named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
CALL/VoCA Talk series
Collaborative series with the Joan Mitchell Foundation documenting the life’s work of established artists
Native Voices series
Initiative that illuminates the art-making practices and materials of Native American artists and advances best practices for the long-term preservation of their work
VoCA Talks
Public program series featuring artists, conservators, and curators in conversation about the challenges and rewards of making, showing, and preserving contemporary art
activities · 10 groups
What they do
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Arts Education Professional Development 3 activities
- Offers Artist Interview Workshops for art professionalsProvides free, multi-day workshops in English and Spanish—both in-person and virtual—that train artists and arts professionals in methodologies for conducting artist interviews, featuring lectures, case studies, and group exercises; has served over 850 professionals from 300+ institutions worldwide since 2012.
- Offers Spanish-language workshop: Las Entrevistas y tu Legado ArtísticoDelivers professional development workshops in Spanish titled "Las Entrevistas y tu Legado Artístico" to help artists use interviews as tools for shaping their artistic legacy, offered in collaboration with partner organizations in both in-person and virtual formats.
- Offers Time-Based Media Stewardship WorkshopsProvides training for artists and arts professionals on collecting, presenting, and preserving time-based media art through customized, free, three-day in-person or virtual workshops with limited capacity; upcoming sessions include a workshop at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in December 2026.
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Artist Legacy Preservation and Documentation 1 activity
- Builds professional networks in contemporary art preservationFosters a collaborative network of artists, conservators, curators, collectors, educators, and students to advance documentation and preservation practices in contemporary art.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Distributes newsletters and program updatesSends monthly communications to subscribers featuring updates on programs, events, collaborative projects, publications, and contemporary art news.
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Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Generates critical dialogue and interdisciplinary programming on contemporary artProduces and facilitates interdisciplinary programs and public discourse focused on the creation, presentation, and preservation of contemporary art through talks, workshops, and collaborative events with national and global institutions.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Hosts VoCA Talks public programsOrganizes public discussion series called VoCA Talks that bring together artists and their collaborators to explore themes related to making, exhibiting, and preserving contemporary art; past events include conversations with artists Nora and Eliza Naranjo Morse.
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Professional Field Knowledge Development 1 activity
- Operates as a mobile organization with distributed programmingFunctions as a non-brick-and-mortar organization running knowledge-development initiatives—including VoCA Workshops, Talks, Research, and Journal—in partnership with institutions across the U.S. and globally.
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Art Appreciation and Public Engagement 1 activity
- Organizes supporter SalonsHosts intimate gatherings that convene donors, colleagues, collaborators, and artists to provide insight into contemporary art and strengthen community engagement.
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Produces VoCA Journal and digital publicationspublishes VoCA Journal, an online forum that documents and disseminates artist-centered, cross-disciplinary conversations on contemporary art stewardship, alongside blog posts and research collaborations with academic programs.
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Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
- Provides hands-on training for conservation graduate studentsOffers training opportunities for conservation graduate students through collaborative projects with artist-endowed foundations, including technical examinations and material studies of artworks by artists such as Robert Rauschenberg.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Conducts research on contemporary art preservationUndertakes technical and material research on contemporary artworks, including tensile testing of textiles, light sensitivity studies of inks, and the creation of physical and digital fabric libraries to inform conservation and display practices for works by artists like Robert Rauschenberg.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$787K
Contributions & grants$713K91%
Program service revenue$60K8%
Investment income$14K2%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$611K
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$277K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$730K
Cash$488K
Investments$0
Liabilities$9K
Net assets$720K
Liquid reserves9.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +17.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAUREN SHADFORD | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $163K |
board members · 13
- ALISON GILCHREST — TREASURER
- ANDREA HANLEY — BOARD MEMBER
- CHAD ALLIGOOD — PRESIDENT
- DAISY NAM — BOARD MEMBER
- GLORIA SUTTON — BOARD MEMBER
- KATE LEWIS — VICE PRESIDENT
- KELLY MCHUGH — BOARD MEMBER
- LEONARDO DREW — BOARD MEMBER
- NARAYAN KHANDEKAR — BOARD MEMBER
- RICHARD CANDIDA SMITH — BOARD MEMBER
- ROSANNA FLOUTY — BOARD MEMBER
- STEVEN O'BANION — BOARD MEMBER
- YASMEEN SIDDIQUI — SECRETARY
relationships · 58
Who they work with
- Andrea R. Hanley Government — Andrea R. Hanley (Navajo Nation), a board member of VoCA, represents the organization in public communications.
- Blanton Museum Partner — Co-presented the exhibition “In Creative Harmony: Three Artistic Partnerships” with artists Nora and Eliza Naranjo Morse.
