The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is committed to ensuring that diverse, visionary artists thrive in the Bay Area.

In the Arts program, we understand that systemic barriers have made access to funding for artists inequitable and complicated, especially for Black, Indigenous and People of Color and the organizations they lead. We also know that some artists don’t feel like they have access to foundations.

We are launching a new series to address these issues directly by listening, engaging in meaningful dialogue and being more accessible and transparent, especially with artists who have historically been unacknowledged by or excluded from philanthropy.

We invite you to join us for Let’s Talk: What Artists Need To Thrive, a live series of Zoom conversations, kicking off on Thursday, December 8, at 12 PM PT. RSVP for this event HERE. This series is hosted by and co-created with Bay Area artist Beatrice Thomas. Beatrice is a founder and director of Authentic Arts & Media, cultural strategist and creative producer. Let’s Talk: What Artists Need To Thrive continues our work to promote systems change and remove barriers for artists. We will apply what we learn in these sessions to improve our approaches to advance equity and support diverse, visionary Bay Area artists. The goals for this series are to:

• Address issues that matter most to artists
• Build connections with a wider community of artists
• Exchange information
• Create a more equitable arts ecosystem together

This first conversation on December 8 will serve as a pilot for the series, where we will co-create community agreements to ensure a safe and welcoming space for all attendees. We will gather topics artists would like to discuss at future sessions and introduce you to the Foundation’s Arts program. We will also make room for collective care and to reconnect with the joy in our work.

Learn more HERE