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Frederic Edwin Church (1826 – 1900) "Aurora Borealis" (detail), 1865 Oil on canvas Smithsonian American Art Museum In “Civil War and American Art,” Smithsonian American Art Museum, November 16, 2012 – April 28, 2013; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, May 27, 2013 – September 2, 2013

Our ProgramsAmerican Art

Challenging accepted histories through artWe support museums that act as open forums for creative expression and visual arts-centered dialogues about the past, present, and future of the United States.

Through grants for innovative projects in the visual arts, we enable museums to foreground the experiences of underrepresented artists and cultures, redress accepted histories, and welcome diverse collaborators and communities into conversation. We aspire to help museums tell new and different stories through collection-based projects and special exhibitions and, thereby, help visitors engage more fully and personally with art.

Apply for a GrantWe are committed to identifying the most promising ideas and projects for support. All Luce programs accept unsolicited inquiries through our online portal.

How to Apply

Additional Resources

Looking for more insights and inspiration? Explore our curated selection of informative articles, videos, and related programs beyond Luce.

  • Panorama offers open access to groundbreaking scholarship on visual and material culture. The journal embraces the study of the diverse artistic production that circulates within and beyond the constructed geographies of what is now the United States.

    Visit Panorama Journal(this link opens in new window)
  • Grantmakers in the Arts is the only national association of both public and private arts and culture funders in the US, including independent and family foundations, public agencies, community foundations, corporate philanthropies, nonprofit regrantors, and national service organizations – funders of all shapes and sizes across the US and into Canada.

    Learn More

Grantee Locations

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