The New Patrons initiative enables groups of individuals to engage an artist or creative practitioner in the commissioning of a work of art. It is open to all, regardless of age, background, occupation, or location.
Commissioners take up a social issue or a concern that matters to them as the starting point for the commission. Their request may focus on enhancing a neighbourhood, or address environmental, social, artisanal, traditional, cultural, or professional matters.
From the setting up of the group to the unveiling of the artwork, commissioners are guided by experienced mediators throughout the process: writing the brief, choosing the artist, overseeing the preparatory study, finding funding and partners and overseeing the production of the piece.
The protocol written by artist François Hers in the 1990s defines the roles of each player: the citizen commissioners, the mediator-producers, the artists/creative practitioners, official bodies and partners.
Anyone can commission an artwork!
Thousands of people have been involved in creating nearly 500 commissions. Each commission is unique.
New Patrons come together as a group around a common theme. The group may already exist or come together during the project.
You don’t need to have any artistic knowledge.
What matters is simply recognising that an artistic form can address or highlight the issue or theme you wish to explore.
Commissioners New Patrons? define their objectives and expectations, and the artist provides a creative response that offers new perspectives.
A commission is usually divided into five stages:
1/ Setting up a group of commissioners. Meetings with the mediator, drafting of the project brief and definition of the artistic framework.
2/ Selection of the artist and artistic study: selection process, meetings with the patrons, drafting a study contract with the artist, and completion of the study.
3/ Preparation for production: technical studies, budgeting, obtaining permissions, securing funding and drafting contracts for the creation and maintenance of the work.
4/ Creation of the artwork: production, delivery and installation of the artwork, along with the development of promotional materials
5/ Inauguration and ongoing life of the artwork: officially unveiling the work and facilitating its activation and engagement within the community.
The time it takes for meetings between the commissioners to draft the project brief and then to discuss it with the artist. The artist then carries out their research to produce a preliminary study.
Depending on the nature of the project, certain permissions and regulatory checks may be required. Finally, time is allocated to securing funding and finding partners.
The patrons’ involvement can therefore extend over time, allowing ideas to mature and leading to more thoughtful decisions.
Commissions are rarely subject to fixed deadlines to allow the process to unfold at its own pace and under the best possible conditions.
Funding for the design and production of each artwork is organised on a case-by-case basis. A project may receive partial support from local authorities and/or require dedicated fundraising from private partners.
Each year, the Society of New Patrons offers funding to support the early stages of commissions submitted by approved mediators. This initial grant, subject to approval by the board of directors, helps cover part of the mediator’s fee and the cost of the artistic study.
From the outset of the commission, the patrons ensure the future and preservation of the artwork or artistic project through partnerships with public and private organisations.
A formal agreement for the transfer of ownership and maintenance may then be established.
The New Patrons initiative focuses on investing in artistic creation rather than heritage conservation. When a work becomes the property of a community, its value no longer lies in its market price but in how it is used and the symbolic significance it carries.
You can contact the mediators nearest to you. They are located throughout France and will be happy to discuss your project with you.
Map of the Mediator Network