Contemporary Art

Contemporary art is a reflection of our culture and values, expressing how we think through the issues of our time. The Foundation’s arts partnerships bring that experience to our community, with particular emphasis on partnerships that make contemporary women artists more visible to the public.

Current Partnerships

  • San Francisco Art Institute (2010)

    SFAI

    The Foundation funded a film and graphic novel called “!War” by Lynn Hershman. Through intimate interviews, art, and rarely seen archival film and video footage, !Women Art Revolution reveals how the Feminist Art Movement fused free speech and politics into an art that radically transformed the art and culture of our times.

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  • Mass MOCA (2010)

    MOCA

    The Foundation is supporting Mass MOCA with a grant for an exhibit titled, Petah Coyne: Everything That Rises Must Converge and is on display from May 2010 until April 2011.

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See all

  • Application Policy & Process

    The Barbara Lee Family Foundation Arts program area has an invitation-only application process and does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or proposals. We contact organizations and ask them to apply, rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Please note that an invitation to submit a proposal does not imply or guarantee funding.

    Our grantmaking process is intended to efficiently and effectively support projects that are narrowly aligned with our mission and goals to augment Boston's position as a leading cultural center by supporting contemporary visual art and music. The Barbara Lee Family Foundation also provides limited funding for the exhibition and publication of work by select contemporary women artists nationwide. Our invitation-only process helps to ensure that those invited to apply have the ability to present the most pertinent and useful information in their proposals.

    RESTRICTIONS - The Barbara Lee Family Foundation does not fund: - Individuals or scholarship programs - International or foreign-based programs - Organizations without 501(c)3 status or fiscal sponsorship - Political campaigns - Projects delivering direct social services