Merce Cunningham Trust Bestows Major Gifts to Art Organizations

The Merce Cunningham Trust, which was founded to preserve the artistic legacy of choreographer Merce Cunningham, has announced it will bestow major gifts to two art organizations, reports Art Forum.

One gift of $375,000 will be given to the Foundation for Contemporary Arts to establish a Merce Cunningham award. The FCA, which was founded by John Cage and Jasper Johns, aims to support, sponsor, and promote innovative work in the arts by individuals, groups, or organizations. The Merce Cunningham award at the FCA will be biannual, and its purpose is to give recognition of outstanding achievement that reflects the spirit and creativity of Cunningham.

The other gift of $250,000 is to be given to the Baryshnikov Art Center, founded in 2005 by Mikhal Baryshnikov, to support the establishment of the John Cage and Merce Cunningham Studio, as well as the founding of a Cage Cunningham Fellowship. The BAC will use the trust’s gift towards its newly minted Cage Cunningham Fund and beginning in 2015, the fund will award a $50,000 Cage Cunningham Fellowship annually.