- Boston Center for the Arts Partner — Hosted a virtual VoCA Talk program in partnership with VoCA featuring artist Dell Marie Hamilton, curator Sam Toabe, and conservator Jennifer Hickey in 2021.
- Bright Funds Funder — Supports VoCA through financial contributions as part of the Inner Circle.
- Buffalo AKG Art Museum Partner — Hosted the inaugural program of VoCA’s Native Voices series featuring artist G. Peter Jemison and Andrea R. Hanley in 2023.
- Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Funder — Provides support enabling VoCA to offer artist interview workshops in Spanish.
- Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Funder — Supports VoCA through financial contributions as part of the Inner Circle.
- Denver Art Museum Partner — Hosted the first Time-Based Media Stewardship Workshop in September 2023.
- Fundación Cortés Partner — Hosted the VoCA Artist Interview Workshop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in February 2024.
- Gloria Sutton Partner — Collaborates with Associate Professor of Contemporary Art History Gloria Sutton on academic programming related to digital cultural production.
- Henry Art Gallery Partner — Collaborates on programming and resources featuring contemporary artists.
- ICA/Boston Partner — Partner organization in the Time-Based Media Stewardship Workshop program.
- Institute of Museum and Library Services Funder — Supports VoCA through financial contributions as part of the Inner Circle.
- Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning Partner — Co-hosted a VoCA Talk recording with artist Emmett Wigglesworth in Queens, NY, in 2016.
- Joan Mitchell Foundation Funder — Supports VoCA through financial contributions as part of the Inner Circle.
- Joan Mitchell Foundation Partner — Collaborates on the CALL/VoCA Talk series, hosting events at the Foundation’s site in NYC.
- Joan Mitchell Foundation Partner — Collaborates with VoCA to host the "Las Entrevistas y tu Legado Artístico" workshop.
- Lauren Shadford Partner — Executive Director of VoCA, point of contact for sponsorship, workshop hosting, and salon hosting initiatives.
- Lynn Hershman Leeson Partner — Artist whose work is featured on custom VoCA postcards for donors.
- Margaret Graham Partner — Program Director of VoCA, point of contact for volunteer engagement.
- Marie Watt Partner — Artist and board member who created a limited edition sculpture for donor benefits.
- Mellon Foundation Funder — Supports VoCA through financial contributions as part of the Inner Circle.
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico Partner — Hosts VoCA's Time-Based Media Stewardship Workshop in December 2026.
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Provides award support for VoCA’s Time-Based Media Stewardship Workshops.
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Provides partial support for the Artist Interview Workshops through an award.
- National Museum of the American Indian Partner — Hosts the ongoing outdoor sculpture project Always Becoming by artists Nora and Eliza Naranjo Morse.
- National Museum of the American Indian Partner — Partner organization in the Time-Based Media Stewardship Workshop program.
- Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Funder — Supports VoCA through financial contributions as part of the Inner Circle.
- Native Arts and Culture Foundation Partner — Collaborates with VoCA to host the "Las Entrevistas y tu Legado Artístico" workshop.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council Government — Supports VoCA through public funding as part of the Inner Circle.
+ 28 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Centered Stewardshipmethodology: artist-centered_conservationBy centering artist intent in conservation and dialogue, VOICES IN CONTEMPORARY ART ensures that preservation practices authentically reflect the meaning, context, and legacy of contemporary artworks, because this alignment increases the cultural accuracy and ethical integrity of stewardship.
- Generative Dialogue as Methodmethodology: generative_dialogueBy using interviews and dialogic formats not as extractive tools but as collaborative, reflective processes, the organization enables artists and participants to co-create narratives about artistic practice, because this generative engagement deepens understanding and produces richer archival and educational outcomes.
- Interdisciplinary & Intergenerational Trainingmethodology: intergenerational-collaborative-trainingBy integrating conservation graduate students with professionals from artist-endowed foundations in hands-on, collaborative work, the organization builds shared knowledge across generations and disciplines, because this cross-pollination strengthens both practical skills and long-term network resilience in contemporary art stewardship.
- Network-Based Access Expansionmethodology: mobile_programming_networkBy delivering programming through mobile partnerships and prioritizing regional cohort participation, the organization expands access to critical discourse on contemporary art, because localized, network-integrated models strengthen community ownership and enable long-term engagement beyond single events.
- Participant-Centered Program Designmethodology: participant-centered_curriculum_designBy tailoring curriculum and co-developing workshop agendas with participant groups based on their experiences and concerns, the organization increases relevance and engagement, because programs that reflect real-world professional contexts produce more effective learning and sustained network integration.