The Art Endowment is a nonprofit Bay Area organization that expands public access to fine art through a unique art donation and placement program.

Working with artists and collectors who wish to donate artwork to public and nonprofit organizations, the Art Endowment acts as a clearinghouse, simplifying the donation process and offering a wide range of original works for selection by qualifying nonprofit agencies in the Bay Area. These recipient agencies have limited or no funding with which to acquire original art. The Art Endowment identifies artists willing to donate their work, catalogs the works for presentation to prospective recipients, helps agencies access the appropriate work, and teaches them to care for the art. These works of art become the permanent property of the recipients. We do this because fine art enhances lives on a spiritual and cultural level and reminds us that we have an abundant capacity for greatness.

How It Works:
The Art Endowment identifies artists who wish to donate their work for public benefit, and digitally catalogs the works for presentation in our View Art System.

Our Open Source View Art system makes the donation process effortless. The View Art System streamlines the donation process, offering a wide range of fine art for selection by qualifying agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area. We then help prospective agencies find and display the art work that is most appropriate for their environment. The Art Endowment oversees the reputable transfer of art into the public domain and ensures that the work is maintained and properly appreciated over its lifetime.

Enriching Lives for Public Benefit:
Donated art has an immediate and far-reaching effect. There is an enormous unmet need for the positive presence of fine artwork thoughout the Bay Area. Recipient organizations range from community centers, children's programs and schools to shelters, crisis centers and housing services agencies - all have limited or no funding with which to acquire original art.

The Art Endowment brings artists and communities together to build a legacy of art appreciation and cultural interconnection.

Art inspires. It stimulates creativity, learning and community participation and art can heal, too. Just one piece can make a tremendous difference. The Art Endowment has an ever growing number of installations throughout the Bay Area, giving those who often have the least access to art direct contact in their own communities. Sometimes, just one painting or sculpture can make a difference.

In addition to the immediate community impact, artists themselves also benefit through increased exposure and a legacy of community appreciation. Art is placed in high-traffic locations that attract large numbers of visitors from all walks of life. Organizations find that original artwork enlivens spaces and connects them to their constituents in profound ways. A symbiotic interplay brings communities, artists and those in need closer.

Our Inventory:
Currently, the Art Endowment works with a diverse group of visual artists including printmakers, painters, sculptors and photographers. Both emerging and established artists participate in our program, and we are always searching for new artists to represent. Many of our artists are widely known; most are academically trained and gallery-qualified. To view our growing on-line inventory of images, please view our art gallery .