How Inclusive Models Can Reshape the Art World
Equity and intersectionality in arts funding are more than mechanisms for redistributing resources—they are frameworks for reshaping the art world to reflect a diversity of voices, experiences, and cultural narratives. By addressing systemic inequities, funders not only provide marginalized communities with access to resources but also challenge cultural hierarchies that have long prioritized Western, elite, and exclusionary notions of artistic value. Intersectionality, as a lens, reveals the compounded barriers artists from multiple marginalized identities face, demonstrating that achieving equity in funding is essential for fostering creativity, innovation, and cultural justice.
This final installment of the arts funding series explores the value of equity and intersectionality in arts funding, its broader implications for the art world, and how inclusive funding models can disrupt traditional systems of gatekeeping and exclusion. By examining historical context, case studies, and scholarly insights, we will assess the transformative potential of an equitable funding landscape.
What Is Intersectionality, and Why Does It Matter in Arts Funding?
Coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality refers to how overlapping systems of oppression—such as racism, sexism, ableism, and classism—create compounded barriers for individuals with multiple marginalized identities. In the context of arts funding, intersectionality highlights how traditional models have excluded or underserved artists who fall outside dominant cultural norms.
Intersectionality and Artistic Value
The art world often perpetuates hierarchical notions of “high art” versus “low art,” prioritizing Eurocentric forms of expression while marginalizing community-based, Indigenous, or non-Western art forms. Intersectionality challenges these hierarchies by recognizing the value of diverse cultural traditions and lived experiences.
• Scholarship Insight: As Mark Banks argues in Creative Justice: Cultural Industries, Work, and Inequality, “the institutionalization of artistic value is deeply intertwined with systems of privilege, where dominant cultural norms dictate what is deemed worthy of recognition and funding.”
Intersectionality in Practice
Artists who are, for example, queer, disabled, and BIPOC face layered challenges:
• Example: A disabled, Indigenous artist may struggle with inaccessible grant applications, limited representation in galleries, and systemic racism in funding decisions. These barriers cannot be addressed in isolation but must be understood as interconnected.
The Historical Context of Inequities in Arts Funding
1. Cultural Gatekeeping
Historically, the art world has upheld narrow definitions of artistic excellence, privileging Western traditions and elite institutions.
• Example: During the 20th century, federal arts programs, such as the WPA’s Federal Art Project, primarily funded white, male artists, often excluding women and artists of color. While the program democratized access to art for audiences, it reflected the racial and gender biases of its era.
• Scholarship Insight: Howard Becker’s Art Worlds critiques how gatekeeping mechanisms reinforce cultural hierarchies, leaving little room for innovation or equity.
2. Underrepresentation in Philanthropy
Private philanthropy has historically prioritized large institutions, such as symphonies and art museums, over grassroots or community-based organizations.
• Data Insight: According to Helicon Collaborative, the top 2% of arts organizations in the U.S. receive 58% of philanthropic funding, while organizations serving communities of color receive only 4%.
• Impact: This disparity perpetuates inequities, limiting the resources available for artists and organizations that represent marginalized voices.
3. Geographic Disparities
Urban areas dominate the funding landscape, leaving rural and underserved regions with limited access to grants and programming.
• Example: In rural Appalachia, artists often lack access to professional networks, grant opportunities, or public arts infrastructure.
• Scholarship Insight: Anne Markusen, in Artists and the Economic Development of Cities, argues that “geographic inequities in funding exacerbate cultural and economic divides, leaving entire regions culturally underserved.”
Why Equity and Intersectionality Matter for the Art World
1. Redefining Artistic Value
Embracing equity and intersectionality in arts funding challenges traditional hierarchies that devalue community-based, Indigenous, or non-Western art.
• Impact: By funding diverse voices, the art world becomes more inclusive, reflective of broader societal experiences, and enriched by new forms of creativity.
• Scholarship Insight: John Holden, in The Social Life of Cultural Value, notes that “art gains its legitimacy not from the approval of elite institutions but from its resonance with the communities it serves.”
2. Encouraging Innovation
Diverse perspectives foster innovation by introducing new narratives, techniques, and cultural frameworks.
• Example: The work of artists like Cannupa Hanska Luger, who blends Indigenous traditions with contemporary sculpture, demonstrates the creative potential of intersectional perspectives.
3. Strengthening Community Bonds
Equitable funding prioritizes projects that engage and empower communities, fostering social cohesion and civic pride.
• Example: The Monument Lab project, funded by the Mellon Foundation, reimagines public monuments to reflect diverse histories, creating space for dialogue and healing.
4. Challenging the Scarcity Mindset
Traditional funding structures often create competition among marginalized artists, reinforcing a scarcity mindset. By embracing intersectional equity, funders can foster collaboration rather than competition.
• Scholarship Insight: In Creative Justice, Banks argues that “breaking down systemic barriers creates a more expansive and inclusive cultural ecosystem, benefiting all participants.”
Case Studies: Equity and Intersectionality in Action
1. The San Francisco Guaranteed Income for Artists Program
• Overview: This program provides $1,000 monthly stipends to 130 artists, prioritizing BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled creatives.
• Impact: Participants report reduced financial stress, enabling them to focus on their artistic practices. The program addresses the compounded barriers faced by intersectional identities.
2. Native Arts and Cultures Foundation
• Overview: Provides grants exclusively to Native artists, emphasizing cultural preservation and innovation.
• Impact: By centering Indigenous voices, the foundation challenges the exclusionary practices of mainstream funding models.
3. The Mellon Foundation’s Monument Project
• Overview: Allocates $250 million to reimagine public monuments, prioritizing projects that reflect diverse histories.
• Impact: The initiative has funded works like the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice, addressing America’s legacy of racial violence.
Strategies for Advancing Equity and Intersectionality in Arts Funding
1. Reparative Funding Models
• What It Is: Allocate resources to address historical inequities, prioritizing marginalized communities.
• Example: The Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression program funds projects that amplify underrepresented voices.
2. Accessibility in Application Processes
• What It Is: Ensure grant applications are accessible to disabled artists and those with language or technological barriers.
• Actionable Steps:
• Provide materials in multiple languages.
• Offer alternative formats (e.g., audio, braille).
3. Intersectional Representation on Decision Panels
• What It Is: Diversify grant review panels to include individuals with lived experiences of marginalization.
4. Geographic Equity
• What It Is: Prioritize funding for rural and underserved areas.
• Example: Mid-America Arts Alliance funds projects in rural communities, addressing regional disparities.
Conclusion: A Path Forward
Equity and intersectionality in arts funding are not simply about redistributing resources—they are about dismantling the cultural hierarchies that have long defined the art world. By prioritizing diverse voices, embracing new narratives, and addressing systemic inequities, funders can create a more inclusive and innovative cultural ecosystem. This vision requires bold, reparative action and a commitment to challenging traditional power structures, ensuring that the arts truly reflect and serve all communities.
Next in this series, we’ll explore public art funding, examining how collaborative efforts between governments, private entities, and communities transform public spaces through art.
Works Cited
• Banks, Mark. Creative Justice: Cultural Industries, Work, and Inequality. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.
• Becker, Howard. Art Worlds. University of California Press, 1982.
• Crenshaw, Kimberlé. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 1989.
• Helicon Collaborative. Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Cultural Philanthropy. 2017.
• Holden, John. The Social Life of Cultural Value. Routledge, 2015.
• Markusen, Anne. Artists and the Economic Development of Cities. University of Minnesota Press, 2006.
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Rural Arts Funding Study. 2020.
• Americans for the Arts. Arts & Economic Prosperity 5. 2017.
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