The Artist Advocate: Carolyn Ramo
“Artists can be the loudest and most innovative voices, and I look to them to speak for this wild experience.”
6 Questions with Carolyn Ramo
Executive Director, Artadia
New York City
Carolyn Ramo is the executive director of the non-profit arts organization Artadia. Since assuming the role in 2012, Ramo has helped the organization provide curator-driven grants and other impactful programs to visual artists in cities across the United States and outside of market centers.
Artadia is a national non-profit organization that supports artists with unrestricted awards followed by a lifetime of professional support. Artadia has awarded over $5 million to more than 335 artists over 20 years.
To support artists during the COVID-19 crisis, a coalition of national grantmakers consisting of the Academy of American Poets, Artadia, Creative Capital, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, MAP Fund, National YoungArts Foundation, and United States Artists, have come together to create an emergency initiative to offer financial and informational resources to artists across the United States. Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19; serve as an ongoing information resource; and co-launch the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, designed by Americans for the Arts, to better identify and address the needs of artists. Applications are open: artistrelief.org
1. Talk to me about how the Artist Relief fund came to be, particularly the astounding speed at which multiple organizations responded.
Artist Relief started with a few phone calls on a Saturday about six weeks ago, and with a shared google doc where we all contributed to a “plan” to think about how we could provide immediate relief to artists. And in a manner that is as equitable as possible.
We just gave our first grants on Friday, April 17, and plan to give at least 100 grants a week until September 1.
It is incredible to work as a true coalition—partners were quickly identified for what we have in common: we are all non-profit organizations, we are all grant-makers giving directly to individual artists, and we are all national in scope.
Once we all gathered, it was important that we were direct about the resources each organization could supply. Committees were formed to play to each organization’s strengths, and the time and staff available. We are also very thankful for the graphic and web designers who worked so quickly to get our site up and running.
The most complicated aspects were the application and the fundraising. None of this would have happened if the initial group of foundations who signed on to support didn’t believe in this mission, the speed in which we had to launch and this cohort to take on this task.
Ultimately, we all had an immense drive to help artists quickly, as we all know how much artists impact our lives. Also, we want to find ways to continually understand their need. This has been an entirely ego-less process in every way.
2. Arts Funders Forum research showed that people in the cultural sector want more “collaboration and partnerships” and “new funding vehicles” in the arts. How might this moment accelerate that shift?
I have no doubt that working collaboratively and in partnership will be an important — and perhaps the only — option to move forward. So much more can be achieved when you have a brain trust.
While I believe there are indeed enough funds available for all, it is absolutely wonderful to work collaboratively, specifically on fundraising. When working together, we can be a stronger and bolder advocate for the support of individual artists with the funding community.
Artists are an essential workforce in their own way and also the gig workers who have little stability. Artist Relief is just one way to provide support for artists at this time and its incredible to see so many local relief efforts. Further, so many organizations are in the similar situation where we are doing our best to move forward and it is exciting to see many collaborative efforts happening in all of the Artadia cities. Working as colleagues in a larger conversation is essential for survival.
3. We are seeing all programming go virtual. I am very interested in how organizations can convert these “quarantine audiences” into long-term audiences, members, and donors. What’s your view?
I am amazed about the amount of connectivity taking place—perhaps even more so than normal!—in quarantine, via Zoom and other apps. I typically travel to the Artadia cities to run programs, connect with constituents and more. With travel completely off the table, and all of us being affected in a very real way, there is a new honest and direct line of communication.
Our plan is to focus on the artists, what they are doing and what they are making, and then to reinforce our community obligation to come to their aid. For now, we want to make sure first and foremost our grant program is uninterrupted and we can provide artists funding. We will use this opportunity for virtual member events and to give a behind-the-scenes look at our grant-making process and in depth introductions to new Artadia Awardees when possible.
Social media has become even more important. Having a real dialogue versus “just posting.” All this said, I do believe that if a multi-level relationship had not been formed prior to this experience, it may be hard to start one now… its just about maintaining at this point.
I am also skeptical of the onslaught of virtual programming and feel that we should be leaving it to those organizations and artists who can do it best. In some ways, I am also open to being quiet and taking this time to rethink broader strategies for engagement.
4. How is Artadia re-imagining fundraising strategies right now?
I am taking this incredible time to reevaluate everything Artadia stands for and where we can impact artists, and then also some practical rethinking from doing a deep dive of the budget, to considering how to create meaningful virtual connections. I am simultaneously slowing down expansion plans, while thinking in an entirely new broad way to fulfill our mission: its invigorating and interesting!
With fundraising for Artist Relief, we are focused on relationships with our institutional partners, mostly national and local foundations, who are prioritizing support of relief efforts and the arts. With Artadia, we are focused on securing the funds for our Artadia Award grants for this year and next—its imperative we do not interrupt our support for artists now and in the future.
We have found that its more possible to have conversations with prospective partners than expected. With both Artadia and Artist Relief, we all have a track record of impactful work. Additionally, the input, enthusiasm, and the participation of the board of directors is more important than ever.
5. While based in New York City, Artadia is a national grant distributor. How do you think this moment could open up opportunity for increased direct support of local arts ecosystems?
We made an important change a couple years ago to give our grants annually in each of our Award cities. This was important so we can be consistently present and apart of these communities. Before we can expand to more cities, we felt it was important to demonstrate our deep belief in the local artists in these Award cities, and we created layered networks of supporters with different roles.
Without the possibility of travel, we will be relying on these networks to activate our mission. Artists have many different definitions of success and will have to find ways to reach this at a more local level. Of course, the art market has drastically shifted, and hopefully will now be a lessened barometer of an artist’s success.
6. How do you think this crisis might change the landscape of cultural patronage, and society’s view of arts?
It’s too hard to say now, but certainly the amount of philanthropy that is designated for artists, and the amount of support individual artists receive in this country, is GROSSLY under what it should be. I sincerely hope there will be a renewed appreciation for the arts. Artists can be the loudest and most innovative voices, and I look to them to speak for this wild experience.
The inevitable closures of institutions, galleries, and non-profits will be felt by all. Hopefully we examine the huge faults in our economic systems that make it impossible for the most vulnerable populations to excel.
Artists, like musicians, have NO way to make a living in quarantine, no way to have a steady life. There are so many talented artists who barely have enough to eat. We must advocate for them. Now and continue to do so when everything has gone back to “normal.”
Carolyn Ramo is the executive director of the non-profit arts organization Artadia. Since assuming the role in 2012, Ramo has helped the organization provide curator-driven grants and other impactful programs to visual artists in cities across the United States and outside of market centers.
Before joining Artadia, Ramo was a partner at Taxter & Spengemann, a contemporary art gallery that focused on emerging artist. Prior to that, she worked in senior positions at David Zwirner and Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art.