Crusade for Art is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to engage
new audiences with art. Our work is about developing and supporting innovative
initiatives that create demand for art and opportunities to collect it.
Art increases our intelligence, heightens our sensitivity and deepens our humanity. But artful communities cannot thrive without audiences to appreciate them. Crusade for Art strives to create and nurture a society that supports and sustains the arts, where individuals crave the inspiration and connection that only art can give. We aim to create a viable arts ecology where artists can achieve economic sustainability because demand for art is strong. Toward that end, Crusade for Art develops innovative approaches to create new paths to engagement.
Crusade for Art was active from 2013 to 2017 with these initiatives:
The Crusade Engagement Grant awards $10,000 annually to the applicant with the most innovative idea to build audiences for photography. The grant puts our greatest resource – the brainpower of our creative force, our artists – toward exploring this systemic problem of a lack of demand for art.
In our Crusade Supported Art (CSA) program, we commission six talented, up-and-coming artists to create work for sale in a limited edition of fifty. Buyers receive a collection-worthy piece from each artist at an exceptionally affordable price point.
Our Local Chapters create and implement programs and events that both create exposure opportunities for their artist members and cultivate new collectors within their communities.
In our curation program, FOCAL POINT, we select three talented, up-and-coming photographers each quarter to highlight and mentor.
The Verso Print Sale is an annual fundraiser that benefits Crusade for Art and the participating photographers. It's a print sale in reverse, and it's the bomb.
Why We Do What We Do
The supply of art is far outpacing the demand for it, and if not corrected, will create a huge imbalance where there is an abundance of art but no audience for it. Crusade for Art is dedicated to cultivating demand for art, specifically fine art photography.
Crusade for Art began as a crazy arts engagement project that involved a blue VW bus and spirited photographers from around the country. From our early beginnings with the tour and a passion for creating positive change, Crusade for Art has developed into a vibrant non-profit organization who is committed to developing and supporting innovative initiatives that create demand for art and opportunities to collect it.