ARC Honored as Andy Warhol Foundation 2025 Grantee and Freedom of Expression Award Recipient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10 July 2025

(NEW YORK) – ARC – Artists at Risk Connection is honored to have received The Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression Award from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, accompanied by a $150,000 grant, in support of its mission to defend artistic freedom and protect the rights of artists and cultural workers facing persecution around the world.

“At a time when the artistic freedom and human rights sectors face unprecedented challenges, the importance of this support cannot be overstated,” said ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault. “Receiving the Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression Award is a meaningful recognition of ARC’s work to protect artists on the front lines of creative expression. As authoritarianism, protracted conflict, and repression continue to endanger artists and cultural workers, this funding will enable ARC to continue expanding its reach and impact, ensuring that those who dare to speak out do not stand alone.”

“We are proud to support Artists at Risk Connection for its essential role in protecting artists,” says Rachel Bers, Program Director, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, “The organization’s commitment to helping artists navigate threats of censorship, online harassment, and politically-motivated retaliation for speaking out through their work remains critically important, more so now than ever.”

This latest grant marks a continuation of a steadfast and impactful partnership that began in 2018, when the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts became one of ARC’s earliest and most consistent funders. Over the past seven years, the Foundation’s unwavering support has played a pivotal role in enabling ARC to build a safety net for at-risk artists, while advancing advocacy efforts that place artistic freedom at the center of human rights discourse.

The generous support of the Andy Warhol Foundation affirms the central role that artistic freedom should take within broader human rights and cultural policy frameworks. As global pressures on artists and cultural workers continue to increase, this grant strengthens ARC’s ability to advocate for and protect those who are most at risk.

About The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

Following Andy Warhol’s will, the mission of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
is the advancement of the visual arts. The foundation manages an innovative and dynamic
grants program while also preserving Warhol’s legacy through creative and responsible
licensing policies and extensive scholarly research for ongoing catalogue raisonné projects.
To date, the foundation has given over $310 million in cash grants to over 1,000 arts
organizations around the country and abroad and has donated 52,786 works of art to 322
institutions worldwide.

About ARC

ARC – Artists at Risk Connection is an international organization committed to promoting and advancing the right to artistic freedom worldwide. Founded in 2017, ARC works to protect artists and cultural workers who are at risk because of their creative expression, often connected to their identities or roles within their communities. By providing vital resources and support, ARC helps artists at risk overcome challenges like persecution, censorship, threats, and violence from both state and non-state actors—whether for their artistic expression or the broader impact they have on cultural, social, and political issues.

For press inquiries, please contact:

Julie Trébault
Executive Director
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)
+1 646.860.5446