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LOVE: A Visual History of the grantLOVE Project
A collection of works from the groundbreaking grantLOVE philanthropic art project.
Foreword by New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay
Essay by Alma Ruiz, Cassandra Coblentz, and Eman Alami
What is love? In A Visual History of the grantLOVE Project , artist Alexandra Grant’s exploration of that question is documented through a retrospective of her journey engaging in civic art.
In 2008, Grant began making editions of her art based on the concept of love and her trademarked LOVE symbol to raise money for arts projects and nonprofit organizations, and this philanthropic art experiment became the grantLOVE project. Partnering with other artists, makers, customers, and to support art projects and nonprofits, Grant explores how philanthropy and art can effectively intersect. This comprehensive history of the grantLOVE project—complete with paintings, prints, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, and architecture—provides a visual meditation on what “love” is, as conceived by Grant and the numerous collaborators showcased here.
Compiling more than 14 years of grantLOVE works and partnerships, this book invites you to reflect on the confluence of philanthropy and the arts and celebrates building community around the roles of love and empathy in contemporary art and culture.
Foreword by New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay
Essay by Alma Ruiz, Cassandra Coblentz, and Eman Alami
What is love? In A Visual History of the grantLOVE Project , artist Alexandra Grant’s exploration of that question is documented through a retrospective of her journey engaging in civic art.
In 2008, Grant began making editions of her art based on the concept of love and her trademarked LOVE symbol to raise money for arts projects and nonprofit organizations, and this philanthropic art experiment became the grantLOVE project. Partnering with other artists, makers, customers, and to support art projects and nonprofits, Grant explores how philanthropy and art can effectively intersect. This comprehensive history of the grantLOVE project—complete with paintings, prints, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, and architecture—provides a visual meditation on what “love” is, as conceived by Grant and the numerous collaborators showcased here.
Compiling more than 14 years of grantLOVE works and partnerships, this book invites you to reflect on the confluence of philanthropy and the arts and celebrates building community around the roles of love and empathy in contemporary art and culture.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published December 6, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 16, 2022
This is a book (in the loosest terms) that purports to be the history of a 14-year old artistic philanthropic project, Grantlove, by the Los Angeles based Alexandra Grant.
In reality it’s a vapid, bloated, self-indulgent atrocity of an object made of glossy paper that was never going to be truthful, introspective or thoughtful, exactly.
In an interminable 300 plus pages the author (who by the way is Keanu Reeves’s girlfriend) gives hardly a hint of introspection or what it is like living a life under increasing scrutiny (because, by the way she is Keanu Reeves’s girlfriend), life is a neverending collection of artists who want to drop everything to work with her (because, by the way she is Keanu Reeves’s girlfriend) and a bizarre collection of hangers-on and deluded fans who buy her branded items and posed awkwardly for photographs in this credibility-straining monstrosity (because.. Keanu…rinse…repeat).
There’s hardly even a hint of how her life must have changed circa 2019 when the relationship became public.
A far more interesting book might have been here if the author was honest and adult in including her famed relationship and its impact on her life in the public eye. I would maybe read that book - how she met Keanu, how the relationship began and developed, how we approached going public, the issues it has caused in my life (social media, publicity, online harassment from trolls etc.)
Instead there is nary a mention of Keanu or any suggestion that her insipid, self-centered life is anything less than a pretty day at the park where everyone eats artisan chocolates, frolics on love-branded rose petals and walks a dog named Spot.
Toxic positivity is a diagnosed mental illness - the refusal to see any impacts, accept constructive feedback or be capable of genuine self-reflection in the adult world is an issue for Grant. Her childlike, repetitive, sparkly view of the art world is just not credible.
Love:A Visual History of the Grantlove Project is ceaselessly self-serving. When the author has her ‘love’ branded necklaces sued by Cartier for trademark infringement she bizarrely sees this as a positive ‘I must have been creating something of value’. Uh, no - major corporations have the right to protect their intellectual property and you were violating it girl.
The entire bloated tome is a monotonous collection of vapid insipidness that only deserves incredulity in return. It’s like reading a religious text of a minor creepy cult. After a lobotomy.
This book is a hustle, a Ponzi scheme publication designed to make us think the author is a major figure in the art world (I can guarantee you she is not), a thoughtful philanthropic figure (she is not) and SO much more than a movie star’s quiet, gray-haired girlfriend. (By the way did you know her only ACTUAL claim to fame is that … she’s Keanu’s girlfriend).
This book is the Ikea of love. Cheap, quickly assembled and likely to fall apart.
December 19, 2022
I can’t believe Alexandra Grant had the nerve to write a book bragging about her charity fraud.
When someone or a company sells products and they tell the public or advertise that a portion of their sales is going to go to charity, the public has a right to verify that this is actually being done. That’s why you have to register as a fundraiser with the Attorney General first, and this is why you are supposed to submit a financial report for every charity you raised funds for every year. Grantlove has been operating for 14 years and only 1 report was submitted for 2021. Does that sound right to you? Does that sound honorable? And she only registered with the Attorney General in 2021 after she was forced to do so by them (don’t take my word for it. Just Google it and you’ll see). Financial reports are made public by law so that the public can view them and make informed decisions about who to support. Please, do your homework before supporting any charity or charitable fundraiser. Make sure they are registered and operating lawfully. It's the only way to know for certain that your money is going where it's supposed to. And please, do not support Grantlove and Alexandra Grant. There is no telling how much she is actually donating versus keeping for herself. There are plenty of other worthy causes more deserving of your money.
When someone or a company sells products and they tell the public or advertise that a portion of their sales is going to go to charity, the public has a right to verify that this is actually being done. That’s why you have to register as a fundraiser with the Attorney General first, and this is why you are supposed to submit a financial report for every charity you raised funds for every year. Grantlove has been operating for 14 years and only 1 report was submitted for 2021. Does that sound right to you? Does that sound honorable? And she only registered with the Attorney General in 2021 after she was forced to do so by them (don’t take my word for it. Just Google it and you’ll see). Financial reports are made public by law so that the public can view them and make informed decisions about who to support. Please, do your homework before supporting any charity or charitable fundraiser. Make sure they are registered and operating lawfully. It's the only way to know for certain that your money is going where it's supposed to. And please, do not support Grantlove and Alexandra Grant. There is no telling how much she is actually donating versus keeping for herself. There are plenty of other worthy causes more deserving of your money.
December 15, 2022
I know there's quite a few opinions, both negative and positive about Ms Grant but I have a friend who purchased this book because she's a huge fan of Keanu Reeves and anything/anyone affiliated with him. She loved the book, naturally. I did not. I honestly don't feel any publications by Ms. Grant is worthy of praise. Her books, her art, her "feminism", and her personality is incredibly off putting and somewhat insincere. She's solidly mediocre at best, if I'm being completely honest. I always take the time to thoroughly assess what I want to read, watch, look at and support. I read Shadows, Ode To Happiness, The Artist's Prison, etc and none of them peaked my interest. Unfortunately this book falls the same. It's unfortunate for an artist like her to not have the independence, both financially, artistically and publicly in the mainstream market without being compared next to the more prominent man she shares a private relationship with..
I hope things can change. I also hope she can find her niche as an artist and as a woman without Hollywood having to promote her.. 🥀
I hope things can change. I also hope she can find her niche as an artist and as a woman without Hollywood having to promote her.. 🥀
December 20, 2022
Alexandra Grant’s telling of the history of her grantLOVE Project reads like a tightly controlled revisionist history hiding behind her trademarked ‘love’ symbol, which appears in EVERY image in this tome where there isn’t text, to the point where I felt like I was being brainwashed.
She has left out a lot of criticism about her project - aside from the Cartier trademark incident which she presents as a David and Goliath battle - she omits the fact that her company which she claimed was a non-profit or charity had never been registered as a charity with the California Attorney General’s office. She was finally forced to admit that her company was an LLC and change this on the GrantLOVE website in 2021.
