Art Connection

CONTACT:

539 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-338-7668
www.theartconnection.org

Jim McDonald, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Here is a wonderful philanthropic idea: artists often have work sitting in storage, and want those works to be seen; charities cannot afford to buy works of art, but are a very hospitable audience that appreciates the values of personal inspiration and restoration that art can convey; why not therefore increase the flow of art from artists to the appreciative public, and to those who otherwise have little opporutnity to experience art in their lives, by loaning works of art to charitable agencies? Everybody wins. TAC was formed in 1995 to effect such transactions. Since then they have placed over 400 works of art by 34 artists with 52 charities, bridging a gap between two very different communities. In doing so they have engaged the artists in conversations with the charities about their respective activities and values. Selecting works to be loaned from slides presented by trained TAC volunteers, and enabling the artists to discuss their work with the charities' boards, staff, volunteers, members, donors and clients, produces very interesting and beneficial exchanges for all concerned. Now TAC is facilitating consultation by artists with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts about estate planning involving charitable bequests of their works. Good ideas generate more good ideas. But there are administrative costs, and you can help foster this exchange.

(1999: CULTURE: Arts: Visual, Literary and Crafts)