The People's Artist Contest Raises $6.8M for Charity Amid Scrutiny of Colossal's Fundraising Model
An online art competition called The People's Artist, which is backed by Johnny Depp, has generated more than $6.8 million for The Art of Elysium. The event, managed by Colossal Management under CEO Mary Hagen, has faced scrutiny regarding its organization and financial operations. Colossal, established by Darrin Austin, conducts contests that allow public voting, offering one free daily vote while charging $1 for extra votes. Financial reports indicate that DTCare's revenue increased from $18 million in 2022 to $201 million in 2025, although charitable donations fell from 60% to 52%. A class action lawsuit related to the competition was dismissed. Winner Gregory Bedford's artwork will be showcased at The Art of Elysium, alongside runner-up Helen Curran. Jennifer Howell expressed gratitude for the funds.
Key facts
- The People's Artist competition raised over $6.8 million for The Art of Elysium, with total donations estimated at $13 million.
- Colossal Management, founded in Arizona in 2022, descends from earlier contests like Miss Jetset and Favorite Chef run by Darrin Austin and Mary Hagen.
- Public voting includes one free daily vote plus additional votes at $1 each; votes reset each round.
- DTCare, a Pennsylvania non-profit founded by Marco Gruelle, processed $201 million in 2025 revenue from 17 competitions, sending $107 million to charities.
- The percentage of proceeds going to charities dropped from 60% in 2022 to 52% in 2024.
- A class action lawsuit alleging an illegal lottery was dismissed by a California district court in 2021.
- Gregory Bedford, a mixed-media artist and auto-body shop owner, won the competition.
- Artforum confirmed that Bedford's feature will be a paid advertisement, not editorial content.
- Colossal registered as a professional fundraiser and works with DTCare and Action Initiative Team (AIT), a non-profit created by Elmer and Andrew Brown.
- The New York Attorney General's 2025 Pennies for Charity report advises donors to research before giving.
Entities
Artists
- Johnny Depp
- Mary Hagen
- Darrin Austin
- Marco Gruelle
- Elmer Brown
- Andrew Brown
- Jennifer Howell
- Gregory Bedford
- Helen Curran
Institutions
- Colossal Management
- The Art of Elysium
- Artforum
- Jetset magazine
- Crow Vote
- James Beard Foundation
- National Breast Cancer Foundation
- Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation
- DTCare
- Action Initiative Team (AIT)
- US Department of Defense
- California Attorney General's office
- New York Attorney General's office
- Morgan Stanley
- CBS News
- The Art Newspaper
Locations
- Arizona
- Pennsylvania
- California
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Mountain View
- Ukraine
- Russia
- New York
- Talmadge Apartment building