The book is arranged in an odd manner with summaries by Grant detailing certain years of the project being followed by summaries by Alma Ruiz echoing what Grant said. Much of the book is taken up with photographs of all the people collaborated with Grant, saying nice words about working with her.
Don’t be fooled by all this talk of love. This is a book about empire building and an attempt to whitewash history not to mention a rather crude attempt at mythologizing her own image by creating a compliant group of worshipers or ‘collaborators’. Above alI it is NOT a book about philanthropy or love.
Don’t waste your time on this one.
She has left out a lot of criticism about her project - aside from the Cartier trademark incident which she presents as a David and Goliath battle - she omits the fact that her company which she claimed was a non-profit or charity had never been registered as a charity with the California Attorney General’s office. She was finally forced to admit that her company was an LLC and change this on the GrantLOVE website in 2021.
The book is arranged in an odd manner with summaries by Grant detailing certain years of the project being followed by summaries by Alma Ruiz echoing what Grant said. Much of the book is taken up with photographs of all the people collaborated with Grant, saying nice words about working with her.
Don’t be fooled by all this talk of love. This is a book about empire building and an attempt to whitewash history not to mention a rather crude attempt at mythologizing her own image by creating a compliant group of worshipers or ‘collaborators’. Above alI it is NOT a book about philanthropy or love.
Don’t waste your time on this one.
December 17, 2022
I came across Alexandra Grant’s World/work few years ago when she came into the spotlight for dating and working with the actor Keanu Reeves. I had hoped she had experienced some growth since then, as an artist, as a feminist and as the philanthropist she was advertised to be. But nothing has changed.
This book is the printed version of her Instagram. It should be called “Alexandra Grant’s IG recompilation for dummies”.
This is not a ground-breaking philanthropic project. It's a vanity project that has been tainted by a lawsuit with Cartier and the humiliation of having been forced to register by the Attorney General in 2021 because it is actually illegal to operate this type of fundraising project without registering first. (Alexandra Grant failed to talk about that last part in her book. No surprise there)
The LOVE Project lost its significance when the artist couldn’t admit that the word she wanted to be unique was a word that was already being used by many artists and, that what she was offering wasn’t art but just a cheap merchandising campaign for personal gain. don't see the “love” in those works, only laziness and lack of clarity about whether the monies from these campaigns are helping artists in general or just the “artist” herself.
If you want to buy this book just because she is Keanu Reeves girlfriend, please be my guest and waste your money. Spoiler alert: he is only mentioned at the end of the book. So, no, you won’t get a sneak peek of how love or whatever that may be is like between those two.
Or, if you want to buy this book for art purposes, I encourage you to keep browsing around this site to find real pieces of art work with reasonable prices.
This book is the printed version of her Instagram. It should be called “Alexandra Grant’s IG recompilation for dummies”.
This is not a ground-breaking philanthropic project. It's a vanity project that has been tainted by a lawsuit with Cartier and the humiliation of having been forced to register by the Attorney General in 2021 because it is actually illegal to operate this type of fundraising project without registering first. (Alexandra Grant failed to talk about that last part in her book. No surprise there)
The LOVE Project lost its significance when the artist couldn’t admit that the word she wanted to be unique was a word that was already being used by many artists and, that what she was offering wasn’t art but just a cheap merchandising campaign for personal gain. don't see the “love” in those works, only laziness and lack of clarity about whether the monies from these campaigns are helping artists in general or just the “artist” herself.
If you want to buy this book just because she is Keanu Reeves girlfriend, please be my guest and waste your money. Spoiler alert: he is only mentioned at the end of the book. So, no, you won’t get a sneak peek of how love or whatever that may be is like between those two.
Or, if you want to buy this book for art purposes, I encourage you to keep browsing around this site to find real pieces of art work with reasonable prices.
December 21, 2022
I was browsing a bookstore, not looking for anything in particular when I came across the book LOVE: A Visual History of the grantLOVE Project by Alexandra Grant. I stared at it for a few seconds before picking it up. I was aware of the controversy connected to the grantLOVE project. While proclaiming to be a philanthropist doing charity work, Alexandra Grant ran grantLOVE for 12 years without registering it as required by law. In 2021, she received notice from the Attorney General's office informing her that she needs to register her charity.
