Help Us Sustain the Archive

The Artidex Foundation preserves, celebrates, and supports contemporary artists through signed Polaroid portraiture, photography, short films, and recorded conversations. In an increasingly digital and disposable world, we are creating something physical and tangible: a lasting archive of original signed portraits connected to the voices, work, and stories of the people depicted in them. But preservation is only part of the mission. The Artidex puts tangible resources behind the artists it documents. Each feature is designed to introduce an artist’s work to new audiences, create meaningful documentation of their practice, provide them with professional photographs and films, and preserve their contribution to culture within a physical record.

What We Create

Each participating artist is documented through:

An original signed Polaroid portrait preserved in the physical archive
Photography and behind-the-scenes documentation
A short film centered on the artist and their work
An optional long-form recorded conversation
Published features designed to increase awareness and visibility
Finished media the artist can use to promote their own work

Since launching in March 2026, The Artidex has documented 16 artists across multiple disciplines and cities. Each entry expands both the permanent collection and the network of artists connected through it.

Why Your Support Matters

The project has been independently and personally funded by founder Gina Polizzo, who has contributed approximately $25,000 toward artist documentation, investment in artist merchandise and products, travel costs, film, production equipment, space and studio rental, preservation materials, and the development of the archive. Your contribution allows The Artidex to continue documenting artists and helps transform a personally funded project into a sustainable cultural organization.

What Your Donation Helps Fund

Polaroid film, photography supplies, and archive-quality sleeves, binders, and storage boxes
Flights, gas, rental cars, hotels, and other travel expenses required to reach participating artists
Studios, hotel rooms, and other creative-location rentals for portraits, films, and interviews
Cameras, microphones, lighting, memory cards, hard drives, and editing software
Stipends for photographers, editors, podcast contributors, production assistants, and other creative help
Website hosting, podcast hosting, cloud storage, and digital archive maintenance
Social-media production, promotion, and platform-related expenses
Designing and producing artist merchandise, with proceeds shared with participating artists and reinvested into artist-support programs
Milestone grants and other direct financial support for artists

Your donation helps cover the real cost of showing up, making the work, sharing it widely, and preserving something physical that cannot be reduced to a disappearing post or changing algorithm.

Why $50,000?

Since March 2026, Gina has personally contributed approximately $25,000–$30,000 to launch The Artidex, document its first 16 artists, and establish the physical archive. Those contributions are not being reimbursed. Our initial $50,000 fundraising goal is based on the demonstrated cost of continuing the project at its current pace while beginning to compensate the people whose labor makes it possible.

Funding will support artist documentation, production travel, space rentals, film and archive materials, merchandise development, website and podcast hosting, creative-contributor stipends, and the first $2,500 Artidex Milestone Grant when the archive reaches Entry #25. This is the next phase of a larger, long-term effort to make The Artidex sustainable without relying indefinitely on one person to fund the work. Thank you for helping us build something lasting and for putting tangible support behind the artists shaping our creative culture.

Preserving artists. Amplifying their work. Building something that lasts.

Tax Status

The Artidex Foundation is a South Carolina nonprofit corporation. Federal recognition under Section 501(c)(3) is currently pending. If approved, qualifying contributions made on or after May 28, 2026 may become tax-deductible. Please retain your receipt and consult your tax advisor.