Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Tei Blow and Sean McElroy stand side by side, vocalizing into microphones and bathed in green light. They stand in sharp focus in front of a projection screen where there is a woman's face displayed out of focus. Both are wearing large golden headpieces and golden halter tops made of metallic, sparkly fabric. Blow's headpiece is flat-topped where McElroy's is tapered and cone-shaped with a rounded tip.
News

Since 1963, FCA has awarded more than $27 million to artists and arts organizations through over 7,300 grants.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts announces the 2024 Ellsworth Kelly Award to Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCAD)

Performance still from Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble's Everything One in the Disc of the Sun at the James A. Farley Post Office, New York, 2013. Performers: Tei Blow and Sean McElroy. Photo by Maria Baranova.

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Performance still from Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble's Everything One in the Disc of the Sun at the James A. Farley Post Office, New York, 2013. Performers: Tei Blow and Sean McElroy. Photo by Maria Baranova.

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Hsiao-Jou Tang is centered, dancing in a brightly lit, bare white room. She is bent forward as she steps, head tilted down, with her elbows raised by the sides of her head. She is wearing a long sleeved, loose white dress.
News

Since 1963, FCA has awarded more than $27 million to artists and arts organizations through over 7,000 grants.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts announces the 2024 Grants to Artists Awards

Performance still from for North, Xan Burley + Alex Springer, at Center for Performance Research, Brooklyn, 2016. Photo by Andrew Ribner.

Performance still from for North, Xan Burley + Alex Springer, at Center for Performance Research, Brooklyn, 2016. Photo by Andrew Ribner.

A performer is centered, standing in a concrete performance space holding a large empty picture frame. They are barefoot and wearing tan coveralls with the top lowered and the arms tied around their bare waist. They wear a smiling Obama mask.
News

Since 1963, FCA has awarded more than $27 million to artists and arts organizations through over 7,000 grants.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts announces the 2024 Grants to Artists Awards

Performance still from The Rise and Fall of the Huxtable Family at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France, 2019. Performers: Nile Harris and Kellian Delice. Photo by Ayka Lux.

Performance still from The Rise and Fall of the Huxtable Family at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France, 2019. Performers: Nile Harris and Kellian Delice. Photo by Ayka Lux.

Joanna Kotze is centered as she performs on a dark stage with minimal yellow lighting, some dancers are visible in the far background behind her. She looks towards the left with concentration as she lunges forward on her left leg, hips pointing to the left. Her torso twists as her shoulders angle towards the camera. Her left arm is bent as her hand rests on her left hip, and her right arm is extended and reaches out and up to the left where she lunges, hand outstretched with her palm facing down. She wears a gold metallic shortsleeved tunic.
News

Since 1963, FCA has awarded more than $27 million to artists and arts organizations through over 7,000 grants.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts announces the 2024 Grants to Artists Awards

Performance still from 'lectric Eye at The Space at Irondale, Brooklyn, 2022. Performer: Joanna Kotze. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Performance still from 'lectric Eye at The Space at Irondale, Brooklyn, 2022. Performer: Joanna Kotze. Photo by Maria Baranova.

A dark gallery space with checkered stone floors and a large, concave projection screen curved to fit the shape of the room. On the projection screen, two video frames are displayed. On the left half of the screen is an image of four women athletes turned to listen to an offscreen speaker. One is wearing a crewneck that says,
News

Since 1963, FCA has awarded more than $27 million to artists and arts organizations through over 7,000 grants.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts announces the 2024 Grants to Artists Awards

Installation view of Sharon Hayes' Ricerche: two, Kristina Kite Gallery, Los Angeles, 2021.

Installation view of Sharon Hayes' Ricerche: two, Kristina Kite Gallery, Los Angeles, 2021.