I was also aware of the controversy that Alexandra Grant lied about her accomplishments on her resume. I shrugged this off at first because I think everybody fudges things a bit on their resume. But when I found out that it stated that grantLOVE Project was a non-profit and it actually wasn't, it changed my opinion. That is not a small lie. There is no excuse for it.
I know that Alexandra Grant says she's been a target of bullying online, but a lot of the "bullying" I saw that she received was because she lied and said that grantLOVE Project was a nonprofit, and people couldn't find any registration for it. They criticized her for lying and called her out on it on social media and wanted to know where all the money was going. I don't think that's unfair and it's certainly understandable.
The book's description mentions the words 'reflect' and 'retrospective', so I don't think it was inconceivable of me to expect that Alexandra Grant would address some of the controversy surrounding grantLOVE project and the concerns of her critics. But I guess Alexandra didn't reflect on any of this or think it was an important part of grantLOVE Project's journey because it wasn't mentioned at all.
I believe the criticism grantLOVE Project received is a valid part of their history. The day that it became a lawful, registered charity should have been noted and highlighted in the book. Maybe she wanted to do good but didn't know the laws and regulations until years later? But if that's the case, she should have admitted it. Admitting errors she made along the way would have provided useful information to those desiring to start a charity project and how they can avoid making the same mistakes. None of that was present. It's been swept under the rug like a dirty secret you don't want anyone to know about.
This book documented the journey of an artist choosing the most recognized word in the world (LOVE) and then plastering it on the work of other artists and selling it for charity without being clear how much was going to charity. Her contribution to the project is minimal, yet she prances around as if she has donated millions of dollar to people in need.
This book is about the journey of a mediocre artist who used the idea of philanthropy and collaborations to gain clout from more talented artists in order to boost her own image. This book is about the journey of a woman who didn't have an original idea so she resorted to scribbling the word love on everything and is trying to convince us this is brilliant. This book purported to “reflect on the confluence of philanthropy and the arts and celebrates building community around the roles of love and empathy in contemporary art and culture” but the unwritten history shows a lack of love and empathy. Where's the empathy for those criticizing her works? Where's the insight that could have come from acknowledging her mistakes and critics head-on with love, compassion and empathy? How can she claim to understand love without understanding truth, honesty and humility? All of these are important components of love and empathy, and she didn't show one shred of that in this book.
I opened this book with the sincere hope that Alexandra Grant would prove her critics wrong and show that she is capable of love and growth. Unfortunately, I think her critics are right.
I was also aware of the controversy that Alexandra Grant lied about her accomplishments on her resume. I shrugged this off at first because I think everybody fudges things a bit on their resume. But when I found out that it stated that grantLOVE Project was a non-profit and it actually wasn't, it changed my opinion. That is not a small lie. There is no excuse for it.
I know that Alexandra Grant says she's been a target of bullying online, but a lot of the "bullying" I saw that she received was because she lied and said that grantLOVE Project was a nonprofit, and people couldn't find any registration for it. They criticized her for lying and called her out on it on social media and wanted to know where all the money was going. I don't think that's unfair and it's certainly understandable.
The book's description mentions the words 'reflect' and 'retrospective', so I don't think it was inconceivable of me to expect that Alexandra Grant would address some of the controversy surrounding grantLOVE project and the concerns of her critics. But I guess Alexandra didn't reflect on any of this or think it was an important part of grantLOVE Project's journey because it wasn't mentioned at all.
I believe the criticism grantLOVE Project received is a valid part of their history. The day that it became a lawful, registered charity should have been noted and highlighted in the book. Maybe she wanted to do good but didn't know the laws and regulations until years later? But if that's the case, she should have admitted it. Admitting errors she made along the way would have provided useful information to those desiring to start a charity project and how they can avoid making the same mistakes. None of that was present. It's been swept under the rug like a dirty secret you don't want anyone to know about.
