Visual Arts
Most Recent
A Conversation with Julia Marciari-Alexander, Incoming Samuel H. Kress Foundation President
This fall, Julia Marciari-Alexander will become the president of the New York City-based arts funder, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Marciari-Alexander reflects on her career, why she’s excited about her new role and more.
A Conversation with Anne Kraybill, New CEO of the Art Bridges Foundation
Preeminent arts philanthropist Alice Walton established the Art Bridges Foundation to expand access to American art. New foundation head Anne Kraybill walks us through Art Bridges’ work, how she got there, and more.
How Getty’s Bringing Curators Together After the Disruption of COVID
As its seven-year funding initiative for curators of prints and drawings comes to a close, the Getty Foundation is going “all-in” on in-person professional learning and community development.
Improving Nonprofit Tech Can Be Tricky. Here’s How One Funder Is Getting it Right
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program just announced an open call for applications. The growing program offers a useful window into the challenges surrounding nonprofit tech, and of the importance of funding it.
“More Than Just a Check.” This Funder Couples Cash and Professional Support to Help Artists Thrive
Creative Capital recently announced the winners of its latest round of awards, totaling $2.5 million. With a heightened focus on equity and accessibility, the funder is helping dozens of artists advance their careers.
After a Trailblazing Career in Tech, a Donor Couple Boosts Black History, Higher Ed and More
Drawing wealth from a successful run as an IBM engineer, Rodney C. Adkins and wife Michelle Adkins are big backers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, along with universities and STEM education.
Philanthropy Born of Luxury Goods Helps Fuel a Revival of Art in France
The arts scene in France is booming, thanks in part to the country’s embrace of American-style philanthropy — and the tax breaks that come with it. IP’s Wendy Paris reports from Paris.
These Fellowships for Latinx Artists Are a Bright Spot Amid Pervasive Underfunding
The U.S. Latinx Art Forum administers art fellowships with support from Ford and Mellon. Here’s more on the awards, why the forum uses the term “Latinx,” and the impact of unrestricted support on artists struggling to pay the bills.
Art is for Everybody: Keith Haring’s Artistic and Philanthropic Legacy Lives on at the Broad
Keith Haring remains a powerful force in contemporary art, long after his passing in 1990. He was also an influential activist and philanthropist. A new exhibit in Los Angeles explores Haring’s art and lasting impact.
This L.A. Collaborative Is Strengthening the Local Arts Scene and Challenging Funding Norms
The Los Angeles Visual Arts Coalition (LAVA) is allowing smaller, avant-garde arts organizations to fundraise collaboratively, making the community more resilient and offering fresh opportunities to funders.
“Miami Is Our City.” How Two Generations of the Billionaire Pérez Family Give
Real estate billionaire Jorge Pérez, along with his wife Darlene and their children, are prominent philanthropists in the Sunshine State. Here’s how the family gives, and how the second generation is stepping up.
“A Desire for Change.” Here are Five Ideas Animating an Evolving Museum Field
The Arts Funders Forum recently held a virtual panel to discuss how museums can respond to calls for change and achieve greater social impact. Here are five compelling perspectives gleaned from the call’s esteemed participants.
The Regional Arts Philanthropy Boom, So Cal Style: The OCMA Gets a New Home
The Orange County Museum of Art raised tens of millions in high-dollar donations for its new facility, which opened with great fanfare last month. It’s the latest example of the growing power of regional arts philanthropy.
How Much Funding Is Going to the Arts? And Where Is it Headed? Tax Data Offers Fresh Insights
In what may be the largest data-driven analysis of its kind, researchers crunched mountains of data from arts foundations’ digitized tax forms. They uncovered some telling numbers and disparities in giving.
Four Things to Know About the Teiger Foundation’s Support for Arts Curators — and Climate Action
Established by art collector David Teiger in 2008, this New York City-based foundation has stepped up activity over the past two years. We take a look at its history, funding priorities, and new grantmaking initiative.
Seven Questions for Getty Foundation Director Joan Weinstein
Dr. Joan Weinstein is the director of the Getty Foundation, the grantmaking arm of the J. Paul Getty Trust. We recently checked in with her to discuss her biggest influences, the next big funding area in the museum space, and more.
A Foundation Is Helping Museums Tackle Climate Change—and Drawing a Big Response
Last year, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation launched an initiative to help museums adopt climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. The initial round drew enthusiastic interest, leading the funder to expand the program.
Eleven Ways Funders Are Supporting Social Justice Within and Through the Arts
An increasing number of funders have been looking to spur social change through their arts funding, especially during the pandemic. Here are 11 examples we’ve been following.
IP Briefing: What’s Going on With Philanthropy for Visual Arts?
Public funding for the arts has been dwindling for decades, so most arts nonprofits rely on a mix of earned income and philanthropy. Major donors play an outsized role in this area, often creating tensions within institutions.
As Washington Wrangles Over Spending, How Can Philanthropy Make the Case for Family Child Care?
The nonprofit All Our Kin has been working for 20 years to support family care educators. As the early care crisis grows, and Washington wrestles over alternatives, it’s an approach that deserves more philanthropic attention.
Eli Broad Exemplified the Promise and Peril of Big Philanthropy
Eli Broad, who died last week, was a larger-than-life philanthropist. He tapped his fortune to bankroll ambitious initiatives in education, the arts and science. His turbo-charged giving offers both inspiration and cautionary lessons.
“Recover and Reinvent.” An Influential Arts Funder Looks Beyond the Pandemic
The St. Paul-based Jerome Foundation is allocating at least $8 million through 2025 to fill gaps as COVID-response funding dries up. We check in with president Ben Cameron about the foundation’s “commitment to the long game.”
“From an Award to an Investment.” A Funder Expands its Support for Individual Artists
The Joan Mitchell Foundation’s new fellowship provides artists with five years of unrestricted support. Deputy Director Kay Takeda fills us in on the program and how the pandemic underscored the need to back individual artists.
With Museums Still Reeling from the Pandemic, Are Billionaire Trustees Doing Enough?
A year into the pandemic, critics argue that billionaire trustees haven’t provided museums with sufficient support, especially as their wealth has surged. We take a closer look at charged controversies at three major institutions.
“We Saw an Opportunity.” A Unique Initiative Helps Museums Tackle Climate Change
The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation wants to help museums assess their environmental footprints and lower energy costs. Here’s how a unique cultural sector grantmaking initiative to tackle climate change came together.
Seeking More Diverse Collections, an Arts Funder Looks Beyond Museums and Libraries
A new initiative from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation broadens the definition of a “collecting organization” to include preserving narratives from historically underrepresented communities. Executive Director David Farren explains.
After Donors Revolt, a Museum Shelves a Bold Diversity Initiative. What Are Some Takeaways?
Facing strident opposition from mega-donors and the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Baltimore Museum of Art paused plans to auction work to seed an ambitious diversity initiative. The dispute tells an important story.
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. Even as they start to reopen on a limited basis, experts predict that many visual arts groups will not survive.
“There Was Real Need.” Art Bridges’ CEO on Backing Museums in a Pandemic and Beyond
In May, Alice Walton’s Art Bridges Foundation launched the Bridge Ahead initiative to help museums navigate the pandemic. We check in with CEO Paul Provost on the initiative’s origins and the foundation’s unique model.
Museums Are Fighting to Survive. Here’s One Funder Backing Smaller, Struggling Institutions
A third of museum directors are not confident they’ll be able to survive the next 16 months without additional financial relief. Alice Walton’s Bridge Ahead initiative is disbursing $5 million to endangered small and midsize institutions.
