Via Art Fund Inc

Via Art Fund, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to supporting visionary initiatives in the realm of art. Their mission is to bring together art patrons as partners in a unique model of philanthropy. This organization, established in 2013, has gained global recognition for its bold and rigorous grantmaking approach. Via Art Fund underwrites innovative artistic endeavors with far-reaching public impact, including exhibitions, public installations, curatorial research, publications, symposia, and more. The organization is committed to promoting diverse voices and reaching wide audiences. They champion artist projects that address pressing social, cultural, and artistic questions, challenging traditional exhibition circumstances. As a fast-growing grantmaker with expanding programs, Via Art Fund provides a powerful platform for galvanizing arts philanthropy.

Via Art Fund offers grant programs that reflect its core values of artistic production, thought leadership, and public engagement. Their flagship Artistic Production Fund supports new artistic commissions in the public realm, funding projects that challenge traditional exhibition environments, penetrate social, cultural, and economic barriers, and educate, inspire, and enlighten the public. When possible, these grants are intended to gift a work of art to a public cultural institution once production and exhibition are complete, ensuring the longevity of Via-funded artworks for new audiences.

The Via|Wagner Incubator Fund grants support small nonprofit organizations across the United States with activities rooted in programs, publications, and platforms that work vigorously within their respective communities. The fund champions new and diverse artistic voices and cultivates new avenues of thought leadership within the field. In 2018, Via Art Fund, in partnership with the Wagner Foundation, announced a five-year, $1 million Via|Wagner Incubator Grant Fund to award general operating support to five organizations each year. The Via Curatorial Fellowship, an annual award, provides discretionary funds to a curator to support aspirational research and reflection, travel, and other scholarly endeavors to enhance their individual curatorial practice.

The Via Education Program is an integral part of Via Art Fund's programming. Via patrons meet semi-annually to review grant proposals accompanied by in-person or video presentations by artists, curators, and institutional professionals. Through this high level of direct engagement, Via supporters gain a deeper understanding of the creative process.