Joan Mitchell Foundation

About the Foundation

The Joan Mitchell Foundation cultivates the study and appreciation of artist Joan Mitchell’s life and work, while fulfilling her wish to provide resources and opportunities for visual artists. Through its work, the Foundation affirms and amplifies artists’ essential contributions to society.

Our Vision

The Foundation supports research, scholarship, and exhibitions to ensure Joan Mitchell is widely recognized and studied as a significant artist.

The Foundation’s grants, residencies, and related initiatives recognize artistic excellence and elevate a wide range of visual artists and practices. We work to actively expand the visual arts to better reflect the diverse world in which we live.

The Foundation serves as an evolving example and resource for how an artist’s generosity can impact future generations of artists.

Our Impact

$19,293,000+

In Unrestricted Funds Distributed to Individual Artists

1,290+

Artists Awarded Grants

5,000+

Young Artists Supported or Educated

293

Artists Hosted in Residencies at the Joan Mitchell Center

$8,500,000

In Funds Given to Organizations Providing Artist Support

What We Value

BEING ARTIST CENTERED

The Foundation was established by an artist for artists. We trust that artists know what they need to best support their practices; their voices and feedback guide our work.

A CULTURE OF GENEROSITY

Joan Mitchell was generous to other artists during and beyond her lifetime. The Foundation carries forward her generosity by giving, sharing, and making connections with intention.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

We see diverse perspectives and the variety of lived experiences as through-lines in the Foundation's origins and legacy of artist support. Through ongoing inquiry, dialogue, and action on issues of equity, the Foundation strives to remove barriers to sustained artistic practice and careers in the visual arts.