Modern Patrons was a project carried out by the Artists’ Association of Finland in 2025–2026, bringing together visual arts organisations and companies through partnership pilots. The project strengthened the capacity of visual arts communities in corporate collaboration and fundraising, while building new connections between the arts and the business sector.
The partnership pilots involved Kunsthalle Helsinki, Forum Box artist cooperative and gallery in Helsinki, RaumArs Art House in Rauma, and the Tampere Artists’ Association, which manages both Mältinranta Art Center and the Tampere Art Lending Service. The companies participating in the partnership pilots were YIT, Outshine, Telinekataja, and Teollisuuden Voima (TVO).
A publication and article collection presenting the project’s results is now available. Read the publication here (PDF).
Publication: Modern Patrons – Opportunities for Corporate Partnerships with Visual Arts Communities
What kinds of corporate collaborations are visual arts organisations currently building, and what benefits can they offer to businesses? And what might the future of collaboration between companies and the cultural sector look like?
The two-year Modern Patrons project (2025–2026), led by the Artists’ Association of Finland, developed and piloted new models of corporate collaboration for visual arts organisations.
The project’s final publication, Modern Patrons - Opportunities for Corporate Partnerships with Visual Arts Communities, brings together the key experiences, lessons learned, and results from the partnership pilots. It also provides practical tools for developing sponsorship and fundraising activities within visual arts communities.
The publication includes expert perspectives on cultural responsibility, collaboration between businesses and the arts, and the evolving role of culture in society.
It is intended for visual arts organisations, companies, cultural-sector development professionals, and anyone interested in new forms of collaboration between the arts and business.
Read the publication here (PDF).
The project was funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Contact us
Noora Pitkälä
Producer (Modern Patrons)
noora.pitkala@artists.fi
050 3222 118