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Please
note that the Foundation has made several substantial long-term funding
commitments, and decisions to fund new proposals are based on our current
level of ongoing projects.
The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Inc. was founded by the photographer
Robert Mapplethorpe in May of 1988. Mr. Mapplethorpe chose the Foundation’s
Board members and was its first President. During his lifetime he set the
Guidelines for administering the organization’s funds. Mr. Mapplethorpe
died in March of 1989 and the Foundation became the residuary beneficiary
of his Estate.
The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation will provide gifts in two major,
unrelated areas: medical research to advance the cure and treatment of AIDS
and HIV infection; and photography as an art form through assisting
museums, universities, and other institutions and by publishing quality
books and materials. The Foundation has made several important gifts in
both areas.
PHOTOGRAPHY
As a priority, the Foundation will support museums and other public
institutions by assisting in the creation or expansion of photography
departments. The Foundation’s emphasis is on permanence, which is to say,
the acquisition of photographs or the support for study and exhibition
facilities. Support is also available for important exhibitions which
ideally will be accompanied by quality catalogues, books, or other
documents to insure their place as reference resources for the future
documentation of photography as a fine art.
In many cases where an institution or a sponsor for an exhibition has begun
a project such as a catalogue, the Foundation is willing to augment the
project by providing funds to improve quality. In the appropriate
circumstance, the Foundation will also assist independent curators in
developing interesting photography exhibitions.
Although Robert Mapplethorpe’s name has been linked with extremely
important causes and subjects, the reference to those subjects within the
context of photography will not be a basis upon which gifts are made.
Rather, the quality of the photography will be the prevailing test
for the Board, which will make decisions from the expertise found within
the organization as well as with the assistance of qualified outside
experts when necessary.
The
Foundation will not provide scholarships or grants to individual photographers.
The Foundation, as the beneficiary of Robert Mapplethorpe’s Estate, owns a
quantity of works by the artist and will make gifts of works as well as
gifts of money to organizations which qualify for these gifts.
AIDS RESEARCH
The Foundation provides funding for scientific research for studies being
conducted for the treatment or cure of AIDS and HIV related infections. The
Foundation does not provide money for social services or health care
facilities and/or projects which are not specifically linked to specific
research agenda.
The Foundation’s Board meets regularly to consider various business matters
and it reviews applications at its meetings. Nevertheless, the Foundation
is not an organization capable of providing emergency assistance, nor is it
possible for the Foundation to meet the deadline requirements of
applicants. Therefore applicants should be prepared to wait several weeks
or months for decisions to be made, due to the fact that the Board takes
all requests very seriously and attempts to make meaningful and informed
decisions.
No formal applications forms are currently being utilized. If your project
falls within the context of the Foundation’s Guidelines, please condense
your description of any project to only a few pages. If the Board finds the
project potentially interesting, you will be contacted and very likely
asked for additional information concerning, for example, physical
facilities, (where applicable), other financial resources obtained or being
sought, full descriptions and qualifications of personnel involved
including other similar or dissimilar projects for which they were
responsible, and complete budget information.
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