The Calyx Foundation for Contemporary Artists is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting rising and developing contemporary artists worldwide. We exist to provide artists at critical stages of their careers with the financial resources, professional guidance, and institutional support necessary to sustain meaningful, ambitious creative practices.

The Foundation was established in recognition of a fundamental reality: early and mid-career artists often carry the greatest creative risk while receiving the least structural support. Calyx was created to address this imbalance by offering substantial, flexible funding and long-term stewardship at moments when it can have the greatest impact — not only on individual careers, but on the broader cultural landscape.

The name “Calyx” reflects our core philosophy. In botany, a calyx is the protective outer structure of a flower, safeguarding growth during its most vulnerable phase. In the same spirit, the Calyx Foundation exists to protect artists during formative and transitional moments in their careers. Our role is not to direct creative outcomes, impose aesthetic preferences, or extract ownership. We support without interference, empower without control, and invest without expectation of influence over artistic expression.

At the Calyx Foundation, we recognize that contemporary artists face structural challenges that extend beyond funding alone — limited access to professional mentorship, inconsistent visibility, and systemic barriers to sustainability. Our programs are intentionally designed to respond to these realities through a holistic model that integrates meaningful financial support, professional development, mentorship, and long-term visibility. By reducing financial pressure and institutional friction, we allow artists the freedom to take creative risks, deepen their practice, and build enduring careers.

The Foundation is committed to operating with transparency, equity, and long-term accountability. We believe that responsible cultural funding must be clear in its intentions, fair in its processes, and lasting in its impact. Our grantmaking and programs are structured to prioritize artistic rigor, integrity of vision, and sustained development over short-term recognition or market trends.

Calyx is backed by significant committed private capital, enabling the Foundation to operate with independence, stability, and a long-term horizon. With resources approaching $2 billion, the Foundation is positioned to provide substantial, multi-year support and to respond meaningfully to the scale and ambition of contemporary artistic practice. This financial strength allows Calyx to act decisively, responsibly, and with continuity — ensuring that our support is not symbolic, but transformative.

Founded by Chris Harshfield, the Calyx Foundation emerged from a deep understanding of the realities artists face and a conviction that meaningful cultural support requires both vision and resources. The Foundation was built to endure, to grow thoughtfully, and to serve as a protective and empowering institution for artists across generations.

Our vision is to foster a global cultural ecosystem in which contemporary artists are not merely sustained, but trusted, protected, and celebrated. By investing in artists at pivotal moments, Calyx seeks to strengthen the foundations of contemporary culture itself — ensuring that diverse, ambitious, and boundary-pushing work continues to emerge and thrive worldwide.

Ultimately, the Calyx Foundation exists to protect, empower, and amplify contemporary artists. We are not simply a funder, but a long-term steward of creative growth — a resource, a partner, and a global home for artists shaping the future of contemporary art.