At TEFAF New York, Artnet News editor Andrew Russeth moderated a panel titled “Who Supports Art Now? Patronage in a Shifting Cultural Landscape” featuring two prominent figures in American arts philanthropy: Sarah Arison and Michi Jigarjian. Arison, who became the youngest president of the Museum of Modern Art’s board in 2024 at age 39, also leads the Arison Arts Foundation and chairs YoungArts. Jigarjian, CEO of Work of Art Holdings and a partner at 7G Group, has led Baxter St at CCNY for 15 years and serves on the boards of the Brooklyn Museum and MoMA PS1. The discussion took place during fair week in mid-May at the Park Avenue Armory.
The panel matters because it addresses how arts patronage is evolving amid a period of institutional uncertainty and potential. Arison and Jigarjian represent a new generation of philanthropists who are reshaping support for artists and cultural institutions, with Arison’s record-breaking MoMA presidency signaling a shift toward younger leadership. Their conversation at a major art fair like TEFAF New York highlights the growing importance of private patronage in sustaining the arts, especially as public funding faces challenges and the cultural landscape becomes more complex.