03-08-2025
How arts patronage has changed over 25 years
culture arts about 1 hour ago
As private funding organisation The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi celebrates 25 years of supporting artists, what's changed with arts patronage? In that time The Arts Foundation has awarded over $13 million to artists and organisations. Its Boosted crowdfunding programme meanwhile has raised an additional nearly $15 million for over 200 projects. All through the generosity of people. The foundation began its annual programme of awarding arts laureates in 2000. Briar Grace Smith, Elizabeth Knox, Dame Gillian Whitehead and the late Douglas Wright and Peter Peryer each that year received $30,000. Since then the foundation has continued to innovate and broaden its programmes to attract more patrons. There are many ways to fund the arts: lotteries, government, crowdfunding. Patronage though often involves reciprocity- offering something in exchange - which as the recent case of James Wallace dramatically suggests isnt always saintly. But the arts foundation has created a range of ways to give and get back: its patrons ranging from small crowdfunders to the deep pocketed philanthropists who helped found it. So how has patronage changed in these 25 years? Here to celebrate and reflect Culture 101 was joined by Jessica Palalagi, the foundation's current Kaiwhakahaere managing director, and founding board chair Richard Cathie. The next Arts Foundation laureates will be announced on 17 October with events to follow across the country.
