Artists
Each New Patrons project is unique; no group of patrons is like any other. That’s why it’s important to identify an artist who is the right fit for a place, its people, and their project. Finding him or her is our mediators’ job. Many artists welcome the challenges that come with engaging with unfamiliar situations, settings, and communities. They do far more than execute a predetermined assignment, and we don’t solicit applications from artists to realize a given project. Rather, we invite selected artists to become active partners who seek to understand the larger story behind a commission. They interpret the patrons’ brief, ask probing questions, and do research. They often consider the citizens’ wishes from an angle that no one had thought of and make unexpected proposals. Over time, they develop an idea for a new work that responds to the patrons’ needs; responsibility for the whole process of bringing it to fruition is shared by everyone involved. Together, they bring a new piece of music or a stage play, a building or a park, a sculpture or a film into being that articulates local needs while also speaking to broader audiences. The artists translate the patrons’ requests into public works of art and cultural assets.