The imaginary worshipped one: the image of the ideal patron for a museum and other institutions

Who would today’s museums and cultural institutions like to see as their patron? A generous investor, ready to invest without conditions? An enlightened visionary, shaping the cultural agenda? Or, on the contrary, a sensitive patron, allowing professionals to act independently?

The figure of a patron has always balanced between personal ambitions and public interests. History knows examples of collectors and philanthropists who changed the fate of art, and with it the cultural landscapes of entire countries. Today, in the context of new economic and social challenges, the question of what an ideal patron should be is becoming especially acute.

As part of the discussion, participants will try to create a collective portrait of the ideal patron of art: they will analyze historical cases, discuss modern practices of supporting culture, and model new forms of cooperation between patrons and institutions.

The discussion is initiated by the New Collectors Foundation

Moderator: Lika Chechik, PhD in Art History, Director and Organizer of the School of Arts and Cultural Heritage of the European University at St. Petersburg

Participants:

Ekaterina Lapshina, collector, investor, patron of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, co-founder of the New Collectors Foundation

Tatiana Medennikova, Head of the Patrons and Patrons Program at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts