The BECA Foundation is a not-for-profit global arts organization benefiting artists, designers and the public headquartered in New Orleans, LA, USA. BECA is an acronym for Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art. The organization's core belief is that "NEW ART + NEW DESIGN FUELS THE BEST OF WHAT'S YET TO COME ON THIS PLANET". BECA serves as a bridge by which new ideas and new art + new design flow freely and develop between local, national and international contemporary art + design communities. It supports innovation, exploration and the advancement of new ideas in contemporary visual art + design. The core program focus is on developing public exhibition and related opportunities for emerging and under-recognized visual artists + designers. Those opportunities are also extended to established visual artists + designers who are forging new pathways by exploring new mediums, ideas and processes not previously associated with their work.
By presenting new artistic visions from around the world within the public realm via both physical and online venues, we expose a very large and diverse range of participants to emerging contemporary art and culture. Our exhibitions and related programming engage and educate both new and established audiences while encouraging ongoing dialogue.
Beyond our current programming, we will address the broader issues and roadblocks affecting emerging artists + designers within the current art world system and its institutions. Those issues and roadblocks ultimately limit what the world can gain from the advancement of new art, new design and new ideas and those benefits which could be derived. Many of those issues also thereby limit the public's opportunity to participate in the discussion, creation, collaboration, observation and experience of art and design in the broadest sense.
BECA programming is currently supported by sponsorships, individual contributions and www.becagallery.com, the world's first profit donating company in support of visual art + design programming. 100% of the profits generated from sales of art at www.becagallery.com are donated to The BECA Foundation. Please visit often and please tell your friends!
We will soon be developing a membership program and grant acquisition efforts. As we learn from our generous advisors and grow our artist + designer run organization, The BECA Foundation is currently operating under 501-c-3 fiscal sponsorship. Through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, we are able to accept both monetary and in-kind tax-deductible donations while we prepare for our own establishment as a 501-c-3 non-profit organization. If you would like to contact The BECA Foundation, please send us an email.
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About Us:
The BECA Foundation evolved in 2008 when artists, designers and BECA gallery Directors, Melissa Roberts and Kurt Schlough, began to see firsthand that their gallery program was far too small to address the broader needs of emerging artists and designers. BECA gallery existed as a rare gallery space focused on introducing both emerging contemporary art + emerging contemporary design. Assisting collectors, who were seeking leading edge, innovative new works and new artists, while simultaneously assisting emerging artists and designers with their professional development became the cornerstone of the gallery program.
Along with the success of the gallery program came the realization of how much truly innovative emerging work was not being given a public audience. No gallery or art space can be everything to every artist and while exhibition opportunities for emerging artists and designers do exist, many deserving artists and designers aren't at the receiving end of that opportunity pool. Many emerging artists will argue that although there are many exhibition opportunities for contemporary artists, the pool of opportunities dedicated to emerging art + design is just too small. Thus, both the public and the artists miss valuable opportunities to engage in dialogue with one another while Roberts and Schlough argue that global society in general loses out on the enrichment and advancement that a broader expanse of emerging contemporary art + design offers.
"New art and design fuels the best of what's yet to come on this planet so we wanted to create an avenue where these benefits could be realized in an expanded and evolving format unrestricted by commercial constraints. Is it going to satisfy all of the exhibition wants and desires of every emerging artist + designer? Probably not. Will the BECA Foundation use everything at its disposal to create new, exciting, experimental, exploratory, interdisciplinary, adventurous and challenging opportunities and programs for both the participating public and emerging artists and designers most efficiently and effectively? HELL YES!" – Melissa Roberts and Kurt Schlough, Co-Founders/Directors
About the Directors: Melissa Roberts and Kurt Schlough have partnered their diverse backgrounds as artists, designers and gallerists to create several diverse arts related projects, including The BECA Foundation. Kurt Schlough has been a nationally exhibiting sculptor and painter for 14 years while simultaneously serving as the Vice President of Design and lead project manager at an award-winning New Orleans architectural firm. Melissa Roberts is both an artist and activist with an academic background in fine arts, biology and communications who creates work in a variety of mediums including sculpture, installation, textiles, and digital art. She also has a professional design background in graphic arts and textile design and has exhibited her works both nationally and internationally. In addition, Roberts has over 15 years of experience in project management and administration.
