Climate Action for Curators helps curators reduce their environmental impact and enhance climate awareness while executing their Teiger Foundation–funded projects. 

Please note that you cannot apply directly to Climate Action for Curators as currently structured. To be considered, you must first apply to our Call for Proposals and receive a Teiger Foundation grant. Each year, participants are selected from the pool of grantees through a questionnaire and interview process conducted by Teiger Foundation staff.

Many curators in visual art express a desire to engage with the climate emergency both in what they produce and how they produce it. They also express that lack of capacity and expertise are barriers to doing so. Climate Action for Curators is structured to acknowledge and overcome these barriers by supplementing funding with coaching support. Curators receive the services of a sustainability coach who helps them develop a climate plan that is within their capacity and relevant to their organization and audience. They may then access up to $25,000 to bring the plan to life. 

2023 Climate action pilot grantees →
2024 Climate action grantees →

Sustainability coach Rute Collaborative works with grantees to articulate their specific organizational needs and help identify ways to fulfill them. For some, this might involve installing solar panels on the roof or devising exhibition signage that avoids the use of vinyl. For others, it involves modifying emergency plans and protocols to better show up for their communities in times of acute crisis. The program also helps curators activate their networks. Sharing aspects of their climate plans with artists, audiences, partnering institutions, vendors, and others can create a ripple effect. In addition to reducing emissions and waste, this work can build curatorial leadership, strengthen working relationships, bring the satisfaction of creative problem-solving, and open up new sources of funding and support. 

In 2019 and 2020, the visual art field produced a confluence of grassroots, collaborative thinking and action around climate. Two years of conversation with and financial support for Art into Acres, Artists Commit, Art + Climate Action, Gallery Climate Coalition, and Ki Culture was an integral part of the climate pilot. Our participating grantees and Rute Collaborative benefited, and will continue to benefit, enormously from the work of these groups. The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative—an essential funding source for visual art institutions working towards energy efficiency—and The Climate Museum are also important thought partners.  

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