About the Collection
The collection includes more than 750 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by 242 artists working between the 1750s and the 1980s. The foundation makes its collection available throughout the world through loans and exhibitions.
Started by Daniel J. Terra in the 1970s, the Terra Foundation collection has continued to evolve to the present day. We recognize that it reflects only part of the artistic and cultural heritage of the United States and reveals current and historical inequities in the ways American art is presented, exhibited, interpreted, bought, and sold. We are committed to working alongside our partners to challenge the biases that shaped the collection and its interpretation and to reimagine ways the collection can help us question and broaden stories of American art.
As we actively seek new approaches and perspectives, we invite you to share feedback, questions, and ideas about the collection and any of the interpretive materials you see on this website. Please let us know what you think by emailing us at [email protected].
The foundation lends artwork from the collection to institutions throughout the world. For loan requests and inquiries, please contact registration at [email protected].
Acknowledgments
Many people have contributed in significant ways to the creation and ongoing maintenance of the foundation’s online collection catalogue, including current and former staff members, consulting conservators, and colleagues from around the world. A special thanks to Wendy Greenhouse, Elizabeth Kennedy, and Marilyn Symmes for their initial biographies and interpretations.
Browse the Collection
Paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures made between the 1750s and the 1980s are available throughout the world through loans and exhibitions
Terra Collection-in-Residence
Extended loans of Terra Foundation artworks spark new conversations among general and academic audiences
Terra Collection in Focus
Short texts and videos offer multiple, interdisciplinary, and critical interpretations of artworks in the Terra Foundation collection
ArtNav
An interactive, multimedia platform offers an in-depth, deep-zoom experience of Terra Foundation artworks
Collection Handbook
An online version of Conversations with the Collection (2018) features highlights from the Terra Foundation collection, as well as essays by authors from around the world
Terra Collection Initiatives
Between 2006 and 2022, the Terra Foundation used its collection to co-organize exhibitions in partnership with museums worldwide