Once a year, the American Art Program invites institutions to seek funding for special exhibitions. These are scholarly projects that involve significant loans from multiple institutional and private collections and make new contributions to the field through research, interpretation, and publication.
Jack Whitten’s “9.11.01” (2006), a 20-foot-long memorial to the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11, an event that he witnessed firsthand, on display in the Luce Foundation-supported exhibit “Jack Whitten: The Messenger,” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, March 20, 2025. Over nearly six decades, this fantastically inventive artist experimented with paint, turning it into a sculptural medium. Photo: Ahmed Gaber/The New York Times
We’re Looking For
Innovation and Rigor: in ideas, approach, research, and content
Engagement/Collaboration/Partnerships: among colleagues, communities, institutions, and audiences
Impact: for the field of American art, for audiences, for communities
2026 Application Calendar
April 24: Deadline for institutions to submit an exhibition Concept Note through the online portal.
May 15: Applicants will be informed of first-round decisions.
June 26: Deadline for selected institutions to submit full proposals through the online portal.
July 24: Applicants moving on to the second round will be notified.
September 25: Applicants moving on to the final round will be notified.
November 5: Announcement of awards approved by the Foundation’s board.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The review takes place in two stages:
- Concept Note submission
- Selected projects are invited to submit a full proposal
Concept notes are reviewed by Luce staff to identify the most promising exhibition projects. A smaller group is then invited to submit full proposals for further review by staff and external peer advisors of art historians and museum curators.
-
2026 Application Calendar
April 24: Deadline for institutions to submit an exhibition Concept Note through the online portal.
May 15: Applicants will be informed of first-round decisions.
June 26: Deadline for selected institutions to submit full proposals through the online portal.
July 24: Applicants moving on to the second round will be notified.
September 25: Applicants moving on to the final round will be notified.
November 5: Announcement of awards approved by the Foundation’s board.
-
Eligible projects generally:
- Focus on American art or visual culture
- Involve substantial loans from outside collections*
- Present new scholarship
- Result in a meaningful scholarly contribution to the field
*Exhibitions that rely primarily (more than 50%) on an institution’s permanent collection or on another sole collection, or that involve no external loans, typically are not eligible.
-
A publication is not strictly required, but many supported exhibitions include a scholarly catalogue or book that advances research on the topic.
-
Yes. Touring exhibitions are eligible and often encouraged, as they broaden the project’s impact. Applicants should provide available information about partner venues and schedules.
Note: Only the originating institution can apply for grant support for an exhibition that will go on tour with multiple venues.
-
Yes, but newly commissioned works should represent no more than approximately 50% of the exhibition checklist.
-
Projects with a large concentration of works from a single source—such as an artist’s estate or a single private collection—are not automatically disqualified, so long as they account for less than 50% of the exhibition checklist. However, projects demonstrating a broader range of lenders may be viewed more favorably.
-
Concept Notes request preliminary information about the exhibition, including:
- Project description and curatorial concept
- Preliminary exhibition checklist and potential lenders
- Estimated number of works
- Anticipated exhibition dates
- Information about a publication or tour (if applicable)
- Preliminary budget and funding request
This stage allows Luce staff to assess the project’s scholarly significance and feasibility before inviting a full proposal.
-
Invited applicants must submit:
- A detailed exhibition description
- A full project budget
- A checklist of works (as complete as possible)
- Information on lenders
- Publication and tour plans (if applicable)
- Images of works included in the exhibition
-
No. Loan Exhibition Grants are made holistically, including the exhibition, associated publications, programs, and all tour venue presentations, to support the project overall, rather than being restricted to a specific budget line, component, or venue.
-
The Loan Exhibition Grant category typically receives more than one hundred concept notes each year, from which a smaller group is invited to submit full proposals. Final awards are made to a select group of projects that demonstrate exceptional scholarly promise and impact.
-
Independent scholars and museum professionals serve as advisors who review the strongest proposals and provide guidance to Luce staff during the final selection process.
-
Yes. Institutions are welcome to submit concept notes in future competition cycles.
