Project Gifts
Some Looking for Arete gifts are private, while others are public. Regardless, a Looking for Arete artwork is deeply personal for me to make and give. Hopefully, it is just as meaningful to receive.
Private Looking for Arete gifts are mainly for participants who choose to remain anonymous. Patronage* supports my capacity to give private gifts.
Public Looking for Arete gifts are not anonymous; the creative process of making this artwork is shared by myself and the recipient. Crowd-gifting* supports my capacity to give public gifts.
Collaborative Looking for Arete gifts involve some sort of collaboration, and the collaboration process itself is the gift. Collaborative work is funded by patronage and crowdgifting, grants and partnerships, and direct sales.
Looking for Arete also entails giving time and artistic expertise to specific causes and non-profit organizations.
*Patronage
There is a long history of wealthy benefactors offering financial support and influence to artists. This still holds true, but thanks to social media and online platforms, arts patronage is no longer just limited to the wealthy.
*Crowd-gifting
In crowd-gifting, money given by a group of individuals is pooled together to give a collective gift to someone. This gift can be in the form of a physical and/or monetary present.