The Long Run Foundation

The Long Run Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports visual artists experiencing adversity. Our mission is to provide monetary grants to artists twice a year to help them continue creating and pursuing their passion for art.

Our Story

Our Story:  The Long Run Foundation was founded in October 2021 by the current President of the Board of Directors, Wendy Ryan.  Wendy conceived of the foundation in the early days of the COVID pandemic when she was confined to her home because of a rare bowel disorder that she suffered while overseas in 2011.  Wendy had started collecting art seriously on her first overseas assignment in 2001 in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Upon returning to the United States, she gradually acquired a contemporary art collection focusing on emerging American painters, and created a gallery space in her home. 

Wendy cares deeply about supporting and creating connections with the artists in her collection.  Driven by a belief that art makes the world a better place, Wendy also developed a deep relationship with visual art as an emotional lifeline when, in her early forties, her intenstine failed. Living, surrounded by art, allowed Wendy to escape the realities, her declining health and isolation of being unable to leave for extended periods. Unable to eat or drink, Wendy survived using Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) for multiple years.  When it became clear that was not going to be enough and her small intestine was failing, Wendy was put on the small bowel transplant list in October 2021.  Gratefully, she received a transplant in February 2022.  During multiple hospital visits to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Wendy and her husband Shaun (The Long Run Foundation Treasurer), would often see the paintings that local artists brought to the hospital, and these served to truly brighten spirits on hard days.  Small bowel transplants are incredibly rare.  In 2022 only 83 small bowel transplants were performed and 13 were done at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Today Wendy is doing much better than she was and still loves her art collection which covers most of the walls in her home.  She is severely immune compromised now and the art allows her to ‘travel’ to places without ever leaving her home.  Pictures in the kitchen allowe Wendy to drink her morning tea at a museum café.  Portraits along the stairwell allow her to imagine swimming in azure seas.  A painting in the dining room allows Wendy to enter an art fair. In sum, medical intervention helped save her body and art helped save her heart.


Our Values:  Supporting Artists

At the Long Run Foundation, we believe that art can have a powerful impact on mental health and well-being.  According to studies in a new field of research called neuroesthetics (the scientific study of the neurobiological basis of the arts), researchers have used biofeedback to study the effects of visual art on neural circuits and neuroendocrine markers to find biological evidence that visual art promotes health, wellness and fosters adaptive responses to stress.  In another study, cognitive neuroscientists found that creating art reduces cortisol levels (markers for stress), and that through art people can induce positive mental states.  We strive to support artists who are facing financial hardships or other challenges and promote the therapeutic benefits of art.  We are committed to providing artists with the resources they need to continue creating, despite any adversity they may be experiencing. 

Our Work:   Providing Financial Grants

We provide monetary grants that can range from $500 - $2,000 to visual artists twice a year to support their ongoing work and creative pursuits.  Our grants are designed to alleviate some of the financial burdens that artists may be facing, allowing them to focus on their art and the healing benefits that it can bring. We are proud to support a diverse range of artists from all backgrounds and experiences.  Please take a look at our alumni page at past incredible winners and support their art!