Originally started by Michelle West and Christopher Edmonds in 2012 as United Art and Literary, an art consulting and literary agency, it grew into United Patrons of the Arts when Walter Garrett Mitchell, Chris Collins & Heather D. Fulton joined forces with Michelle and Christopher in January & February of this year, respectively.
“In my first semester at NYU,” states Collins, “it was drilled in
to our heads that the three key elements of a complete museum, literary, or performance experience are Recreation, Education and Admiration. Through my travels in these arenas, I have found this teaching to prove itself true. However, as a society so engaged in the internet these days, we can certainly add Participation into that credo. And that is what we hope to accomplish with UnitedPatrons.com.”
“We are United Patrons of the Arts for a good reason,” states West. “Whether it be through the head, the heart or the stomach, history has shown that patriarchs or patrons of the arts have usually been behind the scenes providing support. We have a great opportunity here to do just that and Portland is just the town for it.”
The virtual museum of UnitedPatrons.com is always open, and always free. All visitors are entitled to the discounts offered through our network. UPA also regularly gives away gifts to our community, such as supplies, instructional resources, and pieces of the beautiful art that graces our site. Notifications of these gifts and giveaways will be posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts.
