Stoa Foundation Unites Arts Nonprofits For New York Conference

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Stoa Foundation, co-founded by Clare Hindle and Meagan Ryan, is hosting its third and largest gathering for nonprofit arts organizations in New York from September 15–17. This event follows earlier conferences in Paris during Art Basel 2025 and Venice during the 2026 Biennale opening.

Hindle, who previously worked at Sotheby's and directed the Cass Sculpture Foundation, also led World Art Foundations, a global network. Ryan's background includes fundraising at the San Francisco Art Institute, medical research, and consulting for arts nonprofits, as well as managing the Kramlich Art Foundation. The Stoa Foundation, which also includes creative director Hilary Wolfe, aims to provide resources and foster collaboration among these varied entities.

The upcoming New York summit features a distinguished lineup of professionals. Among them are philanthropist Sarah Arison of the Arison Arts Foundation, Simon Castets, head of the Keith Haring Foundation, Deana Haggag, director of arts programs at the Mellon Foundation, and Patton Hindle, director of arts at the Knight Foundation. Also participating are artist Julie Mehretu, co-founder of the Denniston Hill artist residency, and Legacy Russell, executive director and chief curator at New York venue The Kitchen. Discussions will cover artist-founded nonprofits, community building through art, and value-driven investing. Days one and two of the conference were sold out, with some seats remaining for day three.

Stoa's inaugural report, introduced by journalist Charlotte Burns, surveyed nonprofits in 17 countries, including Paris's Kadist, the UK-based Yinka Shonibare Foundation, Arkansas' Art Bridges Foundation, Brihatta Art Foundation in Dhaka, Toronto's Lassonde Art Trail Foundation, Maryland's Glenstone Museum, Chicago's Terra Foundation for American Art, and Beijing's UCCA Center for Contemporary Art. The report revealed that approximately 67 percent of these organizations hold collections, and about 70 percent award prizes and grants. While half operate with budgets under £1 million (approximately $1.4 million ), many are small, with half employing five or fewer staff. Despite their collective value, they are often less understood, according to Burns, who stated:

She noted they manage billions of dollars in assets, with around 14,000 art foundations providing grants to arts and culture nonprofits, and approximately 446 private museums.

Hindle explained that the organization addresses a significant gap in resources for leaders of art foundations. She stated:“We've both worked in art foundations, and we realized that there's a huge void, that there aren't resources for leaders of art foundations. It's a field that has so much rich activity, and there's so much peer exchange that can be developed. We saw an opportunity to create a trusted global network supported by data-driven resources and exclusive tools that would help challenge the status quo and and think about new solutions for old problems.” Ryan added that the response exceeded expectations, with participants from 33 countries across five continents.

Stoa's program is structured around six pillars: governance, collections, artistic programs, financial resilience, public engagement, and operations. Ryan highlighted the learning curve has been“steep but tremendously rich” over the past year and a half, enabling a deeper understanding of the sector's needs. A key theme emerging from the Paris symposium was the transition from ownership to stewardship, which continues to be explored in follow-up discussions and workshops. Hindle emphasized that despite their diversity, arts nonprofits share common challenges like governance and collection management, facilitating new partnerships, cross-border activities, and loans.

Ryan noted that Stoa distinguishes itself by going beyond mere convening. She stated:“What sets us apart and drives our program in a different direction is that we really want to focus on more than just the convening and having people in the room for a conversation. We're very committed to moving beyond the conversation, for example with our resource library. We document everything, and then we package that into a digestible publication which is then shareable, so that if you couldn't be in the room, you learn from what was shared and surfaced. And it is accessible at any point across your journey.” The organization aims to provide resources for various stages, from collectors considering foundations to those planning succession or opening artist residencies.

Source: ARTnews

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