Institute for Unpopular Culture

Institute For Unpopular Culture (also known by the acronym, IFUC) is a nonprofit alternative and outsider culture organization based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1989 by David Ferguson who established IFUC as a means of discovering and promoting artists in various creative enterprises whose work defied mainstream sensibilities. IFUC's stated objective is to provide a range of services necessary for non-mainstream artists to fulfill their goals of artistic expression: public relations, counseling, business opportunities, and access to equipment. It also provides artists with grants and other funding for their projects.Martine, Lord. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/29/WB128674.DTL Ferguson finds unconventional fits him just right] San Francisco Chronicle, March 29, 2002.]

IFUC embodies Ferguson's particular strain of arts patronage, an approach he calls 'New Philanthropy'. This 'new' model in fact draws from a traditional source of philanthropic principles, the "Gospel of Wealth", an influential essay written in 1889 by American businessman Andrew Carnegie. As a modern avatar of Carnegie's treatise on philanthropic responsibility, IFUC puts a premium on volunteer administration and seeks to avoid the inertia sometimes found in more professionalized nonprofit infrastructures. This emphasis on a more flexible, less-bureaucratic approach has allowed IFUC to form relationships with a network of unconventional sources of financial support -- the money from which finds its way to satisfying the publicly announced mission of the Institute rather than paying off administrative expensesTudor, Silke. [http://www.sfweekly.com/2004-05-19/music/house-of-tudor House of Tudor.] SF Weekly, May 19, 2004]

By default, sponsoring 'unpopular' culture courts a certain amount of risk. Since its inception, IFUC has welcomed those whose art proved sufficiently polarizing to scare away more traditional arts organizations and foundations. IFUC arranged exhibitions of William Noguera's pen and ink photorealism -- a sponsorship that raised eyebrows due to Noguera's status as a death row inmate at California's San Quentin State Prison.Lawrence, Ella. [http://www.sfweekly.com/2006-12-27/news/in-pen-and-ink In Pen and Ink] SF Weekly, December 27, 2006. Retrieved on April 3, 2008.] IFUC has also been associated with performance artist Holly Hughes, one of the infamous NEA Four, a quartet of artists who saw their NEA funding cut off because of concerns of indecency.Feinstein, Julie. [http://entertainment.sfweekly.com/2000-08-16/calendar/just-think/| Just Think] SF Weekly, August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 4, 2008.] Other less controversial but provocative talents have also benefitted from IFUC backing including graffiti artist Barry McGee (a.k.a. "Twist") [http://www.bearvalleynews.com/bvn%202032808.htm David Ferguson Joins Subculture Books] "Bear Valley News", March 28, 2008. Retrieved on April 3, 2008.] and installation artist Joe Mangrum. The Institute helped launch the Punk Rock Orchestra, a San Francisco Bay Area music group which performs orchestral arrangements of punk rock classics. [Kalem, Stefanie. [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/artsculture/chamber_punk/Content?oid=284914 Chamber Punk.] East Bay Express, April 16, 2003. Retrieved on April 3,2008.]

IFUC has also worked closely with Creativity Explored, the groundbreaking San Francisco non-profit visual arts studio and gallery that teaches and exhibits artists with disabilities. IFUC sponsored the short film about the school which was broadcast on PBS.

External Links

* [http://www.ifuc.org IFUC website]
*former IFUC CFO [http://www.camorrafineart.com/ Cassandra Richardson] Artist Representation website

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