Our Mission

FCA encourages, sponsors, and promotes innovative work in the arts

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2024 GranteesSee All 2024 GranteesView All

24 artists working in 5 disciplines

Yulan Grant sits straddling the back of a wood chair in front of a pair of white wooden doors. Behind them, leaning against the door on the right are three large red bird of paradise flowers. They look directly at the camera, body facing forwards, with heels resting on the lower bars of the chair. Their right arm is in front of them hanging over the chair, while their left arm is crossed in front of them, resting on the back of the chair. They are wearing a black bomber jacket over a brightly colored, patterned shirt, orange pants with zippers on the cuffs, black shoes, and gold rimmed eyeglasses.
Yulan Grant
Grants to Artists
Music/Sound
A black and white portrait of Koichi Makigami, who stands in sharp focus before a solid light background. His head is turned slightly to the left while his body faces the camera. His elbows are raised and his hands are posed loosely in front of him with pointer fingers extended. He is wearing a black silk button up top with frog closures.
Koichi Makigami
Grants to Artists
Music/Sound
Suzanne Jackson looks directly into the camera, standing before an abstract painted background of mostly cream and yellow hues. She is wearing a mint green turtleneck under a brown sweater, and dangling earrings.
Suzanne Jackson
Helen Frankenthaler Award for Painting
Visual Arts
Lillian-Yvonne Bertram is turned and looking towards their right. She is in sharp focus against a dark gray backdrop, wearing a high collared black coat.
Lillian-Yvonne Bertram
Grants to Artists
Poetry
Tei Blow is centered and directly faces the camera. He is in front of a plain light backdrop, wearing a white collared shirt.
Tei Blow
Grants to Artists
Performance Art/Theater
James Lo sits in sharp focus before a deep blue backdrop leaning towards the right. He smiles directly at the camera and is wearing a pale green button up shirt under a dark gray blazer.
James Lo
Alvin Lucier Award for Music
Music/Sound
A sepia-toned photo of Ava Mendoza at a performance venue. She stands in sharp focus with their head turned towards the left while their body faces the right. Their eyes look to the left, they hold a white electric guitar with their right arm braced against the body, hand over the strings. Their other hand holds the lower neck of the guitar. They are wearing two chain necklaces, a black sleeveless v-neck blouse, and a thick, striped sweatband on their right wrist.
Ava Mendoza
Grants to Artists
Music/Sound
A black and white photo of Sam Contis turned at a three quarter angle facing the camera. She stands against a stone grey background, wearing a solid black sweater and small hoop earrings.
Sam Contis
Grants to Artists
Visual Arts
News

FCA Announces 2024 Ellsworth Kelly Award Recipient Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCA) for an exhibition of Karyn Olivier

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FCA Announces 2024 Ellsworth Kelly Award Recipient Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCA) for an exhibition of Karyn Olivier

Karyn Olivier, Fortified, 2020, ICA Philadelphia. Photo credit: Constance Mensh.

FCA: Artists for Artists
About FCA

FCA: Artists for Artists

In 1962 Jasper Johns, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and other painters and sculptors came together to help Merce Cunningham and his dance company finance a proposed season on Broadway by arranging for a sale of their artworks. Their fund-raising efforts were so successful that there was money to spare, and when they asked Cunningham what he thought they should do with it, he replied, “We’re all in the same boat—why don’t you give it to other performing artists?” Thus in 1963 Jasper Johns and John Cage established the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts based on the belief that visual artists—painters and sculptors—were sufficiently concerned about the state of the performance arts—dance, theater, and music—enough so to donate artwork to benefit performing artists. 

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Grant Impact

"The grant gave me the time and the freedom to focus on my work in a way not tied up to productivity, pressure, or economic institutions per se, which must be the best gift any artist can receive."

— Fia Backström, visual artist
2010 grantee | Visual Arts

Works for SaleView AllView All

Purchase a donated artwork to support FCA's programs

The Accordion Player #1, Donald Baechler, 1995
Donald Baechler
The Accordion Player #1
Merce Cunningham and Dance Company (Target with Four Faces), Jasper Johns, 1968
Jasper Johns
"Merce Cunningham and Dance Company (Target with Four Faces)"
Untitled, 1988, Keith Haring, Date unknown
Keith Haring
"Untitled, 1988"
black and blue, Sonia Louise Davis, 2017
Sonia Louise Davis
black and blue

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