GIVING BACK IS DEAD addresses the need to engage the next generation differently than the previous generation. Stover believes that arts institutions and initiatives will lose their funding if arts leaders do not recognize what motivates the next generation. The previous generation has structured arts funding based on participation in an elite and exclusionary social club related to the donor’s wealth. Media focus on the art market and its atmospheric sales prices reinforce that the art world and its initiatives are out of touch with society’s injustices.
GIVING BACK IS DEAD offers a series of inspiring paths to engage NextGen’s to assure the arts continue to be funded and are relevant to our lives.
In this episode of Giving Back Is Dead, recorded at Palais de Tokyo as part of its Regeneration initiative, host Scott Stover sits down with Alexandra Pimor, Director of Nature Governance at Earth Law Center. Together, they explore the emerging movement for rights of nature and “nature-conscious governance”: building legal and corporate systems that recognize humans as part of nature, not separate from it.
Pimor traces her path from law and European governance to creating frameworks where “Nature on the Board” can actually shape corporate decisions, and shares concrete examples—from UK eco-beauty company Faith in Nature to Purpose Disruptors in the advertising world—where nature’s interests are written into governance and practice.
The conversation moves from philosophy to practice: how shifting from pessimism to responsibility, from extraction to relationship, can transform philanthropy, cultural institutions, and the way we fund the arts and the planet’s future.
Watch, subscribe, and join us in reimagining what it means to “give back” when giving to nature is no longer optional—but foundational.
22 Jan 2026
Season 4 Episode 1 with Christopher Coritsidis
In this episode of Giving Back Is Dead, recorded during Art Basel Paris week and hosted at Palais de Tokyo, we sit down with Christopher Coritsidis, founder and CEO of Opus One Foundation, to explore how the arts can function as a true engine for social impact. From his beginnings as a classically trained violinist to his pivot into entrepreneurship and philanthropy, Coritsidis brings a rare, lived perspective to the conversation—one shaped by firsthand experience in both the creative and venture worlds. What emerges is a clear thesis: the arts are not just culturally valuable, but economically and socially catalytic when paired with intention, measurement, and long-term vision.
Rather than relying on traditional donation-based models, Opus One is building a new framework—venture philanthropy—where creative work generates intellectual property, revenue, and scalable impact. Through initiatives spanning education, disability advocacy, health and well-being, environmental sustainability, and conflict response, Coritsidis outlines how art can fund itself, empower communities, and multiply its reach without dependence on government or legacy funding structures. The episode offers a candid look at the future of philanthropy—one where impact is regenerative, artists are central, and giving back is no longer passive, but actively designed for the world we’re in now.
11 Nov 2025
Season 4 Episode 1 with Guillaume Désanges & Abby Pucker
In a special episode of Giving Back Is Dead, recorded during Paris Art Week at Palais de Tokyo (https://palaisdetokyo.com/en/), we bring together Guillaume Désanges (https://www.instagram.com/guillaumedesanges/?hl=en), President of Palais de Tokyo, and Abby Pucker (https://www.instagram.com/apucks/?hl=en), Cultural Producer and Founder of Gertie (https://www.instagram.com/gertie.chicago/), for a conversation about the evolving future of cultural funding.
The discussion explores how institutions and cultural leaders are moving beyond traditional patronage models—challenging the notion that access to the art world requires immense wealth or exclusive connections. As Pucker explains, her work with Gertie centers on creating open, immersive cultural experiences—where people engage directly with artists, exhibitions, and each other through shared journeys, community-driven membership models, and collaborative events.
Désanges offers the perspective from within a state-backed institution navigating the balance between public and private funding. For him, the coexistence of both creates not fragility but stability—a dual foundation built on diversity, shared responsibility, and renewal.
Together, they point toward a new paradigm for cultural ecosystems: one that replaces exclusivity with inclusion, and patronage with participation.
