About the project
A patron,
not a program.
The Raia Project is a $50,000 sponsorship for emerging artists living in New York City, awarded every six months.
For six months the artist’s living and working expenses are covered so they can produce a body of work without a second job, a third roommate, or a studio an hour from anywhere. At the end of the term, that work is exhibited at a gallery pop-up hosted by the project and opened with a party for collectors, influencers, and the people who decide what is worth owning.
The artist gets time, a show, and a room full of buyers. The collectors get first access to work chosen with a very particular eye.
The eye
Beautiful in a home. Meaningful on a wall. Interesting for years.
Most of the contemporary art that gets talked about is not something anyone wants to live with, and most of the art people live with is not worth talking about. The Raia Project sits in the narrow space between: work that is moving and serious, and that also belongs in a beautiful room.
Selection is not made by committee. It is made by a single point of view, with the conviction that a coherent eye builds a better collection, and a better career, than consensus ever has.
How a cycle works
01
Open call
Artists submit work, a statement, and a proposal. Finalists get a studio visit.
02
The term
$50,000 for six months in New York, with living and working expenses covered. An output goal is agreed with each artist based on how they work.
03
The show
A pop-up exhibition hosted by the project, opened with a party for collectors and tastemakers. The work is for sale.
04
The next one
The project keeps a first look at a portion of the work for the Raia Collection and a share of sale proceeds — which funds the next cycle. Full terms are shared with finalists.
The Raia Project 