This book documented the journey of an artist choosing the most recognized word in the world (LOVE) and then plastering it on the work of other artists and selling it for charity without being clear how much was going to charity. Her contribution to the project is minimal, yet she prances around as if she has donated millions of dollar to people in need.
This book is about the journey of a mediocre artist who used the idea of philanthropy and collaborations to gain clout from more talented artists in order to boost her own image. This book is about the journey of a woman who didn't have an original idea so she resorted to scribbling the word love on everything and is trying to convince us this is brilliant. This book purported to “reflect on the confluence of philanthropy and the arts and celebrates building community around the roles of love and empathy in contemporary art and culture” but the unwritten history shows a lack of love and empathy. Where's the empathy for those criticizing her works? Where's the insight that could have come from acknowledging her mistakes and critics head-on with love, compassion and empathy? How can she claim to understand love without understanding truth, honesty and humility? All of these are important components of love and empathy, and she didn't show one shred of that in this book.
I opened this book with the sincere hope that Alexandra Grant would prove her critics wrong and show that she is capable of love and growth. Unfortunately, I think her critics are right.
December 20, 2022
Somewhere out there in the ether is the ‘real’ story of Los Angeles based Alexandra Grant - her mediocre art career, her philanthropy and above all her relationship with actor Keanu Reeves.
But you won't find it here.
There isn’t a trace of honesty, self-reflection or anything but a monotonous regurgitation of how wonderful, sparkly and cream-puff her opinion of herself is.
This book is less a ‘visual history’ of her Grantlove project - think of it as more of a self-indulgent boasting cheerfest with bizarre contributions by cultish people who only purchased $50 throw pillows or $25 cheap prints.
Indeed the addition of these ‘fan/purchaser’ pages seems to be to beef up this flimsy tome, and they really do a disservice to the author.
A more self-reflective, honest history of the ups and downs of this philanthropic effort, including actual honest financial documentation, might have been a guide or ‘how-to’ for other creatives who struggle with the relentless asks for charitable donations and support.
The actual ‘history’ that you do find documented here is shockingly thin. Example - ‘I did a project with a quiltmaker - here's a picture of the final quilt and a quote from the maker’. Where are the back and forth communications, the in-process pictures, the deleted draft sketches or versions? What about the projects that did not come to fruition?
It’s as if you documented the history of a restaurant with only pictures of the opening night party and a picture of each dish with no ‘how did we get there’ stages.
Did I mention this book is overpriced, tacky and already hard to find in stores? A price of $85 for a 5lb behemoth of a hardback art book might be sustainable if you were artistic royalty like Banksy, Hockney or Rothko. But for a minor regional artist whose only claim to fame is her alleged bedmate Keanu?
A coffee-table glossy paperback version priced at $40 and launched at the Valentines Day market might have worked. This book tanked, and shockingly. The author barely even tried a book launch campaign or PR. You can’t sell if you barely try.
Overall this is cheap, tacky and relentlessly self-indulgent.
Hopefully other publishers will learn a lesson from this already reported sales debacle and steer clear of shameful ‘famous girlfriend’ books in the future.
December 22, 2022
Grantlove, the charity this book is about, was unregistered with the Attorney General and the IRS for 13 years, making it illegal. It was only in 2021, after several complaints and a letter from the Attorney General, that Alexandra Grant registered her "charity" and was forced to publish a statement on her website that Grantlove is not non-profit as she has advertised since 2008 , but that she only donates something every now and then.
To this day, she refuses to disclose how she used the "donations" she raised between 2008 and 2021, so it's safe to assume she was primarily helping herself.
The Attorney General is now investigating Alexandra Grant for, among other things, donation fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, and she faces up to 30 years in prison.
If you don't believe me, just google "grantlove not registered" and you'll find all the evidence of Alexandra Grant's crimes there.
To this day, she refuses to disclose how she used the "donations" she raised between 2008 and 2021, so it's safe to assume she was primarily helping herself.
The Attorney General is now investigating Alexandra Grant for, among other things, donation fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, and she faces up to 30 years in prison.
