Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art Case Statement

Halsey Institute of contemporary art

Jumaadi, 2014 buffalo hide, pigment

BOUNDLESS is the promise of our visiting artists, the dedication of our staff and the enduring spirit of our arts supporters and friends. BOUNDLESS represents the next era of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston.

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts provides a multi-disciplinary laboratory for the production, presentation, interpretation and dissemination of ideas by innovative visual artists from around the world. As a non-collecting museum, we create meaningful interactions between adventurous artists and diverse communities that emphasize the historical, social and cultural importance of the art of our time.

To continue our mission, we must further elevate the Halsey Institute’s national recognition as a portal for inspiration and discovery.

The Halsey Institute is the only organization in Charleston that consistently highlights international contemporary art by emerging and mid-career artists. Our exhibitions are the backbone of the Halsey Institute’s contemporary art program. We select artists whose works have the capacity to astonish. Our exhibitions have the reputation for introducing artists early in their creative lives, many of whom go on to become contemporary art mainstays.

Through innovative educational programming, the Halsey Institute strives to develop community awareness about the rich global conversations stimulated by contemporary art. Our events have become the focal point and gathering place for those interested in contemporary art or curious about provocative ideas. We frequently collaborate with other regional, national and international organizations and institutions to enrich the cultural ecology of the southeastern United States.

With an international focus and multidisciplinary approach, we inspire and enrich the lives of all who participate – acting as a vital cultural resource for the city of Charleston, the state of South Carolina and the region.

Boundless: The Campaign for the College of Charleston Boundless is a $125 million comprehensive fundraising initiative and your opportunity to shape the next era of national distinction for the Halsey Institute.

Within this initiative, the Halsey Institute is embarking upon securing a $2.5 million endowment. The endowment will 1) ensure financial stability of a rich cultural resource whose goals are to perpetuate contemporary arts programming for Charleston, the region and visitors for generations to come; and 2) enrich the program excellence for the benefit of all College of Charleston students. We are asking you to consider an investment in our endowment to support the Halsey’s four strategic priorities:

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Arts programming that strengthens our role as a vital cultural resource for College of Charleston students, the city of Charleston, the state of South Carolina and the region;

High quality documentation of all exhibitions, many of which have traveled to museums and galleries around the country. We produce catalogues, videos, educational brochures and a comprehensive online feature for each show;

“Looking to See” Program, the flagship of the Halsey Institute’s education activities, which provides free guided tours of each exhibition with a focus on K-12 students; and

Artist-in-residence Program, which builds a platform for the international exchange of different cultural traditions. Our commitment to originality and innovation is indeed one of the hallmarks of the Halsey Institute’s reputation.

The Power of Partnership Moving boldly forward while preserving our distinctive identity will require your dedication and partnership. As federal and state support for the arts and higher education declines, our success requires enlightened philanthropy.

Our partnerships are diverse. They include the College of Charleston, local, regional and national foundations such as the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Henry Luce Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as local businesses. One of the biggest obstacles to organizations of the Halsey Institute’s type and size is the lack of matching funds available.

By uniting the power of your generosity with the boundless reach of the Halsey Institute, we can seize a unique opportunity. Please join us in securing the future for this nationally significant program at the College of Charleston.

Your support for the Endowment will ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to experience worldclass contemporary art in this beautiful historic city.

“The exhibitions at the Halsey Institute are unique to anything you will see elsewhere. Their shows are original, and are born out of a singular, personal vision. The Halsey Institute incubates and facilitates important projects for artists. The work they do will stand the test of time because the artists they select offer something unique and lasting.”

– Shepard Fairey, visiting artist The Insistent Image, 2014

Shepard Fairey works on Power & Glory mural at High Wire Distilling Co. 2014

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ARTS PROGRAMMING Conceived as a non-collecting contemporary art museum, the Halsey Institute must remain a vital cultural resource for the city of Charleston, the state of South Carolina and the region. The Halsey Institute hosts between five and seven exhibitions per year, highlighting adventurous contemporary art by national emerging and mid-career artists. All exhibitions are accompanied by extensive educational programming.

