About the Fund

A present-day patronage model for artists with lasting work to make.

BackTheBrush exists for the space between private collecting and public culture: where a patron can help an artist make an ambitious work, and the resulting piece carries story, place, and cultural memory forward.

Framed artworks displayed in a quiet gallery

Why It Exists

Artists need more than applause after the fact.

Many meaningful works never begin because the artist lacks the practical support, materials, space, or commissioning partner to make them real. BackTheBrush helps patrons direct resources toward living artists before the work exists.

The result is a more personal kind of cultural support: original work, clear stewardship, and a relationship to art that begins with creation.

Principles

What guides the fund

Living artists first

Support is directed toward artists working now, with resources arriving early enough to shape what becomes possible.

Commissioned with care

Projects are selected for artistic quality, relevance, feasibility, and the clarity of the patron relationship.

Culture beyond ownership

Private commissions can still enrich public life through storytelling, access, documentation, and civic context.

Stewardship

Selected projects are reviewed for artistic merit, patron fit, and practical support needs.

01
Artist proposal and body of work review
02
Project scope, budget, timeline, and materials plan
03
Patron alignment, reporting, and completion pathway

Next Step

Explore the patron or artist path.