If you don't believe me, just google "grantlove not registered" and you'll find all the evidence of Alexandra Grant's crimes there.
August 9, 2023
When I first heard that Alexandra Grant was preparing this book, I thought she might take the opportunity to really discuss the origins, management, and impact (or lack thereof) of the grantLOVE project -- but this book is more or less just a puff piece, celebrating Grant, and avoiding the most of the tough questions that could be raised about the "project."
Grant does at least finally admit in print that the "project" is not a non-profit, or a charity, it's a for-profit "doing business as" subdivision of her studio art career LLC. The "project" uses a sym bol that Grant used to describe as variations on a sculpture she designed (but never installed) on the LOVE House, part of the Watts House Project. Now she links it to an earlier piece, part of her studio art practice, that she adapted first for the photoshopped image used in her pitch to Watts House Project (WHP), and then adapted with the help of a jewelry designer to create fundraising items for the project.
Grant relies heavily on short essays by Alma Ruiz, a former curator at the LA Museum of Contemporary Art who curated a group show Grant participated in, then her solo show as part of the MOCA Focus series of shows for underrecognized arts, and later a Biennale in Guatemala. What I find odd is that Ruiz has no particular expertise in community art, civic art, art philanthropy, or other related topics that would seem pertinent to an actual history of the grantLOVE project.
Grant does mention other artists, curators, etc. who were connected to the project - such as Trinidad Ruiz, a community activist and artist who worked as a project coordinator first with WHP and then grantLOVE, linked to Fulcrum Arts. WHP's director and deputy director are mentioned here and there in a couple of places, but do not comment.
Grant does include one-page statements from various "collaborators," although few of the "projects" she includes glossy photos of are more than limited edition prints (or beach towels in one case) where Grant exploits the skills of various printmakers to produce items for which she lacks the technical skills, while pasting her on pedestrian and unexceptional trademarked symbol. I was left wondering how her collaborators have been compensated, give n that Grant is presumably profiting from her LLC the umbrella for the donating "grantLOVE project."
You would expect Grant to discuss how she manages grantLOVE - how items are developed for sale or donation, how prices are determined, how she selects beneficiaries, using what criteria, and how and when donations announced are fulfilled. All of this is left very vague. Grant say she wants grantLOVE to be a small-scale model for artists philanthropy, but I presume any actual artist who stumbles on this book will be hard pressed to take away many lessons. Given that grantLOVE doesn't really exist as an organization, the prime decision-maker seems to be Grant, and she seems to be responsible to no one and nothing except her own whims.
d
Despite the title, this is as much a trip through Grant's career as a whole as it is a history of the art philanthropy project. And even when grantLOVE is pictured, we get short bios and pics of donors/collectors, and a list of those who have produced some of the merchandise. Actual philanthropy hardly comes up.
The most recent total I've seen for the organization was about $300,000 over fourteen years, hardly impressive. Of that it seems at least $60,000 went to Love House (only finished in 2021, and with the LOVE symbol on a rather unimpressive fence) and perhaps $150,000 to Project Angel Food over several years and a number of items. Although Grant includes a (difficult to read) page of organizations that have benefited, it is hard to say where that (presumably) $90,000 went, but much of it seems likely to have been one print or other item donated to an auction.
I'd particularly have liked to know whether the acquisition fund Grant claims to have created at OCMA, which supposedly purchased two works by a Columbia artist, is an on-going fund or a one-off. Given the size and scale of the two pieces by the artist pictured in the book, at the very least I'd like to know if 100% of the purchase price came from the proceeds of her pop-up shop.
The book was initially priced at $85.00 and is currently around $9.65 on Amazon. I still wouldn't recommend wasting your money - the LOVE symbol isn't worth more than a sticker or postcard and the other content is thin and not particularly interesting.
Grant does at least finally admit in print that the "project" is not a non-profit, or a charity, it's a for-profit "doing business as" subdivision of her studio art career LLC. The "project" uses a sym bol that Grant used to describe as variations on a sculpture she designed (but never installed) on the LOVE House, part of the Watts House Project. Now she links it to an earlier piece, part of her studio art practice, that she adapted first for the photoshopped image used in her pitch to Watts House Project (WHP), and then adapted with the help of a jewelry designer to create fundraising items for the project.
