major art organizations launch relief fund for artists impacted by LA wildfires
in partnership with art institutions, the $12 million initiative by the j. paul getty trust aims to support artists impacted by the fires.
J. Paul Getty Trust creates LA fire relief fund supporting artists
The J. Paul Getty Trust, in partnership with major Los Angeles art organizations, philanthropists, and global institutions, announces the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund. The $12 million initiative aims to support artists and arts workers impacted by the devastating fires sweeping through the Pacific Palisades (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation, the fund provides emergency relief to individuals in the creative sector who have lost their homes, studios, or livelihoods.
The coalition includes the Mohn Art Collective—comprising the Hammer Museum, LACMA, and MOCA—as well as East West Bank, the Mellon Foundation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Qatar Museums, the Ford Foundation, and numerous other organizations. Also, the growing list of contributors includes the Steven Spielberg/The Hearthland Foundation, the Broad Art Foundation, Gagosian, and Hauser & Wirth who have joined forces to expand the fund. ‘The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund expands on the emergency arts funding infrastructure and networks built during the pandemic,’ notes Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. ‘The moment demands strengthened collaboration, and we invite fellow funders to join us in growing this vital initiative to support all impacted artists.’
Rapid support initiative for Los Angeles’s Arts Community
Starting January 20, 2025, LA-based artists and arts workers from all disciplines can apply for emergency grants through the J. Paul Getty Trust initiative. Recognizing the urgent need for immediate assistance, the application process is streamlined to quickly provide relief to those most affected. Welcoming contributions from anyone who wishes to support; over time, the fund may also support longer-term rebuilding efforts.
The fires have had catastrophic effects on artists’ homes, studios, and archives, particularly in neighborhoods such as Altadena, long known for their artistic communities. The fund aims to preserve the cultural fabric of the city during this crisis, ensuring that the creativity defining Los Angeles endures.
‘People around the world are watching in horror as vast areas of Los Angeles burn, but this regional tragedy has global cultural repercussions,’ says Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust. ‘Amid the losses suffered by the artists and arts workers who so strongly define LA, Getty is grateful to the many partners, local, national, and international, who have come together to meet the urgent needs of this community.’
A Call for Unity
The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund joins other emergency initiatives, including artist-led campaigns and efforts by organizations such as the Craft Emergency Relief Fund and MusiCares. Together, these programs reflect a shared commitment to preserving the creative ecosystems essential to Los Angeles and beyond. The coalition invites individuals, organizations, and corporations worldwide to contribute to this growing initiative.
‘Contributing to the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund is an expression of the Warhol Foundation’s mission of responding to the needs of artists and is also a moral imperative for those like us who recognize the critical importance of Los Angeles to the world of the arts,’ shares Joel Wachs, president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
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project info:
name: LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund (find more here)
location: Los Angeles, California, USA
lead organization: The J. Paul Getty Trust | @gettymuseum
partners: Mohn Art Collective (Hammer Museum, LACMA, and MOCA), East West Bank, Mellon Foundation, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Qatar Museums, Ford Foundation
contributors: Karyn Kohl, Terri and Jerry Kohl, Trellis Art Fund, Teiger Foundation, Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg/The Hearthland Foundation, Maria Seferian, Arison Arts Foundation, Snap Foundation, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, The Broad Art Foundation, Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, the Smidt Family Foundation, the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, Terra Foundation for American Art, the California Community Foundation, Kraus Family Foundation, Howard and Nancy Marks Charitable Foundation, the A&L Berg Foundation, The Willem de Kooning Foundation, Jane Hait and Justin Beal, Joan Mitchell Foundation, The David Hockney Foundation, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Frieze, Michael Asher Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Sam Francis Foundation, Artadia, Jay DeFeo Foundation, and The Carolee Schneemann Foundation
administrator: Center for Cultural Innovation
launch date: January 16, 2025
