Impact
Art brings people together. When artists, partners and communities work side by side, they can raise the funds and build the connections that make a lasting difference. ART AID was founded on that belief in 2021. We work directly with creatives to build community and raise funds for the causes that matter, and a portion of every project's profit goes to charitable and not-for-profit organisations in Australia and overseas.
Since 2021, our projects, exhibitions and events have supported organisations working in education, health, youth, mental health, women’s safety, clean water, conservation and refugee support, in Australia and around the world, from Denpasar to Lake Victoria.
We give in three ways: by raising funds with artists and communities through exhibitions, art sales and events, by building programs with partners for communities in need, and by directing a share of the profit from every project to charity.
In numbers
What we have delivered, and what that work has given back.
- $6.47Min artist and creative fees, directed back to the arts community and small business
- $259,400in funding secured for charitable and not-for-profit organisations
- 190artists engaged for projects and group shows
A creative residency at the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice
The Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice in Manly is Australia's first dedicated facility caring for young adults aged 16 to 30 with life-limiting illness, and ART AID has worked alongside it since it opened its doors. In 2026, we developed a four-week creative residency that brought patients and carers together to paint, create and spend time in each other's company. With sponsorship secured from Dexus, the residency was delivered at no cost to the hospice or the families taking part. The work they made is now installed across the North Shore Health Hub, and a new program with Dexus and the hospice follows in April 2027.
Having organised hundreds of patient experiences at AYAH, many for individuals at the end of their lives, I consider this residency one of the most impactful projects I have been part of.
Laura Grant, Community Partnerships Manager, Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice
Building schools with Bali Life Foundation
Our connection with Bali Life Foundation began in 2013, when ART AID founder Christopher Skyner volunteered on the build of their orphanage in Ungasan. In 2023, together with artists, partners and the wider ART AID community, we raised $60,000 through exhibitions, art sales, events and fundraising programs to build the Bali Life Street Kids Centre in Denpasar, a school and women's workshop for 100 vulnerable children and their mothers. Together, we are now planning a second school, a kindergarten for a community where the need is greatest, in 2027 to 2028.
Giving in practice
A limited-edition print
In August 2021, we released a limited-edition print by Archibald Prize finalist Luke Cornish in support of Mahboba's Promise, a Sydney-based organisation supporting women and children in Afghanistan. Every dollar of profit went to the cause, and the release raised more than $22,000, paid directly to the organisation.
The ART AID Gallery, with Glenfiddich
In May 2024, the ART AID Gallery hosted an activation with Glenfiddich and Jordan Gogos. Throughout its run, the gallery opened its doors to the community each evening with a program of events. The activation raised $11,000, shared equally between batyr and Bali Life Foundation.
Clean water
Two live music events in Sydney, presented in collaboration with Bodega Studios, funded an irrigation system that now brings water to a community near Lake Victoria in Kenya, delivered through NoTaps Foundation.
The art vending machine
Created in collaboration with Sydney Fringe Festival, our art vending machine sold original works by artists in our network. With Lendlease as sponsor paying every artist in full, the proceeds from every sale went to charity, raising $5,500 for the Women's and Girls' Emergency Centre.
Art sales
Exhibitions and art sales sit at the centre of how we give. Works by artists including David Bromley and George Rose, our fine art print collection and our digital art releases have all raised funds for charity. Depending on the project, we donate a third of each sale or the full sale price, the latter where our clients have covered the artists' fees in full.
Live events
Across more than 40 live music events, every door donation has gone to charity, with a different cause at each event. Our line-ups are built to stand apart, bringing musicians and DJs together with visual artists, performers, fire dancers, spoken word and stand-up comedy.
Opportunity through the work
Every commission is a chance to open a door. We have handed First Nations artists the lead on major projects, paid at premium rates, and built programs around their work that reach young people and local makers. We curated and produced the Pride Art Trail when Sydney WorldPride came to Australia, and we continue to champion LGBTQIA+ artists through Mardi Gras and beyond. Equity of opportunity is built into how we commission: who is invited, how artists are paid and whose stories are told.
Looking ahead
The ART AID foundation. In 2027, ART AID will establish a charitable foundation to grow this work, with its own programs, partners and governance.
Organisations we have supported
- Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice
- All Together Now
- Asylum Seeker Centre
- Bali Life Foundation
- Barefoot College
- batyr
- Be Happy Music Club, supporting the Fiji School for the Blind
- Doctors Without Borders
- Dream Machine Foundation
- HalfCut
- Indigenous Literacy Foundation
- Mahboba's Promise
- Minus18
- NoTaps Foundation
- Save the Children Australia
- Tour De Cure
- Women's and Girls' Emergency Centre
Frequently asked questions
How does ART AID give back?
We work directly with artists and creatives to raise funds and build community, through exhibitions, art sales, live music and partner programs. A portion of every project's profit also goes to charitable and not-for-profit organisations, and we direct artist fees back into the arts community.
Can our project support a charity or cause?
Yes. Giving can be built into a commission, activation or event, through art sales, a share of proceeds or a partner program. We can recommend organisations that suit the project and the community around it.
Is ART AID a registered charity?
ART AID is a consultancy, not a charity. In 2027, ART AID will establish a separate charitable foundation to grow this work. Until it is registered, we do not seek public donations, and contributions to ART AID are not tax deductible.
