The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation has committed $2.5 million for Ukrainian artists affected by the war, as well as at-risk Ukranian heritage sites.
The New York-based foundation announced on Wednesday that it will donate the said amount via various international organizations working on the front lines to aid Ukraine. Around $2 million have been allocated to PEN America alone. PEN will be divided the funds between two ongoing initiatives over the course of the next 3 years. The Emergency and Resilience Funds for Visual Artists at Risk is an initiative that provides grants and career opportunities to artists in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who are affected by the ongoing war. The Artists at Risk Connection is a global initiative that provides aid and funds to artists across the world who are affected by wars or conflicts.
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation also allocated $500,000 to the World Monuments Fund, an organization concerned with maintenance and care of historical monuments. The fund will go to WMF’s recently-launched Ukraine Heritage Response Fund, dedicated to preserving and protecting the heritage sites in the country. The fund will be directed on hiring professionals to curate the historical monuments, as well as providing them with necessary resources for the same. Recently, UNESCO revealed that 53 Ukrainian sites were damaged since the Ukraine-Russia war began.
In a statement, Lise Motherwell (Board Chair, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation) said: “Our mission calls us to promote greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts. It is impossible to fulfil this mandate without being responsive to the needs of our times. As art and artists are caught in the crosshairs of conflict and crisis, it is imperative to preserve both the artistic freedom and cultural heritage that is being threatened around the world.”