18 Feb 2025
Season 3 Episode 8 with Dr. Brigitte Nicole Grice
In this episode of Giving Back Is Dead, recorded at OFFSCREEN in Paris during our third year at the fair, we sit down with Dr. Brigitte Nicole Grice, president and co-founder of Chez Max et Dorothea, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and expanding the legacy of Surrealism.
But Surrealism is more than just an artistic style—it’s a way of seeing, questioning, and reimagining the world. Chez Max et Dorothea is not just a residency or exhibition space; it’s a living environment where artists, scholars, curators, and poets can explore the radical, boundary-pushing ideas that have shaped contemporary art. With an 8,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Los Angeles and a mission to acquire Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning’s final home in Seillans, France, the organization is creating a bridge between historical Surrealism and its influence on today's cultural landscape.
Brigitte shares her journey from academia to nonprofit leadership, the significance of Los Angeles in the Surrealist movement, and why preserving artistic legacies is essential for fostering new creative futures. Tune in for a conversation on how giving back to the arts isn’t just about preservation—it’s about keeping the spirit of innovation and imagination alive.
Watch now and learn how you can be part of this extraordinary project.
21 Jan 2025
Season 3 Episode 7 with Sophie Neuendorf
In this week’s episode of Giving Back is Dead, we’re joined by Sophie Neuendorf, Vice President at Artnet and Professor at IE University School of Humanities, for an insightful discussion on the evolving role of art in the market, social change and the importance of Giving.
Sophie shares how she and her brothers started an artist residency in Mallorca, inspired by their father’s legacy of supporting artists. The residency offers a serene space for artists to create, culminating in exhibitions and features on Artnet News. This initiative is a reflection of Sophie’s commitment to fostering creativity and supporting emerging artists beyond just financial means.
Sophie also teaches at IE University, where she helps students navigate the art market, not only as an investment but with a deeper understanding of art’s cultural significance. She emphasizes the importance of blending passion with financial insight and encourages students to see art as both a personal and financial asset.
The conversation touches on the growing influence of artists in addressing social issues, from climate change to movements like Black Lives Matter. Sophie sees today’s media landscape as providing artists with more opportunities to drive societal change through their work.
On the topic of data, Sophie points out that Artnet relies on secondary market data due to the challenges in verifying primary market information from galleries. While galleries play a key role, she believes accurate data is essential for making informed decisions in the art world.
Sophie also explores the importance of funding the arts, arguing that the arts have always been central to defining cultures and nations. She questions the morality of cutting funding to something so integral to society’s fabric.
15 Nov 2024
Season 3 Episode 6 with Masha Bucher
Masha Bucher, Founder and General Partner at Day One Ventures, explores how art and technology can bridge the gap between innovators and society, unlocking meaningful connections and lasting change.
19 Aug 2024
Season 3 Episode 5 with Chelsea Spengemann
Chelsea Spengemann joins Scott Stover on Giving Back is Dead to discuss Soft Network (https://www.softnetwork.art/exhibitions/), the nonprofit she co-founded and now leads as Executive Director. The organization collaborates with artist estates and archives to develop sustainable legacy models for historically significant artists who lack the commercial gallery representation needed to preserve and promote their work. Their goal is to ensure that these artists' contributions endure despite not achieving the commercial success required for broader recognition.
Chelsea has also created an email chain/group called Artist’s Foundation & Estate Leaders’ List or “AFELL” concerning best practices for people who are actively managing artist’s estates. AFELL currently has +300 members.
GBID is particularly interested in models which are not motivated by the market.
23 May 2024
Season 3 Episode 4 with Elizabeth Dee
Elizabeth Dee joins Scott Stover on Giving Back is Dead for a conversation about her new non-profit initiative, the New York Gallery History Project at the Contemporary Art Library. Elizabeth holds a unique position and perspective in the New York art infrastructure as CEO and Co-Founder of the beloved Independent Art Fair. She has also been the curatorial advisor for the most important video art collection in the U.S., owned and operated an art gallery for 20 years, served as the founding director of an artist-endowed foundation, co-produced art movies, worked as an associate professor at NYU on the art market, and acted as a trustee at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum and the Filmmakers Cooperative at the New American Cinema Group.
