ABSTRACT
This chapter explores individual artists’ professional and career development in the United States since the 1980s, with attention to the role and influence of foundations. The culture wars of the late twentieth century created the necessity of new approaches to support individual artists. This brought an increased focus on independent artists’ business, entrepreneurial, and managerial skills as well as new avenues for funding the work of artists. Foundations began to investigate and identify these needs, and then moved toward new ways to support and connect with artists. This included foundation-supported studies and initiatives examining the factors affecting artists’ careers. Such research expanded understanding of the needs of artists working in a variety of creative disciplines, from diverse backgrounds, and in varied geographic locations. New strategies and tactics emerged to provide direct and indirect assistance to artists. This moved philanthropy beyond historical methods of supporting artists through the financing of producing and presenting institutions to create new pathways to the individual artist. Foundations supported the growth of artist-focused service organizations, and in some cases, created and administered their own professional development and granting programs. We look at a range of artist-focused research and artist-serving programs, and the role of independent foundations, as well as consortia of funders. New networks and structures to support the professional development of individual artists grew significantly during the last decades of the twentieth century and the first decades of the twenty-first century, embodying larger social and cultural shifts.
