Christo And Jeanne-Claude Foundation

## How to Approach the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation is a unique arts foundation with $159 million in assets, established by the renowned environmental artists Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon to preserve their artistic legacy and support the arts. Unlike traditional grantmaking foundations, the majority of its assets consist of unsold artworks (drawings, collages, lithographs spanning the 1950s to 2020), archival materials, and physical remnants from iconic installations like The Gates in Central Park.

Theory of Change: The foundation operates on the principle that monumental public art has transformative power for communities. Christo and Jeanne-Claude were famous for self-financing their projects (never accepting sponsorships or commissions), and the foundation continues this ethos by using artwork sales to fund legacy preservation, museum partnerships, and the realization of the artists' final project — The Mastaba in Abu Dhabi.

Alignment Signals: The foundation values: (1) public art that engages communities and transforms spaces, (2) emerging artists working in the spirit of large-scale environmental or site-specific art, (3) educational and scholarly engagement with contemporary art, and (4) institutions that can properly steward and exhibit the artists' work.

Approach Strategy: The foundation has two distinct pathways: 1. For emerging artists in the UAE: Apply directly to the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award through NYU Abu Dhabi (annual, $10,000 production grant + exhibition). 2. For museums and institutions: The foundation places artworks with museums and has donated to institutions like the Central Park Conservancy, Nelson-Atkins Museum, and The Shed. Direct outreach to the foundation board regarding exhibition partnerships, scholarly projects, or artwork placement is the appropriate channel.

## Funding Patterns

Foundation Financials: The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation experienced dramatic growth in 2024, with total revenue of $160.4 million (primarily from $159.1M in contributions, likely a transfer of the artists' estate/artwork) increasing assets from $7.7 million to $158.7 million. Prior to 2024, annual revenues were modest ($75K-$331K).

Grant Activity: The foundation is in an early phase of grantmaking. Its 990 filings from 2021-2023 show minimal grant distributions as the board focused on organizational setup. The 2024 influx of assets positions the foundation for more substantial future giving, though the board has indicated that grantmaking will be secondary to legacy preservation and The Mastaba project.

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award: The primary open funding mechanism is the annual award in partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi and ADMAF: - Grant amount: $10,000 production grant per winner - Geographic scope: UAE-based emerging artists only - Includes public exhibition at three venues in November

Institutional Gifts and Partnerships: The foundation has made gifts of artwork and funding to major institutions: - Central Park Conservancy (celebrating 20th anniversary of The Gates) - Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Wrapped Walk Ways gift) - The Shed (Gates exhibition and unrealized NYC projects)

Distribution Model: Unlike typical foundations that distribute cash grants, the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation primarily distributes value through artwork placement, exhibition partnerships, and educational programming. Cash grantmaking remains modest and secondary to these activities.

Expenses: Total expenses in 2024 were $9.5 million, primarily for operations, with compensated staff including Jonathan Henery (Secretary/Treasurer, $171K) and Lorenza Giovanelli (Director, $104K).

## Peer Comparison

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation is an artist-legacy foundation, making it most comparable to other foundations established to preserve the work of major contemporary artists rather than traditional grantmaking foundations.

Key Differentiators: - Youngest of its peers: Founded in 2019, the Christo Foundation is still defining its scope and programs, while peer foundations have decades of established grantmaking infrastructure. - Artwork-heavy asset base: Most of the $159M in assets is unsold artwork rather than liquid investments, which constrains cash grantmaking capacity until strategic sales occur. - Living project mandate: Unlike peer foundations that focus entirely on legacy, the Christo Foundation has the unique mandate of realizing The Mastaba — an unrealized project requiring government approvals and potentially hundreds of millions in construction costs. - Minimal open grantmaking: While the Warhol, Rauschenberg, and Mitchell foundations all have robust open application processes, the Christo Foundation currently offers only the UAE-focused $10K award. - Strong institutional partnerships: The foundation has leveraged relationships with major institutions (The Shed, Central Park Conservancy, Nelson-Atkins) for exhibition and donation partnerships.

## Recent Activity

Major Asset Transfer (2024): The foundation received approximately $159 million in contributions in 2024, likely representing the full transfer of Christo's estate including artwork, archives, and physical materials. This dramatically increased assets from $7.7M to $158.7M, transforming the foundation from a small organizational entity into a major arts institution.

90th Birthday Celebrations (2025-2026): Timed to the 90th anniversary of both artists' births in 2025, a flurry of major exhibitions and events have been organized worldwide to honor their legacy. These include retrospectives, documentary screenings, and tribute installations continuing through 2026.

The Gates 20th Anniversary: The foundation partnered with The Shed, Central Park Conservancy, NYC Parks, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Gates installation in Central Park. This included exhibitions of original artwork and unrealized New York City projects.

Wrapped Walk Ways Gift: The foundation donated materials and artwork related to the Wrapped Walk Ways project to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, demonstrating its strategy of placing works in contextually appropriate institutions.

The Mastaba Progress: The foundation continues to advance The Mastaba, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's final unrealized project — a permanent sculpture of 410,000 multicolored oil barrels in Abu Dhabi. Engineering and aesthetic decisions were finalized during the artists' lifetimes. The project awaits government approval, with construction expected to take at least 3 years once approved, potentially unveiling around 2027-2028.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2026: Applications for the 2026 cycle opened with a January 30, 2026 deadline. The winning work will be exhibited at Abu Dhabi Art, NYUAD, and Umm Al Emarat Park in November 2026.

Board and Leadership: The foundation board includes Karin Barkhorn (President/estate lawyer), Agnes Gund (MoMA president emerita), Jonathan Henery (artist's nephew, handles authentication), Scott Hodes (Chair), and Vladimir Yavachev, among others.

## Application Tips

For the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award (UAE-based artists):

1. Eligibility is narrow. You must be a UAE resident who either graduated from university within the last 5 years OR is currently a full-time student at a UAE institution. International artists not based in the UAE are not eligible.

2. Secure a strong mentor nomination. All applicants must apply with the support and nomination of a mentor (from within or outside the university system). Choose a mentor whose reputation and network in the UAE/international art world can strengthen your application.

3. Propose site-specific or public art. The award honors artists who worked exclusively in monumental public, environmental, and site-specific art. Proposals that engage public spaces and communities — rather than studio-based or gallery work — will be most aligned with the award's spirit.

4. Include a detailed production budget. The $10,000 grant is meant to bring the artwork to life for public exhibition. Demonstrate that your proposal is feasible within this budget, with clear line items showing how funds will be used.

5. Plan for the exhibition timeline. The final work will be exhibited at three venues in November 2026. Your proposal must account for this public presentation, including installation logistics and audience engagement.

For museums and institutions seeking artwork placement or partnerships:

6. Demonstrate contextual fit. The foundation has placed artwork at institutions with direct connections to the artists' projects (Nelson-Atkins for Wrapped Walk Ways, Central Park Conservancy for The Gates). If your institution has a historical or thematic connection to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work, highlight it.

7. Propose scholarly or educational programming. The foundation values educational engagement. Institutions proposing exhibitions paired with symposia, publications, or educational programs will be more compelling than simple display requests.

8. Contact the foundation directly. For institutional partnerships, artwork loans, or placement discussions, reach out through the foundation's website (christojeanneclaude.net/foundation/contact/) or through board member connections. The art world network around Agnes Gund and Jonathan Henery is a natural entry point.

9. Be patient — the foundation is still defining its scope. As of 2024, the board is still making strategic decisions about artwork sales, placement, and the study center at Howard Street in SoHo. Long-term relationship building is more productive than a single cold inquiry.