Principally, the Terra Foundation’s objective is to foster the understanding of American art worldwide through exhibitions, educational programs, and the dissemination of scholarly resources. We recognize the value of fostering global perspectives in order to enlarge and enhance, and thereby strengthen, the understanding of historical American art. At the same time, we are committed to highlighting the rich and diverse historical American art in Chicago as well as the educational opportunities available through the city’s schools, museums, cultural organizations, and universities.
In addition to supporting American art through our grant program, the Terra Foundation also initiates partnerships with other institutions to organize exhibitions and programs. In the past seven years our grantees and our partners’ accomplishments have enriched the story of historical American art and have made it relevant for a growing number of individuals worldwide by asking original questions and forging deeper connections.
The Terra Foundation has developed three main goals and works to achieve these goals through multiple program areas, including Exhibitions, Academic Programs, and in Chicago, Public Programs and K-12 Education Programs.
Some projects that receive grant funding may address multiple goals.
Goal 1: Field of American Art
Our goal is to help enrich and enlarge the field of American art scholarship by supporting worldwide scholarly engagement, cross-cultural dialogue, and exhibitions and projects that explore American art in an international context.
The Terra Foundation supports exhibitions with focused theses that explore American art in an international context and/or include international curators, as well as academic projects that bring together international scholars, explore American art in an international context, or help disseminate scholarly resources worldwide.
Program Areas funded: Exhibitions, Academic Programs
Goal 2: American art exhibitions & programs outside the United States
Our goal is to increase opportunities for international audiences to experience and learn about historical American art through exhibitions and educational programming.
Internationally, the Terra Foundation supports historical American art exhibitions and programs. The Terra Foundation’s center in Paris, Terra Foundation for American Art Europe, actively creates a variety of programming with European cultural institutions and provides access to American art resources.
Program Areas funded: Exhibitions, Academic Programs
Goal 3: American art in Chicago
Our goal in Chicago is to increase the awareness, enjoyment, and appreciation of historical American art for general audiences, K–12 teachers, and the academic community.
In Chicago, the Terra Foundation works to highlight the city’s rich and diverse historical American art offerings. As an active member of the community, the foundation is committed to bringing American art to the foreground for multiple audiences by training K–12 teachers to use American art in their classrooms, encouraging undergraduate and graduate study, and supporting exhibitions and programs.
Program Areas funded: Exhibitions, Academic Programs, Public Programs, K-12 Education Programs