WAFF Art Auction 2020!

Your winning bids will directly support the Women Artist Forward Fund's growing endowment at Madison Community Foundation, which in turn supports talented women artists in Wisconsin through two yearly unrestricted Forward Art Prize awards of $10,000 each. The first two Forward Art Prizes were awarded in 2019, and this year's recipients will be announced in mid-December.

Why does this matter? Because the visions we see of ourselves shape our future. Women artists have historically been undervalued, under-resourced, and under-supported. Your winning bids will help create a more inclusive future and ensure that the Women Artist Forward Fund continues its important work into perpetuity.

50% of your winning bid may go directly to contributing auction artists, while the other 50% (minus auction expenses) will provide direct support to the Women Artists Forward Fund endowment and annual expenses.

The Women Artists Forward Fund is an endowment held at Madison Community Foundation created for the sole purpose of recognizing, supporting, and encouraging talented women visual artists in Dane County, Wisconsin. The Fund was established in 2017 by artists Brenda Baker and Bird Ross and built upon the generosity of hundreds of supporters. It provides two annual, unrestricted Forward Art Prizes of $10,000 each to outstanding women artists through a competitive jury process.

The Prize seeks to strengthen recipients’ practice by providing financial resources, recognition, and community support to leverage their creative capital. ​The Women Artists Forward Fund ranks among the top three funds for women artists in the nation in terms of dollars awarded annually. The Fund and Prize open up important new opportunities for women artists, helps rectify current and historical inequities, and contributes positively to a thriving, inclusive arts community.