Nationalism, populism, and authoritarianism are on the rise throughout the world. For many years, the Foundation for Arts Initiatives has supported arts-based individuals, collectives, and institutions subjected to political repression, public intimidation, financial castigation, and physical displacement.

We are deeply troubled by the escalation of extreme repression in Palestine and the increasing restrictions on freedom of speech in Western countries. We reaffirm our commitment to continue to support individuals, collectives, and institutions in their struggle against racism, neofascism, white supremacy, antisemitism, islamophobia, apartheid, and xenophobia.

We continue to focus our grantmaking to accommodate the crucial and urgent needs of individuals and institutions grounded in the arts whose research and practices address such conditions of constraint. Those who meet that criteria may submit inquiries requesting support for essential operating expenses to carry out their activities.

FfAI is interested in practices that originate or end in the arts but have broader effects and consequences. We focus on people, projects, groups, and institutions, developing new and dynamic definitions of community and connectivity, especially those that foster collectivity.

Individual grants are made to artists, activists, researchers, writers, and others in the visual arts to pursue their research without institutional, governmental, or philanthropic preconditions.

Alternative forms of institutionality in the visual arts, their history, successes, and failures, the redefinition and use of archives, and new practices for the commons remain ongoing concerns.