic funding for the arts has been dwindling for decades in the … [Read more...] about IP Briefing: What’s Going on With Philanthropy for Visual Arts?
As Washington Wrangles Over Spending, How Can Philanthropy Make the Case for Family Child Care?
Child care and universal pre-K have been central components of the Biden administration’s ambitious infrastructure package, and as lawmakers chip away at the proposals and grandstand about high costs and fiscal responsibility, it’s easy to lose sight … [Read more...] about As Washington Wrangles Over Spending, How Can Philanthropy Make the Case for Family Child Care?
Eli Broad Exemplified the Promise and Peril of Big Philanthropy
Eli Broad, who died last week at the age of 87, was a larger-than-life philanthropist. He tapped a multibillion-dollar fortune to bankroll ambitious initiatives across three areas: education, the arts, and biomedical research. A through-line … [Read more...] about Eli Broad Exemplified the Promise and Peril of Big Philanthropy
“Recover and Reinvent.” An Influential Arts Funder Looks Beyond the Pandemic
Like many other arts grantmakers, the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Jerome Foundation helped the artists and organizations it supports survive a tumultuous 2020 by repurposing grants to general operating support, extending commitments and allocating … [Read more...] about “Recover and Reinvent.” An Influential Arts Funder Looks Beyond the Pandemic
“From an Award to an Investment.” A Funder Expands its Support for Individual Artists
When the New York City-based Joan Mitchell Foundation embarked on a five-year strategic planning process in 2019, a big focus was how it could be more effective at supporting individual artists. The past year has only underscored the importance of … [Read more...] about “From an Award to an Investment.” A Funder Expands its Support for Individual Artists
With Museums Still Reeling from the Pandemic, Are Billionaire Trustees Doing Enough?
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art joined several museums in considering the sale of some artwork to cover financial gaps left by the COVID-19 pandemic, around $150 million in lost revenues in the case of the Met. Such institutions are … [Read more...] about With Museums Still Reeling from the Pandemic, Are Billionaire Trustees Doing Enough?
“We Saw an Opportunity.” A Unique Initiative Helps Museums Tackle Climate Change
Climate change has emerged as one of philanthropy’s hottest funding areas, a trend we acknowledged in Inside Philanthropy’s 2020 Philanthropy Awards. In fields as diverse as higher ed and local journalism, we’re seeing more grantmakers integrate … [Read more...] about “We Saw an Opportunity.” A Unique Initiative Helps Museums Tackle Climate Change
Seeking More Diverse Collections, an Arts Funder Looks Beyond Museums and Libraries
One of the big themes across arts philanthropy is funders’ efforts to expand grantmaking and engage communities that traditionally weren’t on their radars.This work can take many forms. Foundation leaders have rolled out participatory grantmaking … [Read more...] about Seeking More Diverse Collections, an Arts Funder Looks Beyond Museums and Libraries
After Donors Revolt, a Museum Shelves a Bold Diversity Initiative. What Are Some Takeaways?
Recent developments out of Baltimore serve as a stark reminder that funders may not always see eye to eye with the plans of museum leadership to boost diversity and inclusion—especially if the plan calls for selling off valuable artwork.In April, the … [Read more...] about After Donors Revolt, a Museum Shelves a Bold Diversity Initiative. What Are Some Takeaways?
Visual Arts Organizations Scramble to Sustain Fundraising. Many Won’t Survive
The pandemic, related closures and a decimated economy are placing tremendous financial strain on visual arts institutions. On top of all that, many arts organizations have found themselves out of step with a growing push for racial justice—a cause … [Read more...] about Visual Arts Organizations Scramble to Sustain Fundraising. Many Won’t Survive
“There Was Real Need.” Art Bridges’ CEO on Backing Museums in a Pandemic and Beyond
In 2017, Alice Walton established the Art Bridges Foundation with a simple goal: to bring great works of American art out of storage and into regional museums across America. Paul Provost became the foundation’s CEO in August of 2019. Seven months … [Read more...] about “There Was Real Need.” Art Bridges’ CEO on Backing Museums in a Pandemic and Beyond