Grant relies heavily on short essays by Alma Ruiz, a former curator at the LA Museum of Contemporary Art who curated a group show Grant participated in, then her solo show as part of the MOCA Focus series of shows for underrecognized arts, and later a Biennale in Guatemala. What I find odd is that Ruiz has no particular expertise in community art, civic art, art philanthropy, or other related topics that would seem pertinent to an actual history of the grantLOVE project.
Grant does mention other artists, curators, etc. who were connected to the project - such as Trinidad Ruiz, a community activist and artist who worked as a project coordinator first with WHP and then grantLOVE, linked to Fulcrum Arts. WHP's director and deputy director are mentioned here and there in a couple of places, but do not comment.
Grant does include one-page statements from various "collaborators," although few of the "projects" she includes glossy photos of are more than limited edition prints (or beach towels in one case) where Grant exploits the skills of various printmakers to produce items for which she lacks the technical skills, while pasting her on pedestrian and unexceptional trademarked symbol. I was left wondering how her collaborators have been compensated, give n that Grant is presumably profiting from her LLC the umbrella for the donating "grantLOVE project."
You would expect Grant to discuss how she manages grantLOVE - how items are developed for sale or donation, how prices are determined, how she selects beneficiaries, using what criteria, and how and when donations announced are fulfilled. All of this is left very vague. Grant say she wants grantLOVE to be a small-scale model for artists philanthropy, but I presume any actual artist who stumbles on this book will be hard pressed to take away many lessons. Given that grantLOVE doesn't really exist as an organization, the prime decision-maker seems to be Grant, and she seems to be responsible to no one and nothing except her own whims.
d
Despite the title, this is as much a trip through Grant's career as a whole as it is a history of the art philanthropy project. And even when grantLOVE is pictured, we get short bios and pics of donors/collectors, and a list of those who have produced some of the merchandise. Actual philanthropy hardly comes up.
The most recent total I've seen for the organization was about $300,000 over fourteen years, hardly impressive. Of that it seems at least $60,000 went to Love House (only finished in 2021, and with the LOVE symbol on a rather unimpressive fence) and perhaps $150,000 to Project Angel Food over several years and a number of items. Although Grant includes a (difficult to read) page of organizations that have benefited, it is hard to say where that (presumably) $90,000 went, but much of it seems likely to have been one print or other item donated to an auction.
I'd particularly have liked to know whether the acquisition fund Grant claims to have created at OCMA, which supposedly purchased two works by a Columbia artist, is an on-going fund or a one-off. Given the size and scale of the two pieces by the artist pictured in the book, at the very least I'd like to know if 100% of the purchase price came from the proceeds of her pop-up shop.
The book was initially priced at $85.00 and is currently around $9.65 on Amazon. I still wouldn't recommend wasting your money - the LOVE symbol isn't worth more than a sticker or postcard and the other content is thin and not particularly interesting.
April 14, 2023
Alexandra Grant's book, documenting her grantLOVE Project, presents a heavily curated history that glosses over important criticisms of her work. The book's constant use of Grant's 'love' symbol, feels manipulative and repetitive.
Additionally, the book fails to address the fact that her project was not registered as a charity with the California Attorney General's office until 2021, raising questions about the legitimacy of her philanthropic work.
Overall, the book seems more concerned with mythologizing Grant's image and promoting her "artist image" than genuinely exploring the impact of her philanthropic efforts.
Additionally, the book fails to address the fact that her project was not registered as a charity with the California Attorney General's office until 2021, raising questions about the legitimacy of her philanthropic work.
Overall, the book seems more concerned with mythologizing Grant's image and promoting her "artist image" than genuinely exploring the impact of her philanthropic efforts.
December 30, 2023
THIS BOOK TO BE MORE DIRECT AND UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ...I WOULD MAKE IT AN ORGANIZER, AGENDA...
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