A Letter from CEO Shannon Halberstadt & Paul Rucker

---

Thanks to the continued support of friends like you, 2018 has been Artist Trust’s boldest year of artist support – and we’re not done yet. This year Artist Trust has visited communities in every corner of the state, providing thousands of artists of all disciplines with rare and much-needed funding, resources, and career development support. Artist Trust empowers artists to take risks, fuel change, and lead us bravely into the future.

The profound impact of unrestricted funding and career support for individual artists is exemplified by the words of internationally acclaimed multi-disciplinary artist Paul Rucker. Artist Trust first met Paul in the 1990s, and has been by his side with early and ongoing support throughout his career.

I support Artist Trust because Artist Trust supports artists.
My main goal is not to sell art — it’s to influence ideas, be a catalyst for conversation and change, and promote empathy. It’s something I’ve been able to do to help tell the story of the pervasive systemic and structural racism sewn into the very fabric of who we are.

The seed money I got from the Fellowship in 2007 was the money I used to create a piece that launched my career — PROLIFERATION, an animated map of the prison system. Creating without thinking about how I’m going to make money, but more so how I’m going to tell a story — unrestricted funds from Artist Trust allowed that to happen.

Artist Trust encourages artists to be artists. Artists see things long before other people see them. When you can creatively influence people to change their mind or to look at something in a different way, to create empathy, to create understanding, that’s the true power of art. Being a generative artist who’s able to rely on organizations like Artist Trust to provide resources and funding — that’s what makes careers happen.
– Paul Rucker

Artist Trust is proud to partner with you to make Washington State a place where artists like Paul have the resources to challenge us, move us, and help us make sense of ourselves and the world. That’s why I hope you’ll continue your support with a meaningful gift to Artist Trust. Your contribution in any amount is more than a donation — it is an investment in a bright and bold future for Washington State artists, in 2018 and beyond.

Sincerely,
Shannon Roach Halberstadt
CEO, Artist Trust

P.S. Thanks to donors like you, Artist Trust supported thousands of individual artists in 2018 through grants, programming and resources. Click here to make your tax-deductible donation.

---