ArtBasel to Crowd-Fund Non-Profit Art Projects with Kickstarter Partnership

ArtBasel sent around a press release this morning to announce their new partnership with Kickstarter, the culture crowdfunding site:

The Art Basel Crowdfunding Initiative will aim to catalyze international support for non-profit visual arts organizations worldwide by promoting outstanding projects to Art Basel’s extensive global audience.

With this new initiative, Art Basel will support the non-profit sector of the artworld, at a time when public funding for the arts has been dwindling. Designed specifically for non-profit arts organizations, the Art Basel Crowdfunding Initiative will offer visibility and support for a wide variety of artistic projects, including non-profit exhibitions, public installations, films, artist books, education programs, artist residencies, talks, conservation and archiving, and other innovative art projects.

Organizations applying to Art Basel’s Crowdfunding Initiative on Kickstarter will be reviewed and selected by an independent jury comprised of: Hammad Nasar, curator, writer and Head of Research and Programmes at the Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong Glenn Phillips, Acting Head of the Department of Architecture and Contemporary Art at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles; and Mari Spirito, Founding Director of Protocinema, Istanbul and New York.

Art Basel’s curated page on Kickstarter launches with an initial selection of compelling projects:

Sydney’s 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art proposes staging “Actions for Tomorrow” by Chinese art collective Yangjiang Group in Sydney’s Chinatown neighborhood. The project pushes the boundaries of traditional Chinese calligraphy by exploring ideas of collective action through large-scale architectural constructions, video projections and public performances.

Gasworks, a London-based organization that promotes the exchange of ideas between international and local artists through exhibitions and residencies in London and at partner organizations in Cuba, China, South Africa, Kenya and India, asks for support to construct additional studios for emerging artists in South London.

SASSAS (Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound), an organization that produces concerts in the greater Los Angeles area that re-contextualize sound and place, plans to host a free public concert of contemporary sound works in the hills outside of Los Angeles.

SculptureCenter in New York City looks to raise funds to present a major retrospective for leading Thai artist, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook. It would be her first museum survey in the United States.

As the jury reviews additional applications, new projects will be added on an ongoing basis. Projects will be selected for their overall quality, innovation, creativity and viability, representing the strength, diversity and future vitality of non-profit arts organizations worldwide.