Henry Luce Foundation American Art Program - Exhibition Competition & Responsive Grants

Important Notes

Note: As of April 26, this program is Open Until Filled. The first eligible Expression of Interest (EOI) received will be awarded the nomination spot.

The American Art Program supports scholarly loan exhibitions that contribute significantly to the study and understanding of art of the United States, including all facets of Native American art. The loan exhibitiongrants advance the Program’s efforts to empower art museums to reconsider accepted histories, foreground the voices and experiences of underrepresented artists and cultures, and welcome diverse collaborators and communities into dialogue.

Exhibition Competition
Eligible projects may address any time period and/or medium, with the exceptions of performance art, film, and the work of emerging artists. The projects must result in substantial exhibitions and preferably have accompanying publications. Proposals will be judged on the cultural significance of the art under consideration, as well as on the intellectual rigor and originality of the exhibition’s conceptual framework.

Responsive Grants
Through its Responsive Grants, the American Art Program seeks to support a wide range of collection-based projects that advance the understanding and presentation of art of the United States. Eligible collection areas include paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, decorative arts, naïve and outsider art, traditional and studio crafts, architecture, design, and all aspects of Native American arts.

Eligibility
Eligible projects may address any time period and/or medium, excepting performance art, film, and the work of emerging artists, and must result in substantial exhibitions and accompanying publications. Proposals will be judged on the aesthetic and historical merit of the art under consideration, as well as on the intellectual rigor and originality of the exhibition’s conceptual framework. Competitive projects will be concertedly focused on original art objects of distinct quality.

The Henry Luce Foundation gives the highest consideration to the cultural significance of the art, the intellectual rigor and originality of the exhibition’s conceptual framework, and the organizational capacity for the successful execution of the project. We secondarily consider geographic and institutional diversity. While accompanying publications and additional tour venues are not required, they can enhance a project’s strength.

Requirements and Guidelines

• Art of the United States, including Native American art, should constitute significantly more than half of the checklist.
• The organizing institution’s permanent collection should not constitute more than half of the exhibition checklist.
• A single, privately held collection should constitute no more than half of the exhibition checklist.
• The holdings of a single commercial dealer should constitute no more than half of the exhibition checklist.
• The proposed exhibition should not open before March of the year following your application submission.
• Museums outside of the United States may submit appropriate projects for consideration only if they have proof of valid non-profit status provided by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
• Only one exhibition per year can be submitted per institution.

Program Restrictions

Please note that proposals related to performance art, film (including documentaries), the creation of art, the purchase of art, and the work of emerging artists are not eligible for funding through the American Art program.

This announcement provides only opportunity highlights. Please carefully review the program guidelines and the sponsor's website for any requirements and expectations related to eligibility, PI and Co-PI limits, budget, collaboration, priority research areas, letter of intent requirements, and review criteria before submitting to this internal competition.