Rhizome Receives $750,000 Grant from The Mellon Foundation

Earlier this month, we marked the 25th anniversary of our landmark digital art archive, the ArtBase. Today, we have another significant milestone to share: a $750,000, three-year grant from the Mellon Foundation in support of the archive.

This three-year grant will support the accessioning, preservation, and public presentation of born-digital art, through a redesign as well as curation and content development. This funding supplements crucial support for our archival programs from the Teiger Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Generative Art Fund.

The Mellon grant represents a significant opportunity for Rhizome to transform and redesign the ArtBase, making it more accessible and more inclusive, foregrounding underrepresented histories, and furthering the cause of digital art. Thank you, Mellon Foundation!

Lindsay Howard Named Board Chair; New Members Join the Board

In no less momentous news, Lindsay Howard has been elected as the new Chair of Rhizome’s Board of Directors, succeeding Greg Pass, who was an exemplary steward of the organization for over a decade. Lindsay’s expertise as a curator, writer, and advocate for digital artists makes her ideal to lead Rhizome into our next chapter. Her deep ties to the digital art community and years of leadership at Rhizome—she has served on the Board since 2021—make her appointment an inspiring moment for our organization.

We also welcome two new Board members:

Dorothy Chou is Director of Policy & Public Engagement at DeepMind (Google) & an angel investor. Having spent her career building social justice, ethics, & accountability structures at technology companies, she launched the first Transparency Report—an industry standard that more than 80 technology companies use to show how laws and corporate policies affect free expression and privacy online. Prior to DeepMind, Dorothy was responsible for policy development at Uber on consumer protection, safety, and self-driving cars. She also led corporate communications at Dropbox and worked in communications and public policy for seven years at Google. She is working toward a Master’s in Bioethics at the University of Oxford, serves on the development board of the Young Vic, and is a Venture Partner at Ada Ventures, a leading inclusive VC firm investing in companies across climate equity, economic empowerment, and healthy aging.

Gabriel Whaley is the founder and CEO of MSCHF, the American art collective recognized for its provocative and boundary-pushing work at the intersection of art, technology, and consumer culture. Since 2019, MSCHF has captivated global audiences with viral projects that challenge conventional ideas of art and commerce, cementing its place in both popular culture and the contemporary art world. Gabriel’s team gained widespread attention at Art Basel 2022 with the ATM Leaderboard, an interactive installation that publicly displayed users’ bank balances in real-time, sparking conversations around wealth, privacy, and social dynamics. In early 2023, MSCHF went viral yet again with the Big Red Boot—a surrealist footwear piece that became an internet sensation and a high-demand product. Under Gabriel’s leadership, MSCHF has expanded from these pop-culture moments to serious recognition in the world of fashion, technology, business, as well as the art world, with pieces now held in prominent museums and galleries around the world. In 2023, MSCHF was named to Fast Company's list of World's 50 Most Innovative Companies.

Setting the Stage for Rhizome's Future

With this generous support from the Mellon Foundation and new Board leadership, Rhizome is positioned for a year of growth and impact. In order to do this, we need our community’s support. 

We are launching a new membership program to raise $53,775 for our annual server costs—essential to keep our archive accessible. Membership starts at $25 per year (or pay what you can), and comes free with our limited edition internet hat!

Your support ensures we can continue to innovate in preserving and presenting digital art. Join us as we celebrate these milestones and look ahead to the next 25 years of the ArtBase.