New Ways of Supporting Arts Entrepreneurship

A Case Study of Maniobra

Abstract

This research analyses Maniobra, a cultural employment initiative that offers guaranteed income and additional support for three years to selected artists in Puerto Rico. Maniobra’s program design phase and preliminary first year results are analyzed through the author’s personal experience with the project as an arts entrepreneur and scholar. This reflection suggests how to address barriers facing artist initiatives with a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. A conceptual framework analyzes the preliminary impacts through a combination of artistic, personal, and economic well-being. The article also highlights the importance of institutional trust in artists and artistic work, expanding traditional philanthropy models.