The 2019 Seminar on Strategy for Artist-Endowed Foundation Leaders took place in New York City the week of April 28 – May 3. Seminar participants included twenty leaders from seven states and one international country representing established foundations or legacy planning efforts associated with John Baldessari, Trisha Brown, Judy Chicago, Jaime Davidovich, William Dutterer, Shepard Fairey, Robert Frank and June Leaf, Eva Hesse, Jenny Holzer, Jun Kaneko, Lee Mullican and Luchita Hurtado, Juan Munoz, Jules Olitski, Fanny Sanin, Hiroshi Senju, Faith Ringgold, Richard Serra, Harry Smith, and Stan VanderBeek.

Presented by the Aspen Institute Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative (AEFI), the Seminar supports the professional development of individuals who currently have, or will have, policy-setting and leadership responsibilities for artist-endowed foundations—directors, officers, trustees, board members, senior staff—as well as those supporting an artist’s legacy planning with respect to a potential foundation.

The 2019 Seminar daily sessions were hosted by The Easton Foundation Inc. (Louise Bourgeois), Dedalus Foundation Inc. (Robert Motherwell), Joan Mitchell Foundation Inc., Nancy Graves Foundation Inc., and The Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation. The Seminar Opening Dinner was hosted by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and The Milton Resnick-Pat Passlof Foundation hosted the Seminar Reception.

The Seminar on Strategy for Artist-Endowed Foundation Leaders educates leaders about the characteristics of these distinctive charitable organizations, including foundations’ complex business models, diverse philanthropic practices, influential art historical role, and manifold governance and stewardship requirements. Curriculum segments focus on: Legacy Stewardship and Artist-Endowed Foundations—Private Foundation Basics, Public Benefit, and Duty of Loyalty; Organizational Viability—Governance, Post-Bequest: Starting-Up or Reorganizing, Art Market Strategy, and Financial Capacity; Cultural Asset Stewardship—Art Collections, Archives, Intellectual Property, and Oeuvre Scholarship; Philanthropic Impact—Grantmaking, Support to Individuals, Museums Gifts and Charitable Sales, and Direct Charitable Activities: Education; and Foundation Operations—Professional Advisors, Risk Management, Digital Strategy, and Foundation Planning.

The Seminar is based on the findings of AEFI’s flagship research program—the National Study of Artist-Endowed Foundations—with publications viewable at www.aspeninstitute.org/aefi, and focuses specifically on the strategic concerns of leaders orienting themselves to the field. By building the capacity of foundation leaders, the Seminar advances AEFI’s mission to strengthen the charitable impact of the emerging artist-endowed foundation field and its work in cultural philanthropy and art stewardship.