The Black Rock Arts Foundation is grateful for the support and collaboration of the following, foundations, donors, and organizations. Our partners have lent their support by providing funding, donated services, and active collaboration on events and projects.
Funding Partners:
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency ofthe federal government that has awarded more than $4 billion on projects of artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the National Endowment for the Arts at arts.gov
About partnership with BRAF: On November 23, 2010, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that the Black Rock Arts Foundation had been approved for a grant of $10,000 to support ‘The Bike Bridge,’ a new BRAF project launching in January of 2011. Black Rock Arts Foundation was one of 1,057 not-for-profit organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s first round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute $26.68 million to support projects nationwide.
About San Francisco Grants for the Arts / Hotel Tax
Fund: Founded in 1961, The foremost goal of the fund is to be a
stable, dependable base of support for arts organizations in San
Francisco. The Fund is committed to supporting the broadest
spectrum of the San Francisco arts community
About partnership with BRAF: San Francisco Grants for the Arts has provided significant and consistent support to BRAF’s projects and events in San Francisco since 2006.
In an effort to carry on Mrs. Wattis’ legacy and her vision for the arts in the Bay Area, The Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation intends to help the Bay Area arts community become – in her words – “four stars, worth the detour.” The Foundation will support both the fine arts, including the exhibition of painting and sculpture, and the performing arts, including opera, symphony and dance, in the cities of San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland, as well as in Marin County, California. The Foundation is most interested in supporting smaller, independent arts organizations that are presenting challenging and cutting-edge works.
About partnership with BRAF: In May of 2011, the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation awarded BRAF a substantial grant to our Civic Arts Program, towards the development of public art projects in the Bay Area.
Levi Strauss & Co. has been a cornerstone of San Francisco business since they
started making blue jeans in 1873.
About partnership with BRAF: Levi Strauss & Co. participated in BRAF’s event at ArtPad SF 2012, sponsoring the world-class live performances that were the highlight of the unforgettable evening.
About Black Rock City LLC: The six-member Black Rock City LLC (the Board of Directors for
the Burning Man Project) is headed by Larry Harvey, and includes
Harley K. DuBois, Marian Goodell, Michael Mikel, Will Roger and
Crimson Rose. The LLC governs the Burning Man Board, which includes the LLC and additional invited members.
About partnership with BRAF: Several of the founding members of Black Rock City LLC founded the Black Rock Arts Foundation with the intention of promoting highly engaging, collaborative and accessible public art, akin to the work experienced at the Burning Man event. The LLC continues to support BRAF with an annual financial contribution.
About the SF Arts Commission: Established by
charter in 1932, the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is a San
Francisco city agency that champions the arts. SFAC and BRAF share
the belief that a creative cultural environment is essential to
the city’s well-being. Both organizations strive to integrate the
arts into all aspects of city life.
About the SF Arts Commission’s ARTery Project: SFAC’s ARTery Project temporarily places original art installations by San Francisco artists in vacant and under-used storefront windows to engage local artists in reinvigorating neighborhoods and commercial corridors that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn. It also provides artists, who have also been affected by the economy, with a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity in transforming vacant storefronts into free exhibition spaces and to garner public recognition for their work.
About partnership with BRAF: In 2005, Mayor Gavin Newsom and the San Francisco Arts Commission encouraged BRAF to collaborate with the San Francisco’s Hayes Valley community and artist David Best to create an interactive ‘Temple’ for the Hayes Valley community. This beloved work of art became the template for BRAF’s future Civic Arts projects, exemplifying how city agencies and organizations, community members and artists can work together to create meaningful, interactive works of public art.
In May of 2011, The ARTery Project supported BRAF in the placement of two sculptures by Karen Cusolito on Market Street, in San Francisco, California.
About The Reno Arts and Culture Commission: The
purpose of the Reno Arts & Culture Commission is to serve as
the official advisor to the City of Reno on matters related to the
cultural life of the community.
About partnership with BRAF: The Reno Arts & Culture Commission has provided generous support to our Civic Arts projects in the City of Reno, including The Mangrove, Celtic Forest, Duel Nature, Spire of Fire, and Before I Die…
About the San Francisco Department of the Environment: SF Environment creates visionary policies and innovative programs that promote social equity, protect human health, and lead the way toward a sustainable future. They put their mission into action by mobilizing communities and providing the resources needed to safeguard our homes, our city, and ultimately our planet.
About partnership with BRAF: Together, the San Francisco Department of the Environment and BRAF designe the ScrapEden program. The ScrapEden program produces public art that illustrates the messages and practices of recycling and reuse.
The James Irvine Foundation
About The James Irvine Foundation: The mission of The James Irvine Foundation is to expand opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society.
About partnership with BRAF: The James Irvine Foundation provided generous support to our Civic Arts Program, enabling the installation of highly visible and popular work such as The Dreamer, Stan: Submerging Man and Homouroboros.
The Darby Foundation
About the Darby Foundation: The mission of The Darby Foundation is to support the growth of culturally vibrant, resilient, and ecologically diverse communities.
About partnership with BRAF: We support the Black Rock Arts Foundation because of its demonstrated ability to foster transformational change from within communities. BRAF’s model of building connection through captivating interactive art is a key piece in our vision of the kind of change we’d like to see in the world. Its inspiring, community-based, joyful approach is one from which many organizations of many kinds could learn.
