Mark Bradford - Kickstarter-esque initiative for artists

Mark Bradford is fantastic. I have to say. I love his work, I think he as a person (from a long distance) is charming and earnest. And his stuff is beautiful, too. A nice bonus...

Today a really interesting announcement was made -- Mark is giving $100,000 to help start a "Kickstarter" for artists. He speaks in a really compelling way about how artists basically do this for one another already. They have parties with friends and sort of pass the hat to get things off the ground.

Institutions do this kind of work as well. For example, the Whitney awards the Bucksbaum award to one Biennial artist every two years. It comes with a $100,000 prize and the opportunity to compose a show in the lobby gallery. Mark won this a few years ago. It's nice seeing someone so willing to pass on that sort of opportunity to someone else.