We speak to Elizabeth about who she is and how she got to where she is today, discussing her various positions in the art world. We explore the success of the Independent Art Fairs within the context of a very crowded art fair calendar and a nervous art market. Finally, we talk about the dominance of the U.S., with New York as its capital, within the global art market.
The New York Gallery History Project "aims to showcase important and influential New York City gallery exhibitions from the past in an online archive that is free and available to all." It seeks to ensure that the historical record is accurately told and to provide scholarship for future generations of gallerists and curators.
21 Apr 2024
Season 3 Episode 3 with Audrey Ou
On a chilly morning during Frieze Art Week in Los Angeles, Audrey Oh sat by the fireplace at Scott's home to discuss her groundbreaking tech platform, TRlab, and how she Gives to the Arts.
Audrey established TRlab in 2021 with the vision of broadening the audience for art collecting and education among millennials and Gen Z within the metaverse. The platform integrates gamification and game mechanics to engage the NextGen audience in a familiar and captivating manner. By expanding the audience, enhancing the enjoyment of the art experience, educating, and demonstrating the relevance of art in our lives, TRlab takes critical initial steps towards supporting Giving to the Arts.
Among the first projects undertaken by TRlab is highly inventive and creative support for artist-endowed foundations’ mission: Calder Foundation and Chris Burden Foundation. Despite the decline of the NFT market, TRlab utilizes generative NFTs to allow users to experience firsthand the artistry of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, particularly his use of fireworks, demonstrating their enduring relevance independent of market trends.
Audrey explores the potential of NFTs as a revenue model benefiting artists, artist-endowed foundations, and art institutions. TRlab has also collaborated with David Ariew and Tatler China on a philanthropic initiative, donating 50% of proceeds to Save the Children.
During our discussion, Audrey shared insights into her legacy philanthropic activities as a Global Patron of LACMA and a member of the Guggenheim's Asia Art Council.
Finally, we explored the distinctions between philanthropic practices in Asia and the U.S., a topic we plan to delve deeper into in future conversations.
18 Mar 2024
Season 3 Episode 2 with Patton Hindle
Scott sits down with Patton Hindle at L.A. Tennis Club at the start of Frieze week LA as it traditionally begins with the ART & LEISURE tennis tournament to raise funds for Artadia, a beloved arts nonprofit, where Patton has recently taken on the role of Executive Director.
Patton, a millennial, has been a gallery owner, director of arts for Kickstarter and published provocative opinion articles on the state of the contemporary arts. She is ideal to discuss nextgen giving to the arts. Patton is acutely aware of the massive generational wealth transfer occurring and the existential need for engaging nextgen’s to give to the arts. Patton cites the figures which indicate that giving to the arts in 2022 declined 8.9% when adjusted for inflation. It was the only sector which experienced a decline in giving. She believes that we have to make the case for the arts as an essential part of the social construct in the U.S. She sees the attraction of art related to social causes and social impact art as an entry point to engage millennials and generation Z’s. Patton also believes that it is necessary to have a critical mass of nextgen art collectors in order to assure that they participate in giving to the arts. We discuss how and why Patton was successful in engaging 22 to 44 year olds to support Kickstarter art initiatives and a social impact program she created for Kickstarter.
Patton believes that we need to have a U.S. cabinet level appointment for the Arts in order to address its essential role. We look briefly at the example of Americans for the Arts nonprofit which is trying to address the arts relevance with impressive data points in the form of an “arts and economic prosperity” study.
We also discuss Patton’s other advisory and board positions at the Mellon Foundation and the Laundromat Project.
15 Feb 2024
Season 3 Episode 1 with Vajra Kingsley
Vajra Kingsley and Scott Stover reflect over two seasons of Giving Back is Dead and provide a vision into the next season. Conversation was held at La Masion Lune, in Venice, California.
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