About
ART FOR CHANGE connects socially conscious collectors with exclusive works by accomplished contemporary artists. With each piece they sell, the gallery donates a percentage of the net proceeds to a variety of non-profits that affect positive change in the world.
Browse ART FOR CHANGE on Artsy
Location
New York
Image credit: Devin Osorio, Aprender Del Caer, 2021. Courtesy of ART FOR CHANGE. Portrait of Jeanne Masel by Weston Wells. Featuring Joel Mesler, Let Live, 2019. Courtesy of Jeanne Masel.
The art industry is known for widely shutting down in the summer months. However, ART FOR CHANGE founder and chief curator, Jeanne Masel, sees the summer season as a time of inspiration and focused creativity.
Founded in 2018, ART FOR CHANGE connects socially conscious art collectors with in-demand contemporary artists and their works. The gallery donates a portion of every purchase to relevant nonprofits. In 2021, ART FOR CHANGE joined Artsy, helping the gallery continue supporting artists and nonprofit organizations.
We asked Masel how her gallery makes the most of summer, and how Artsy helps her pursue her mission of supporting philanthropic initiatives year-round.
You’ve been an Artsy partner since 2021—what motivated you to join? How does your Artsy presence fit into your overall business strategy now?
Artsy has proven to be a great tool for galleries, organizations, and overall arts professionals to level up their digital exposure to reach a global audience. The platform has allowed us to reach collectors all over the world, which has helped ART FOR CHANGE grow and expand its mission to support artists and nonprofit organizations all while bringing great art to collectors.
The art world is known for widely shutting down over the summer. What are your thoughts on this? Has this been your experience?
Throughout art history, summer has commonly made its way into various works. It allows artists to pull inspiration from the natural world and its beautiful, seasonal changes. It’s true it can be a quiet time for the art world and that ability to slow down should be embraced. However, in the same breath, it gives us space to allow for more focused creativity. The summer season and the romance that it brings was our inspiration to curate a summer collection that is online both at ART FOR CHANGE and on Artsy.
“The platform has allowed us to reach collectors all over the world, which has helped ART FOR CHANGE grow and expand its mission to support artists and nonprofit organizations all while bringing great art to collectors.”
Jeanne Masel, ART FOR CHANGE
Hiba Schahbaz, Dreaming at Sunset, 2022. Courtesy of ART FOR CHANGE.
Is there a difference between how you run your business in the summer months versus the rest of the year? What type of seasonality do you see?
Throughout the summer months we continue to promote our artists and organize inspiring events to host our collectors. For example, last year we partnered with The Rockaway Hotel + Spa for the launch of a limited-edition print series of hand-embellished artworks by artists Erik Parker, Alissa McKendrick, Alessandro Teoldi, and Hiba Schahbaz. The sales from this project benefited Rising Tide Effect, an organization that provides swimming lessons, education, personal development, and safety instruction to children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. So in that instance, we had a very summer-focused curated presentation that was truly thematic and timely for the season.
Katherine Bernhardt, Three Sharks, 2015. Courtesy of Jeanne Masel.
I understand you’ve developed some online programming specifically for summer on Artsy this year. What exactly do you have planned? How did you select the works you’ll promote on Artsy?
This summer we’ve curated a spirited group of artworks in a dedicated Summer Collection that speak to a season marked by freedom, connection, and a slowed-down pace of life. We will feature prints from artists Nikki Maloof, Scott Reeder, Erik Parker, Summer Wheat, Lucia Hierro, Becky Kolsrud, Hiba Schahbaz, Alison Zuckerman, Joel Mesler, and Patricia Renee’ Thomas, among others. We selected these artists and their artworks because they evoke a summertime feeling—be it a fresh lobster, vibrant colors, or pink sunsets. This collection brings us joy and celebrates the essence of summer.
Nikki Maloof, Crab and Oranges, 2022. Courtesy of ART FOR CHANGE.
What’s next on the summer calendar for ART FOR CHANGE?
In addition to the Summer Collection, we are launching a second project in August with artist Shaun Ellison that will be timed to the U.S. Open. He often depicts tennis players and manages to evoke so much movement, energy, and emotion in his work. The timing feels perfect. Just as we did last year, we will plant 10 trees for every artwork sold as part of our ongoing initiative to fight climate change and support reforestation efforts.
