Leslie Ramos

For the 25th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Leslie Ramos, author of “Philanthropy in the Arts: A Game of Give and Take,” published by Lund Humphries in October 2023.

This book is a guidepost for cultural institutions, philanthropists, artists, galleries, and even financial advisors and public policy advisors on the importance of supporting the arts and doing it strategically. During the pandemic, art museums and institutions faced a crisis of funding. But even recently as we've moved toward recovery, political and social critiques, and cuts in government funding in the U.S. and internationally, have put many museums — even the largest like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of Art — in really challenging positions.

Leslie Ramos is a philanthropy and strategy advisor specializing in the arts and cultural sectors. She's the co-founder of the strategic consulting agency The Twentieth that provides independent expertise around giving, fundraising, collecting, and engaging with the arts ecosystem. Alongside her professional work, Ramos supports and holds voluntary positions in multiple arts nonprofits, and contributes to various international art media outlets, universities, commenting and lecturing on philanthropy and museum studies.

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications.

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

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Purchase "“Philanthropy in the Arts: A Game of Give and Take” at Lund Humphries.

Music composed by Bob Golden