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Partner schools
A named academy and atelier network helps identify emerging artists ready for patron-supported work.
Cultural Patronage Fund
Patronage for living artists.
BackTheBrush underwrites selected commissions and connects patrons with artists to create meaningful original work across disciplines.
Our Mission
For centuries, artists were supported by patrons, families, cities, and institutions who believed in beauty, culture, and legacy. We are bringing that model into the present day.
BackTheBrush funds original commissions and creative projects for living artists working across disciplines, so they can create boldly, and we all live with more meaning.
School Partnerships
Partnered with leading academies to help emerging artists find patronage.
BackTheBrush works with fine-art schools and ateliers to surface promising artists for selected commissions, introductions, and long-term patron support.
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Mimar Sinan
Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi
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Repin Academy
St. Petersburg
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Florence Academy
of Art
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Grand Central Atelier
New York
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Barcelona Academy
of Art
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New York Academy
of Art
The broader partner network includes Surikov Institute, Angel Academy of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, and Marmara Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi.
Proof of Motion
A patronage network built around academy relationships, careful introductions, and reviewed projects.
Artist referrals
School-led discovery
Partner schools and ateliers create a more credible path to find artists than open-call noise alone.
Patron circle
Private support
Collectors, founders, and cultural supporters can enter through quiet introductions around selected artists and projects.
Selection review
Before introductions
Projects are reviewed for artistic merit, feasibility, patron alignment, and clear artist terms before anyone is matched.
Why People Say Yes
The model gives each side a clear reason to participate.
For Patrons
Support without guessing.
Patrons can start with a story, place, collection, or civic intention, then receive a guided path toward the right artist.
For Artists
Commission paths with real terms.
Artists are considered for projects with defined scope, timeline, patron fit, and room to make original work with dignity.
For Schools
A bridge from training to patronage.
Partner schools gain another route for talented artists to be discovered by patrons who care about craft and legacy.
Emerging Work
Noteworthy projects
Real projects from emerging-artist exhibitions and prize platforms we track for patrons. Source links point to the presenting organization.
New Contemporaries 2026
Eliza Wagener - Untitled (Encounter/Tormentor)
Shown in New Contemporaries' 2026 South London Gallery exhibition, a selected platform for early-career artists.
Work: 2025
Source: South London Gallery
New Contemporaries 2026
River Yuhao Cao - The Glass Essays
A moving-image work selected for New Contemporaries, listed by South London Gallery as a 2024 film work.
Moving image, 16 min 40 sec
Source: South London Gallery
Aperture Portfolio Prize 2026
Olivia Crumm - Wake
A shortlisted photography series about grief, family history, and what remains after mourning.
Shortlisted from 1,000+ submissions
Source: Aperture
Aperture Portfolio Prize 2026
Victor Llorente - Folklore
A documentary photography project following Los Andulleros de Santiago and Dominican traditions in the United States.
International new-talent shortlist
Source: ApertureLatest News
Don Bosco wins the 2026 Emerging Artists Competition.
BackTheBrush selected Don Bosco after a review cycle that included applications from 130 other artists.
Read AnnouncementJun 18-21, 2026
Art Basel in Basel
Major galleries, institutional programming, and large-scale projects gather around Messe Basel.
Jun 21-Oct 4, 2026
Manifesta 16 Ruhr
The European nomadic biennial opens across Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, and Bochum.
Deadline Jul 15, 2026
Loghaven Artist Residency
Open call for 2027 residencies across visual art, dance, music, theater, writing, and interdisciplinary practice.
How the Fund Works
How BackTheBrush works
1. We Select & Support
We review proposals and select projects and artists that reflect excellence, relevance, and need.
2. Patrons Participate
Patrons join the fund and underwrite commissions they care about, individually or together.
3. Art Comes to Life
Artists create original work. Patrons receive the artwork, and communities benefit from richer cultural life.
For Patrons
Join a community that believes in living artists.
Your patronage underwrites meaningful commissions and brings exceptional art into the world, and into your life.
Learn More
For Artists
Create your best work with the right support.
We partner with artists on significant commissions, so you can create boldly and sustainably.
Apply as an Artist