Feelinga lack of resources in the art world for emerging artists of color, brothersRussell (the hip-hop mogul), Danny (an artist), and Joseph "Reverend Run" (of Run-DMC) Simmons founded Rush PhilanthropicArts Foundation in 1996. The foundation and its Chelsea space, Rush Arts Gallery,helped launch thecareers of artists like Kalup Linzy, Kehinde Wiley, and Barron Claiborne,and his since expanded to help all emerging artists. It celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with a series of events and alimited-edition portfolio that went on sale at Artspace.com Tuesday.

"We wanted tocommemorate the great work," Danny Simmons told ARTINFO. "A lot of people can't affordto buy original work but would love to have these artists in their collections.It helps support the gallery and it also helps support the artist."

The portfolio,"15 X 15," brought together 15 Rush alumni to create limited-edition 16 X 20prints. Curator Ingrid LaFleur selected the 15 artists for the portfolio:Simone Leigh; Linzy; Ayana V Jackson; Tahir Hemphill, whose work is in MoMA's "Talk to Me"exhibition; Sol'Sax; WangechiMutu; Sanford Biggers, who currently has a show at the Brooklyn Museum; NavinJune Norling; Diane Wah; Kenya Robinson; Michael Paul Britto; Renee Cox;Claiborne; Lennon Jno-Baptiste; and Angelbert Metoyer.

The foundation hasselected its artists in different ways over the years, fromrecruiting at art schools, to making studio visits, to accepting submissions. But with theastounding response, now there is a panel of experts and curators (Rush alsocultivates careers of burgeoning curators) who go through the artists' work.

"There are veryfew outlets that have really catered to the type of work that these youngartists are doing," said Danny told us. "To have a venue like Rush givesthem a home, a goal to shoot for, and it helps create a community of theseartists where people can network, get together, and discuss ideas."

While Danny, whoowns pieces by most of the Rush artists, personally felt that each of theartists Rush supported over the years was great, he had no idea how successfulthey would become. "Did I know that they were going to be picked up so widelyby the mainstream art world?" Danny told ARTINFO. "No I didn't know that, but Ihoped they would."

Click on the photo gallery at left to see images from the "15  X 15" portfolio. Go to Artspace.com for more information.