Overview
Established in New York in 1987 in accordance with the will of iconic pop art pioneer Andy Warhol, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts is one of the premier philanthropic funding institutions in the United States. Dedicated to the “advancement of the visual arts,” the Foundation manages an endowment generated from Warhol’s estate and licensing activities. To date, it has awarded over $300 million USD in cash grants to more than 1,000 non-profit arts organizations globally, donated 52,786 original artworks to 322 institutions, and co-founded the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
Mission
The Foundation’s dual mission is to support experimental, challenging, and radical new visual art activity while preserving and expanding Andy Warhol’s artistic legacy. Driven by the belief that visual art is a critical instrument of communication and democracy, the Foundation seeks to defend freedom of artistic expression, fund risk-taking practices, foster inclusive cultural dialogue, and dismantle systemic barriers that marginalize artists based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and economic status.
Programs / Opportunities
- Grant Programs for 501(c)(3) Organizations:
- Curatorial Research Fellowships: Up to $50,000 USD for curators at any career stage to conduct long-lead scholarly research and development for groundbreaking visual art exhibitions.
- Exhibition Support: $60,000 to $100,000 USD to fund solo, duo, or thematic group exhibitions and accompanying scholarly catalogs.
- Multi-Year Program Support: $60,000 to $100,000 USD over two years for artist-centered organizations delivering residencies, public art, screenings, and lectures.
- Project Grants for Small-Scale Organizations: $20,000 to $30,000 USD for small non-profits (operating budgets under $200,000) presenting temporary, experimental new work.
- Regional Regranting Program: An invitation-only network partnering with local arts organizations in 41 regions to award micro-grants directly to independent artists and grassroots collectives.
- Special Initiatives: Major funding for Creative Capital (pioneering adventurous artists across disciplines) and the Arts Writers Grant (supporting contemporary art criticism and scholarly publications).
- Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression Award: Annual recognition supporting advocacy, legal, and curatorial defense of artists whose First Amendment rights are challenged.
Target Community
- Non-Profit Visual Arts Institutions & Curators: US-based 501(c)(3) artist-run centers, alternative spaces, community arts organizations, university galleries, and major art museums, along with independent and institutional curators.
- Experimental & Underrepresented Artists: Visual artists working across painting, sculpture, installation, film/video, photography, and interdisciplinary media—with an emphasis on risk-taking, subversive, hard-to-categorize, and historically marginalized creators.
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