The John Baldessari Family Foundation (JBFF) was founded by contemporary artist John Baldessari with proceeds from the sale of his artwork. A long-time resident of the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles, Baldessari’s philanthropy extends primarily to local organizations that provide housing and health care for the homeless and under-privileged. ¹

Organization and Founder

The John Baldessari Family Foundation (JBFF) was founded by John Baldessari, a renowned contemporary artist whose photographic and video art was central to the emergence of Los Angeles as a major art center. ²

Baldessari’s artwork has been featured in over 377 solo exhibitions and one thousand group exhibitions in the United States and Europe. He is renowned for his use of dots placed over the faces of the subjects of his work to force attention to other aspects of the work.  Baldesarri received the National Medal of Arts in 2015, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the Venice Biennale in 2009, and a long list of other awards. Baldessari was also a renowned teacher of art at California Institute of the Arts and the University of California, Los Angeles, where his students included multiple major artists including Mike Kelley, David Salle, and Barbara Bloom. ^{3 4}

Baldessari formed JBFF was formed in Venice Beach, California in 2014 with the intent of investing in the community in which he had lived for most of his life. ⁵

Leadership

Baldessari, the president and only board member, passed away in early 2020. The only living board member identifiable from public reports available in October 2021 is Analia Saban, a former student of Baldessari’s, leaving leadership and direction of the foundation unclear. ^{6 7}

Finances

JBFF reported income for 2018 was $5,775,021 generated from three separate donations from JAB Arts Enterprises LLC, owned by John A. Baldessari. The organization made $100,000 worth of grants for the year and expenses totaled $120,334. ^{8 9}

JBFF reported assets of $5,646,313 at the end of 2018, consisting of $3,545,000 of artwork and a warehouse valued at $2,010,000. ^{10 11}

Grant Recipients

True to JBFF’s helping the community in which Baldessari lived mission the organization provided grants to Venice Community Housing (VCH), Venice Arts, and the Venice Family Clinic.

Venice Community Housing (VCH) provides housing and support services to the homeless. The organization currently has four housing projects underway that will join their one existing property and provide short term housing for the homeless who are in transition to permanent housing as well as those experiencing chronic homelessness. ¹² VCH supported SB 679, passed by the California Senate and in committee in the California Assembly in October 2021, which creates a single affordable housing agency for Los Angeles County and provides for financing tools to fund renter protections and building and saving housing stock that is affordable to those earning 80 percent of area median income. VCH also unsuccessfully opposed loitering laws, and displacement of residents by private equity firms who have purchased distressed housing in the Venice Beach area. ^{13 14 15}

Venice Arts provides education for low-income youth designed to develop photography and film education that uses storytelling at its base. Exhibitions of students work and consulting for other organizations in the use of storytelling are also provided. ¹⁶

The Venice Family Clinic provides primary health care to families in need, community wellness programs, and health insurance signup support across ten sites along the Venice Boulevard corridor of Santa Monica. ¹⁷

1. “Baldessari’s Support for Clinic Lives On.” Venice Family Clinic. August 10, 2021. https://venicefamilyclinic.org/news/stories/baldessaris-support-for-clinic-lives-on/.
2. “John Baldessari.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed September 24, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Baldessari.
3. Suzanne Muchnic and Dorany Pineda. “John Baldessari, Internationally Acclaimed Conceptual Artist, Has Died.” San Diego Tribune. January 6, 2020. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/obituaries/story/2020-01-05/john-baldessari-dead.
4. “Bio.” JOHN BALDESSARI. Accessed September 11, 2021. http://www.baldessari.org/bio.
5. Ken Schwencke and Mike Tigas. “John Baldessari Family FOUNDATION Inc – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471872795.
6. John Baldessari Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Part VIII, line 1(a).
7. “Baldessari’s Support for Clinic Lives On.” Venice Family Clinic. August 10, 2021. https://venicefamilyclinic.org/news/stories/baldessaris-support-for-clinic-lives-on/.
8. John Baldessari Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Part I, lines 12, 25.
9. John Baldessari Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Schedule B, Part I, lines 1,2.
10. John Baldessari Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Part I, Line 16.
11. John Baldessari Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Schedule B, Part II, lines 1,2.
12. ^[1] “Celebrating 30 Years of Affordable Housing and Community Development.” Venice Community Housing. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://www.vchcorp.org/
13. “Sb-679.” Los Angeles South Chamber of Commerce. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://www.lascc.us/sb-679.html.
14. “California SB679.” TrackBill. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://trackbill.com/bill/california-senate-bill-679-los-angeles-county-affordable-housing/2043581/.
15. Twitter. Twitter. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://twitter.com/VCHC.
16. “Venice Arts.” Venicearts.org. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://www.venicearts.org/.
17. “Venice Family Clinic.” Venice Family Clinic. Accessed September 11, 2021. https://venicefamilyclinic.org/.