In addition, the Halsey Institute has maintained a strong international component over the years, bringing in artists from all over the world for residencies, lectures and exhibitions.

Our Endowment will ensure the Halsey Institute is positioned and committed to take the next steps towards national prominence in contemporary arts enrichment. It will also fortify the Halsey Institute’s leading role among contemporary art museums in the U.S. in scholarship and appreciation of the art of our time.

“The Halsey Institute’s accomplishments are the result of the energy, expertise and commitment of Mark Sloan and his small, dedicated staff.

Together with volunteers, they are producing programming that is on par with any college or university nationally.”

- Ford Bell, President, American Alliance of Museums

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HIGH-QUALITY DOCUMENTATION The Endowment will maintain our commitment to high-quality documentation of all exhibitions, many of which have traveled to museums and galleries around the country. It will support the production of our award-winning catalogues, videos, educational brochures and a comprehensive online feature for each show. All exhibitions from 2002 forward are archived on a comprehensive website, along with dozens of videos and other special features.

The Halsey Institute frequently commissions essays for the catalogues from writers, thinkers and historians that provide meaningful context for the exhibitions. The quality of our documentation has always set the Halsey apart from its peers, as recognized by national accrediting bodies.

Return to the Sea: Saltworks

by Motoi Yamamoto, 2012 salt

Becca Barnet Apiary , 2012 cardboard, monofilament, bees

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“LOOKING TO SEE” PROGRAM Since its inception in October 2010, thousands of people have explored the Halsey Institute’s exhibitions with “Looking to See” visitor engagement specialists. It is the flagship of the Halsey Institute’s education activities; providing free, guided tours of each exhibition for K-12 students. Volunteer engagement specialists are trained by the staff and exhibiting artists for each exhibition and facilitate discussions and activities appropriate to each age and interest.

The Endowment will administer travel subsidies to economically or geographically disadvantaged schools. An educational encounter beyond the classroom, connecting students’ life experiences, school subjects, and global conversations can positively impact life-long learning habits by fueling curiosity. Students involved in arts education perform better (grades, attendance, contribution) and have parents who are more engaged in the educational process. We also host a regular series of lectures, independent film screenings, performances, panels, symposia, and conferences that spark dialogue and inspire creativity.

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ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM At least once a year, the Halsey Institute hosts an artist-in-residence for weeks or months at a time. The purpose is to provide artists with a unique opportunity to produce new work, which will be exhibited at the Halsey. We seek to foster meaningful interactions between our artist-in-residence and the community through public events, lectures and workshops and to provide further insight into the life of an artist and his or her creative process. Past artists-in-residence include Long-Bin Chen, Tiebena Dagnogo, Eames Demetrios, Jumaadi, Htein Lin, Rikuo Ueda and Motoi Yamamoto, among others.

The Endowment will strengthen our platform for the exchange of different cultural traditions through an international artist-in-residence program. Our commitment to originality and innovation is indeed one of the hallmarks of the Halsey Institute’s reputation.

“My solo show at the Halsey Institute was one of the most significant of my career. The Halsey Institute team produced a beautiful book documenting 14 years of my salt projects all over the world, three videos and a traveling exhibit that took me around the U.S.” – Motoi Yamamoto, visiting artist from Japan, Return to the Sea: Saltworks, 2012

Lesley Dill Sister Gertrude Morgan, 2013 fabric, india ink, Tyvek

J O IN US. Now is the time to secure the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art’s reputation as a nationally recognized gateway for inspiration and discovery.

On the heels of celebrating 30 years marked by exhibitions that have garnered both popular and critical success and attendance steadily increasing year over year, the timing is right to shape the next era of the Halsey Institute. Though it feels as though we are turning an important corner from being a well-kept secret to a well-supported community resource, we know we cannot continue on our current trajectory without an endowment to support our exhibitions, documentation and programming.

The possibilities for the Halsey Institute’s future are boundless, and today I invite you to join us in shaping the future of the Halsey Institute with a gift to the endowment.

Your leadership, involvement and investment in our next 30 years is crucial to ensuring the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art continues to grow and thrive.

With boundless enthusiasm,

Mark Sloan, Director & Chief Curator

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