The Brown Foundation
About the Brown Foundation: The purpose of The Brown Foundation, Inc. is to distribute funds for public charitable purposes, principally for support, encouragement and assistance to education, the arts and community service.
About partnership with BRAF: The Brown Foundation has generously awarded annual grants to BRAF, to be used towards general operating expenses.
The Mental Insight Foundation
About partnership with BRAF: BRAF is extremely appreciative of The Mental Insight Foundation’s generous grant funding BRAF’s general operating expenses – a most needed and rarely supported area of need!
Services Partners:
About Black Rock City LLC: The six-member Black Rock City LLC (the Board of Directors for
the Burning Man Project) is headed by Larry Harvey, and includes
Harley K. DuBois, Marian Goodell, Michael Mikel, Will Roger and
Crimson Rose. The LLC governs the Burning Man Board, which includes the LLC and additional invited members.
About partnership with BRAF: Several of the founding members of Black Rock City LLC founded the Black Rock Arts Foundation with the intention of promoting highly engaging, collaborative and accessible public art, akin to the work experienced at the Burning Man event. The LLC continues to support BRAF with generous in-kind support.
About Degenkolb Engineers: Degenkolb Engineers
is the nation’s oldest and largest earthquake engineering
firm. Routinely recognized for innovation, we have won more than
100 national and local awards for structural engineering
excellence in the past twenty years and are the only structural
engineering firm in the country to have led or participated in the
development of every US-based seismic code used today. Degenkolb
has long been a booster of public art installations, providing
free and low cost services to artists and local jurisdictions.
About Partnership with BRAF: Degenkolb Engineers has generously provided Engineering services for many of the projects of BRAF’s Civic Arts program. Principal Mark Sinclair serves on BRAF’s Board of Directors.
Bently Reserve, L.P.
About The Bently Reserve: The Bently Reserve is a historic banking building in San Francisco’s Financial District that the green property holdings and management companyBently Holdings has transformed into a premier conference and event venue featuring state-of-the-art technology and a LEED-certified design.
About partnership with BRAF: Bently Reserve, LP hosts our annual fundraiser, The Artumnal Gathering, and has generously provided us with other pro bono services.
About JK Sound: JK Sound is a complete Pro Audio provider with a staff of 20 top audio professionals, offering a synergy of services that combine to address all the needs of any event, installation or design requirement.
About partnership with BRAF: JK Sound has generously donated pro audio systems to a number of BRAF events, including the Artumnal Gathering
Community Partners:
Levi Strauss & Co. has been a cornerstone of
San Francisco business since they started making blue jeans 1873.
About partnership with BRAF: Levi Strauss & Co. has called on BRAF to help produce their annual community day event several times since 2010. BRAF has run several successful volunteer programs, including working with artists and volunteer LS&Co. employees to create several different objects from discarded material to be donated to deserving communities. In 2011, for example, BRAF collaborated with Artist Miranda Caroligne to design and lead a team of volunteers to create moving bags from discarded material. The bags were given to families receiving housing though the Homeless Prenatal Program.
The
Crucible is a non-profit
collaboration of arts, industry, and community. Through training
in the fine and industrial arts, The Crucible promotes creative
expression, reuse of materials, and innovative design, while
serving as an accessible arts venue for the general public inthe
Bay Area.
About partnership with BRAF: The Crucible is a partner in the Bike Bridge project, providing training, supervision, work space and equipment for the young women who participated in the project with lead artist Michael Christian.
About The Burning Man Project: The primary purpose of The Burning Man Project is to uphold and
manifest the values described in the Ten Principles of Burning
Man, specifically: Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification,
Radical Self-reliance, Radical Self-expression, Communal Effort,
Civic Responsibility, Leaving No Trace, Participation, and
Immediacy. “Burning Man” is understood not as an event, but as
referring to a way of life lived consistently with these Ten
Principles. The Burning Man Project provides infrastructural tools
and frameworks that will allow people to apply the Ten Principles
in many communities and spheres of endeavor.
About partnership with BRAF: BRAF was the fiscal sponsor of the Burning Man Project for the period during which it was seeking its own 501(c)(3) status. The two organizations plan to collaborate on community-based art projects.
The Exploratorium is a museum and an ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception—a vast collection of online interactives, web features, activities, programs, and events that feed human curiosity.
About partnership with BRAF: BRAF and the Exploratorium are in an ongoing dialog, exploring partnership possibilites.
About Maker Faire: Maker Faire is A two-day, family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.
About partnership with BRAF: BRAF has made several appearances at the Bay Area Maker Faire, most recently with the Composting Contraption.
About the Presidio Trust: The Presidio Trust, a federal agency, is an innovation in the management of a treasured American place. The Trust was created to save the Presidio and transform it for a new national purpose. The Trust’s vision is that the Presidio will be forever a public place: vital to the Bay Area, important to all Americans, and recognized for achieving broad benefits for the nation. Today, the Presidio welcomes visitors, is home to a vibrant community of residents and tenants, and inspires greater good through programs that draw on its history and natural resources. The Presidio Trust serves the public with events, lodging, venues, and recreational opportunities. To learn more, visit www.presidio.gov.
About partnership with BRAF: BRAF collaborated with the Presidio Trust and Off the Grid to produce the Twilight in the Presidio events. BRAF curated a series of fire art installations and performances for the event, which took place on the Presidio’s Main Post lawn.