SEATTLE, WA.- The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is the recipient of a one-time grant of $150,000 from The Henry Luce Foundation. The grant is issued through the American Art Renewal Fund and specifically allocated for SAMs Curator of Native American Art as well as essential collection management activities for the museums American Art department.
The Henry Luce Foundation developed the American Art Renewal Fund to respond to the economic downturn and the current need to strengthen American art activities at the nations museums.
This short-term initiative, offered through the American Art Program, provides support for the operating expenses related to American Art. Thus, it is a departure from the traditional focus on research and scholarship and is in effect only though 2011.
SAM has benefited in the past from the Foundations generous support for important American art projects. The foundation was a presenting sponsor of the museums 2009 exhibition S'abadeb - The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art and supported the frame restoration for two signature works of early American art in the museums collection: John Singleton Copleys portrait of Silvester Gardiner and Rembrandt Peales Andrew Caldwell.
Since its inception in 1982, The Henry Luce Foundation's American Art Program has provided more than $130 million to support scholarly studies and awareness of American art at some 250 museums, universities and service organizations across the country and internationally.
