Tech Is Democratizing Art Patronage and Other Key Findings from a New Report on Philanthropy in the Arts

Technology is changing the landscape for art patronage,
according to a new report from TEFAF titled “Art Patronage
in the 21st Century.” Today, for as little as $5, people can
support all manner of art projects and organizations and artists
through the “rapid growth of online crowdfunding platforms, such as
Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Patreon,” writes the report’s author,
Anders Petterson, founder and managing director of ArtTactic.

“Whilst art patronage has traditionally been associated with
wealthy individuals and their support for artists and art
institutions, art patronage is now moving rapidly downstream,” he
adds.

The impact of new technologies is just one aspect of the study,
which surveyed 541 participants, on a range of trends in art
patronage, including the rise of private funding and the decline of
public funding, as well as the growing scrutiny of donors’ business
ethics.

Petterson also researched generational differences in terms of
the approach to philanthropy. Among his key findings were that 78
percent of the respondents said they regularly supported charitable
and non-commercial arts organizations and initiatives. There was
little difference between age groups below 55 years, wherein 77
percent of millennials (those currently aged 23 to 39) and 78
percent Generation X (between 40 and 54 years) said they supported
the arts, while a higher percentage of baby boomers, 85 percent,
said they regularly supported the arts, which is likely to be the
result of having more time and greater financial means to support
their interests.

Petterson presented his findings this morning at the Maastricht
Exhibition and Convention Centre, followed by a lively panel
discussion on the topic of “New Models and Innovations Shaping Art
Patronage in the 21st Century.”

Moderator Thomas Marks, editor of Apollo magazine,
presented a series of “hypothetical” funding situations, which were
all recognizable scenarios sourced from real controversies in the
past year, such as the fallout over the Sackler family’s museum
funding after the role their company has played in the opioid
crisis, and the Whitney Museum protests that led to the resignation
of board member Warren Kanders, CEO of a company that manufactures
tear gas.

Despite the participants all agreeing with the rejection of
funding from these sources, the questions sparked an intriguing
discussion about performing due diligence when accepting funds and
what the specific obligations of institutional fundraisers should
be.

The report indicated that today 65 percent of those under
35 said they “think arts organizations have a duty
to screen monetary donations to ensure the source of the donation
is ethically sound.”

“In an age where sustainability, transparency, social impact and
accountability are paramount, it is important to ask questions
about how and why we raise money for the arts and the public
benefit that this can bring,” wrote TEFAF CEO Patrick van Maris in
the foreword to the report.

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Findings from a New Report on Philanthropy in the Arts appeared
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