The new Art Patronage panel

By Eddie Kämpgen 

With a great enthusiasm, Fisher Derderian, Director of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, opened the online panel, “The New Art Patronage,” with a question—how can artists create meaningful work when institutions often sideline beauty and craft? —the event was a beacon for artists and art lovers alike. Moderated by Dr. Lola Salem, an Oxford-based arts critic, the panel featured three dynamic voices: actor Clifton Duncan, composer Samuel Andreyev, and sculptor Fen Villiers. Their 76-minute discussion, streamed via Zoom, sparked hope, critique, and a bold vision for art’s future, leaving the audience inspired and reflective. 

From the start, the panellists dove into the heart of patronage’s evolution. Clifton Duncan, with his Broadway-honed charisma, celebrated crowdfunding’s power to democratize support. He shared how small donations—$5 or $10 from retirees or fans—carry emotional weight, fuelling his one-man play about economist Thomas Sowell. This resonated deeply with the audience, many of whom were artists themselves, scribbling notes or typing in the Zoom chat, inspired by the idea that everyday people could sustain art. Samuel Andreyev, a Strasbourg-based composer, offered a sharp critique of state funding, warning that it often creates artificial cultures. He cited Canadian books, published to meet grant quotas, only to languish in warehouses—a point that probably drew nods from viewers frustrated with bureaucratic arts systems. 

Andreyev also brought a practical vision, emphasizing the need for physical community. “There was this idea that now that the internet is in everybody’s pocket, it’s going to replace this kind of community-based arts culture, and I think that that’s not going to happen,” he said. “I think the two can complement each other, but we still need both very badly. We need to have regional centers, we need artists to get together physically, geographically, in the same location, and have amazing conversations about aesthetics and the future possibilities of their art forms.” This call for real-world connection struck a chord in the audience. 

Fen Villiers, a sculptor rooted in modernist traditions, tackled institutional challenges head-on. “A lot of the people running these institutions now are political entryists,” he declared. “They’re not there for the art, they’re not there for the heritage or the actual good of the foundation, you must understand that. Political entryism has really taken a hold, these institutions are captured. You might be lucky and find someone who could let you in the back door and somehow be able to show your stuff, and that would be actually quite interesting.” His words, fiery yet pragmatic, urged young artists to seek alternative paths. 

Clifton Duncan closed with optimism, urging new artists to blend tradition with innovation. “We can look back to look forward sometimes and build on what the masters’ have left us and create new work based on what moves our current generation and society,” he said. “In terms of what I would say to a young artist today, one would be to embrace the freedom. I’m very excited about what Gen Z and Gen Alpha and beyond will create using the technology they’ve grown up in.”  

This panel was a masterclass in balancing critique with possibility. It challenged artists to forge new paths—through crowdfunding, local collectives, or sheer entrepreneurial grit. 

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