statement of purpose

artEquity provides tools, resources, and programming at the intersection of art and activism. With over 15,000 participants and a growing alumni community, artEquity is building a broad base of individuals and organizations who are creating and sustaining a culture of equity, inclusion, and justice through arts and culture.

what we do

artEquity offers programming that centers the global majority and the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) artists and art leaders, with a throughline of intentional support for Black artists and leaders. Our programs focus on leadership development, community building, strategic support for artists and arts leaders of color, and resources for wellness. We engage an ever-growing alumni network of artists and activists by providing support, mentorship, and timely response as needs arise. Additionally, we provide direct fiscal support to artists and activists in need through our Artist + Activist Community Fund. Ultimately, our goal is to provide liberatory tools and resources to those who use and need them most.

Years of
Art + Activism

0

our history

artEquity launched in 2015. Our thinking then was to build a base of arts practitioners who could also be activists. We hoped that this cadre of facilitators would change the culture of the arts sector. With a one-year grant of $135,000 from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and generous in-kind support from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, artEquity launched its first National Facilitator Training. Since that initial approach, artEquity has worked closely with hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals, leaving a meaningful and lasting imprint on the national arts and culture landscape and creating a vibrant network of arts practitioners who are working to advance equity in the field.

Learn More

our approach

artEquity’s work is grounded in principles of community organizing, movement building, and popular education. We believe that having a shared analysis (by which we mean a way of understanding the power dynamics that affect our lives) is the gateway to collective action and impact. By building a base of individuals and organizations with a shared analysis, we aim to contribute effectively to organizational change, arts sector change, and social change.

We believe that artists have a profound role and responsibility in upholding the values of social justice. While behavior may be policed, sanctioned, or legislated, attitudes can only be changed through empathy, community-building, and an exchange of love. The arts are a gateway to the heart. We believe in their power to transform. As a result, art makers have a significant responsibility in shaping and influencing the world around them.

Our Vision

We envision...

an increased capacity for social change and community building in (and because of) the arts.

We envision a network of individual artist-activists who share resources and work from a shared analysis and understanding of power, privilege, and oppression.

We envision that every individual in this network can learn to access their full humanity in the service of justice.

We envision equitable representation and radical inclusion in the arts and culture sector as a result of this community’s shared commitment.

We envision a beloved community capable of changing the lives and careers of its members, and laying the groundwork for generations to come.

DONATE!

To learn more about giving to artEquity, please feel free to contact Development Manager, Patric Madden, at development@artEquity.org.