Collections Grants

The Terra Foundation for American Art offers Collections Grants to support projects that address historical inequities in American art history. These grants are aimed at organizations seeking to reinterpret their collections through reinstallations or temporary exhibitions. Eligible institutions must have 501(c)(3) status or its international equivalent. The foundation prioritizes projects that promote inclusivity and equity, focusing on narratives that have historically been underrepresented. Multilingual materials are encouraged when relevant.

Recognizing current and historical inequities in presentations and understandings of American art history, the Terra Foundation encourages permanent collection projects that address these disparities and exclusions at institutions worldwide.
Terra Foundation Collections Grants provide support for organizations to reinterpret and re-present their collections through reinstallations or temporary exhibitions drawn from their permanent collections.
The Terra Foundation encourages proposals from organizations (e.g., museums, art centers, and community-based cultural organizations) of varying sizes and annual budgets and representing the full spectrum of geographic regions, within and outside the United States.
Priorities and Goals
The foundation supports visual arts projects that question and broaden understandings of American art and engage in transforming how the story of American art is told. We encourage projects that:
generate knowledge and interpretive frameworks that reflect the range and complexity of American art and its histories through the diversity of artists represented, voices included, and stories toldcenter artists, scholars, communities, and audiences who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color as well as narratives that have historically been excluded from American artcommit to inclusive and equitable practices across project development and implementation in order to lead to structural change
We also encourage multilingual written materials when possible and relevant to the project and/or its audiences.

Eligibility

For this program, the Terra Foundation accepts proposals only from institutions with United States 501(c)(3) status or its international equivalent. If co-organizing a temporary exhibition with a partner museum, the co-organizers must apply jointly. Grants will offset planning and/or implementation costs for:permanent collection reinstallations**If you are seeking support for research and planning (e.g., convenings, travel, research fellows or assistants, advisory groups) and/or installation of temporary exhibitions primarily comprising artworks that are not part of the institution’s permanent collection, please see our Exhibitions grant program.temporary exhibitions drawn primarily from an institution’s permanent collectionresearch and planning for permanent collection reinstallations or temporary exhibitions drawn primarily from an institution’s permanent collection (e.g., convenings, travel, research fellows or assistants, advisory groups).

Ineligibility

Grants are not made to individuals.The Terra Foundation does not accept proposals for:acquisitions or capital expendituresexhibitions that are exclusively onlineexhibitions previously opened that are touring to new venuesexhibitions previously declined by the Terra Foundation