The Partnership for Artists in the 21st Century

Organized and presented by Joan Shigekawa, associate director, Creativity & Culture, Rockefeller Foundation; Roberta Uno, program officer, Media, Arts and Culture, The Ford Foundation; James Pickman, consultant; and Susan Kenny Stevens, Ph.D., executive principal, LarsonAllen Public Service Group.

Artists embody the freedom, independence, and creativity of our nation. They are the lifeblood of our culture and of the artistic institutions we treasure. Although artists have always been an important cultural resource offering a lens through which we recall our past, perceive the present, and envision the future, field-wide support for individual artists has remained underdeveloped.This session presented a new philanthropic initiative, the Partnership for Artists in the 21st Century. With lead gifts of $15 million each from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, “PA21” seeks to substantially increase the funding and support systems for individual artists and their work. Once established, the Partnership will work through art service organizations and others to fund individual artists whose creative expression is so important to the health of society.

Download:

   The Partnership for Artists in the 21st Century (141Kb)