Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Commits $2.5 M. to Ukrainian Artists and At-Risk Heritage
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Loading... - Lucas Moreau
- 12 Apr 2022
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Since the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine in February, more than 5 million people have been displaced within the battered country and at least 3 million people have emigrated to escape the violence, according to the United Nations. Global art organizations have stepped up with initiatives to support cultural workers and students affected by the war, from residences to job placements and direct financial aid.
On Wednesday, the New York–based Helen Frankenthaler Foundation said it will distribute $2.5 million in grants to international organizations leading efforts to protect at-risk artists and cultural heritage in Ukraine. The foundation will work with PEN America and the World Monuments Fund to identify the recipients most in needs of the funds, as well as which heritage sites and institutional collections that are in peril.
“Our mission calls us to promote greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts. It is impossible to fulfill this mandate without being responsive to the needs of our times,” Lise Motherwell, board chair of the foundation, said in a statement. “As art and artists are caught in the crosshairs of conflict and crisis, it is imperative to preserve both the artistic freedom and cultural heritage that is being threatened around the world.”
Some $2 million awarded to PEN America will be split between two initiatives over the course of three years. One is the Emergency and Resilience Funds for Visual Artists at Risk in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, which includes grants covering basic needs as well as career support for artists, such as networking opportunities and and practical resources. The other initiative is the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), which supports artists worldwide whose lives and livelihoods are threatened due to their creative work or as a consequence of war.
Meanwhile, $500,000 will go to the World Monuments Fund, which launch an initiative known as the Ukraine Heritage Response Fund that will be dedicated to the documentation and preservation of heritage sites. Through the fund, cultural professionals working on conservation and restoration projects will receive direct financial aid. Read More...
