OUR MISSION

Drawing on the legacies of Anna Mahler and Sol LeWitt, as well as the unique cultural heritage of Spoleto and the region, the Mahler & LeWitt Studios provides research and development opportunities for curators, writers and artists of all disciplines, particularly those who may benefit from phases of experimentation and creative dia- logue with peers. We provide artists with sustained support through our Projects and Publications programs, with the intention of bringing new work, developed during our residencies, to international audiences.

WHAT WE NEED

TARGET $500,000

Our annual operating budget is $250,000. With a modest budget and a substantial program, we are proud of the impact we make with each dollar. The Mahler and LeWitt families cover half of these costs and we need to secure ‘match’ funding. With the current appeal we are aiming to secure the required match funding for three years, including an appropriate contingency.

WHY NOW?

Our program is now internationally recognised and our way of working with artists sets an example in the field. However, in a goals led culture, it is increasingly difficult to carve out the kind of experimental and developmental spaces we specialise in providing. We are dedicated to continuing this work: our aim is to sustain and grow our program of residencies, symposia and special projects, working with up to forty artists, curators, writers and students each year. Having reached the end of our first three year funding cycle – a schedule which has allowed us to plan and program more effectively – we are now looking to secure funds for the next three years. We have exciting new partnerships and programming on the horizon which urgently need your support.

TEN YEARS: 2015–2024

247 Artists • 191 Residencies • 28 Exhibitions • 23 Publications 18 Performances • 7 Workshops and Symposia • Dozens of Events and Open Studios

As well as hosting nearly two hundred residents, we have initiated or participated in many special projects. We have staged exhibitions and co-produced artworks (some acquired by museum collections and included in prestigious festivals and exhibitions). We have developed partnerships with leading international institutions, commissioned writing which has been published in academic journals, organised symposia and workshops, and co-produced a variety of books with respected publish- ers (for example The MIT Press, Fitzcarraldo Editions, Loose Joints). These projects have regularly reached audiences across Europe and in the US.

Most importantly, although less quantifiable, our residencies have been creating and supporting a community which enables and supports artistic exchange and discourse – across disciplines, generations and borders. We are invested in creating experiences which have a positive and lasting influence on an individuals creative engagement with the world. We believe that artists are essential: to our understanding of human experience – its beauties and hardships – and in helping to assess and challenge the values held by our societies.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS SINCE OUR LAST APPEAL

SCHOOLS PROGRAM
We have introduced a schools program in collaboration with the Liceo Artistico di Spoleto, designing curriculum for groups of fifteen to seventeen year olds based around our program at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios and the legacies of Anna Mahler and Sol LeWitt. We have also been hosting university students from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Perugia; they attend studio visits with our residents, as well as joining special tours and events.

WINTER SESSION
A fourth ‘winter’ residency session has been added to the spring, summer and autumn sessions. This shorter two week session is run as a workshop and focusses on professional development and peer-to-peer exchange opportunities for recent graduates from arts and humanities degrees. With two new live-work studios, we have been able to expand capacity across all the sessions.

PARTNERSHIPS
Developing partnerships in Italy and internationally has been essential to the growth of the program and its impact. A key relationship in Spoleto is with the Festival dei Due Mondi: we are now offered venues and production support for selected Mahler & LeWitt Studios projects. New partnerships have been formed with, among others, the American Academy in Rome, Yale School of Art, and the Ivan Juritz Prize at King’s College London. We also continue to work very closely with Carla Fendi Foundation.

2025–7: WHAT WILL WE DELIVER?

RESIDENCIES
Each year we will organise up to four research and development residency sessions ranging from two to six weeks in length. Each of these sessions will host up to eight full-term, fully funded residents. We will continue to work with Associate Curators, international partners and leading arts institutions to ensure a dynamic and diverse program.

WORKSHOPS
Each year we will organise weeklong workshops involving up to twenty short-term residents. Taking advantage of Spoleto as an inspiring international meeting point, we bring together experts from different disciplines and generations to share knowledge on pressing contempo- rary topics and to learn new skills.

SCHOOLS PROGRAM
We will continue to develop our Schools Program for both high school and university students. For example, in partnership with the Liceo Artistico di Spoleto we will be developing a new curriculum inspired by the work of Sol LeWitt in Umbria.

SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONS
We will continue to offer sustained support to residents by producing special events, exhibitions and publications relating to work begun on our research and development residencies.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL DEI DUE MONDI
Our summer session will take full advantage of the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi. We will program events, exhibitions and performances with current and former residents.

OPEN STUDIOS
Our Open Studios events will continue to conclude each residency session and we will provide special access and events for local art schools and arts groups. A program of events will offer students and the public insights into the work of our residents as well as the practices and legacies of Anna Mahler and Sol LeWit.

FORTHCOMING PROGRAM

We are pleased to share provisional details with you on several forthcoming projects…

INTERNATIONAL MAHLER RESIDENCIES
Bringing together leading musicians from Europe to China for a unique set of cultural encounters fostering creative excellence, openness, professional collaboration and friendship.

CENTRE FOR THE LESS GOOD IDEA
The Mahler & LeWitt Studios will host William Kentridge and Bronwyn Lace’s ‘The Centre for the Less Good Idea’ for a workshop residency.

SOL LEWITT SCHOOLS PROJECT
Building on the success of our Anna Mahler Schools Project in partnership with the Liceo Artistico di Spoleto, we will design a year-long syllabus for high-school students inspired by the work of Sol LeWitt.

SHOCK FOREST GROUP
A research and development residency with Shock Forest Group (SFG), a decentralized collective consisting of artists, activists, ecologists, musicians and researchers.

OPEN CALLS
Whilst also developing new Open Call partnerships, we will continue a number of our established opportunities.

For more information on forthcoming program, click here>>

HOW TO DONATE

The Mahler & LeWitt Studios is a charity registered in Italy (Associazione Socio Culturale) with 501(c)3 fiscal status via the Mahler Foundation for tax effective giving in the US. We have three donor bands: Director’s Circle, Patrons and Friends. Pledges of any amount promised to support a three year period help us to plan the program more effectively. Supporters are offered a number of benefits, see below.

Director’s Circle    
50,000 USD+ (45,500€+)

Patrons    
10,000 USD+ (9,000€+)

Friends    
350 USD+ (325€+)

Donations via Mahler Foundation 501(c)3

BENEFITS

In recognition of your support we offer a number of benefits:

Friends

Receive a specially commissioned artist edition and copies of our publications. Exclusive invitations to our events in Spoleto, London or New York. An acknowledgement on our website and in our printed material.

Patrons

Patrons receive all of the benefits of a Friend and are offered opportunities for bespoke events such as studio visits with artists. We will regularly update you on program developments.

Director’s Circle

Supporters donating at this band can participate in a regular dialogue with the Directors, enabling a close relationship with all the activities of the studios.