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Foundation for Contemporary Arts - 60th anniversary film

Short Documentary, 7 min, 2023

The Foundation for Contemporary Arts has lived the ethos of ‘artists for artists’ since its establishment 60 years ago. It was founded with the proceeds from a benefit exhibition organized by a group of then scrappy, avant-garde artists, including Jasper Johns and John Cage, to help fund their friend, the dancer and choreographer Merce Cunninham’s Broadway season. The idea was simple: So called “fine” artists who had some thing to sell, would help support their peers in the Performance arts who produce an ephemeral good, more difficult to monetize. It’s that generosity of spirit of artists towards their peers that’s remained a cornerstone of FCA, sustaining and supporting numerous experimental, risk-taking artists, poets, musicians and performers, over its 60-year history. Last year, RAVA had the great honor of telling the story of the foundation’s incredible reach and impact throughout the art world. And what an opportunity to dig into the vaults, bringing together an incredible array of artworks, archival materials, and voices into a film that embraces that wild, experimental, and risk-taking spirit that’s been FCA’s raison d’etre since its start.

Directed by Rafael Salazar Moreno and Ava Wiland

Producer Ava Wiland

Cinematography Rafael Salazar Moreno

Editor Rafael Salazar Moreno and Russell Yaffe

Colorist/Sound Mix Russell Yaffe

Assistant Editor Danielle Davis

Archival Producers Ava Wiland, Danielle Davis, Anastacia Bloch, Rebecca Hadley, Justin Wong

Music Crach Trio, Steven Gutheinz, AJ Hochhalter, Evan Hutchings, Strings of Consciousness, Alistair Sung

Assistant Camera Jules Rico, Alfonso Lozano, Lucas Gonzale

Featuring:

Sonia Louise Davis
Mariana Valencia
Dean Moss
Monica De La Torre
Agnes Gund
Jennie C Jones

and Voice Recordings of:
John Cage
Jasper Johns

Special Thanks:

To the artists and friends who generously agreed to be interviewed and to the many artists and FCA grantees and contemporaries whose work has been included.