About the Foundation

The mission of the Foundation is to educate the public about the importance of art and to increase public awareness of self-taught and emerging artists. It also intends to benefit other specific educational purposes when it sells select pieces from its collection, in particular the educational programs of the Harlem Children's Zone.

The Foundation's collection is made up of pieces by the self-taught and contemporary artists James Castle, Rackstraw Downes, Red Grooms, Alison Hall, Stanley Lewis, Catherine Maize, Sangram Majumdar, Claes Oldenburg, Nellie Mae Rowe, E.M. Saniga, Beatrice Scaccia, Judith Scott, Leopold Strobl, Sam Szafran, Bill Traylor and Purvis Young, as well as additional pieces on loan from the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection. Over 200 artists are featured in the Foundation's collection, all collected by its benefactor, the late William Louis-Dreyfus.

Art Supports Social Justice

Passionate about improving the lives and opportunities of
the disenfranchised, William Louis-Dreyfus believed that education was key to correcting social injustice and breaking the cycle of generational poverty. Impressed by the mission and effectiveness of the Harlem Children’s Zone, he established the foundation in 2014 with the long-term vision of funding the HCZ with funds acquired from the sales of
his art collection.

As the country collectively mourns the deaths of countless victims of violence and inequality, The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation stands with those working to dismantle systemic racism in our country and to end senseless attacks that impact us all.

“My father was never shy about what he believed in, and, more than anything, he believed in art and justice. That
he has found this way to marry those two beliefs is a sweet
miracle for him.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus