Why Art for Justice? Agnes Gund in conversation with Mari Hinojosa

The Art for Justice is a national fund that will provide vital new resources to organizations working to address mass incarceration. Initial funding for the Art for Justice Fund will be provided by philanthropist Agnes Gund with a $100 million donation from the sale of artwork from her personal collection. Over the next five years, the Art for Justice Fund hopes to raise $100 million of additional private capital from art sales or other donations.

By using artwork to create the Art for Justice Fund, Ms. Gund seeks to show that art can be a powerful force for justice. Inspired by Ms. Gund and with an understanding of how necessary resources are at this critical moment, additional donors have committed gifts of artwork or contributions to the fund as Founding Donors, including Phil and Shelley Fox Aarons; John and Laura Arnold; Clarence Otis, Jr. and Jacqueline Bradley; Kenneth and Kathryn Chenault; Tony and Robyn Coles; Pete Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney; Glenn R. Fuhrman; Pamela Joyner and Alfred Giuffrida; A.C. Hudgins; Jo Carole Lauder; Marguerite Steed Hoffman and Tom Lentz; Daniel S. Loeb; Donald Marron; Raymond J. McGuire and Crystal McCrary; Brooke and Dan Neidich; Edith Cooper and Robert Taylor; Laurie M. Tisch; Steve Tisch.

“The criminal justice system in its current state – particularly in its treatment of people of color – is unfair and unjust,” said Ms. Gund. “It is my hope that by supporting organizations working on criminal justice reform with proven track records, the Art for Justice Fund can inspire change and help pave the way for a better, safer future for our communities and the millions of people whose lives are devastated by mass incarceration.”

Ms. Gund is partnering with the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, a nonprofit with a successful record of managing and advising on complex, multi-million dollar philanthropic projects. RPA will manage donated funds and disburse grants, as well as create publications and programs. Ford is providing expertise on program design and covering the operating costs of the fund so that 100 percent of donated dollars go directly to programming and grants.

The Art for Justice Fund will make grants to organizations and leaders doing impactful and cutting-edge work to reform the criminal justice system. Grants will seek to safely reduce jail and prison populations across the country, while strengthening education and employment opportunities for people leaving the system. The fund will also support art-related programs that expose the injustice of mass incarceration and its impact on individuals and communities around the country.

For more information about the Art for Justice Fund, including funding guidelines, visit: www.artforjusticefund.org

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