The Mission of the Artists Foundation
We are an organization that support artists and their visions rather than artists supporting our organization's vision.- Kathleen Bitetti, Executive Director
Current Profile of the Artists Foundation
The mission of the Artists Foundation: is to nourish excellence in the arts by enhancing the public role and economic position of artists; to build community among practicing artists and new communication between this vital community and the public; to support access to essential resources for artists in all disciplines, particularly low income and under served artists' access to health care and other social services; and to sponsor exhibitions of art for art's sake as well as innovative uses of art to promote public consideration of issues vital to diverse social, political, and economic groups.
Many Artists Foundation programs create working models that can be expanded and adopted statewide and nationally. Our priority is to initiate new collaborations that support artists and nurture these projects until they are thriving, funded, and staffed by appropriate entities.
The Foundation's collaborations with other organizations have also helped to maximize the Artists Foundation's income by keeping programing and administration overhead costs low. The Foundation's chief constituency is working artists and members of the public who have limited income. Unlike many arts organizations, the Foundation does not actively solicit monies from the artists it serves. The Foundation recognizes that artists are among the least affluent groups in society. All Artists Foundation's programs/services are either free or at little cost to the patron.
The History of the Artists Foundation
Founded in Boston in 1973, the Artists Foundation works with artists in the Greater Boston area and nearby cities. Originally created to administer the Massachusetts Fellowship Program, the AF also created and administered emergency loan programs; workshops on artists' live/work space, health hazards, taxes, and business; guides to galleries; and two groups now independent, the Writers Room and the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA).
From the mid 1980's to 1992, the AF directed an innovative arts program at the AF's CityPlace office and gallery. After state funding cuts, the AF continue its programs primarily through partnerships and joint ventures with individual artists and other arts, health, and political organizations. In January of 1997, the Artists Foundation office moved from Boston Medical Center (formerly Boston City Hospital) to the Distillery Artists Building in South Boston where the Foundation also opened its galleries and video room.
Today the Artists Foundation is leaner, yet functions as the hub of an expanding network of collaborators in the arts community, the nonprofit sector, and private businesses. This network of nontraditional partnerships increases understanding between artists and the public, maximizes artists' access to exhibition and financial resources, and provides unique opportunities for the arts to become part of public life. The Artists Foundation is a catalyst for new partnerships, artist-to-artist collaborations, and new community efforts among artists.
ARTISTS FOUNDATION WEBSITE
For over thirty years, the Artists Foundation has striven to be a valuable resource for artists throughout Massachusetts. This website is an example of our continuing committment to provide important information and resource for artists in all disciplines.
Privacy Policy
The Artists Foundation is committed to protecting your privacy. Any information collected from you from our website is to help us respond to your requests or to service your needs. We will not distribute, sell or rent your name or disclose any personally identifiable information about you to any third party without your permission.
Links
The Artists Foundation website provides links to content and materials found on other websites we believe may be valuable to you. We provide these links as a convenience and are not responsible for their content. A link from the Artists Foundation website does not imply our endorsement of or affiliation with the linked website.
If you have more questions about our policies, please contact us.
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