Cohort Program
Cohort Program supports museum partnerships that share American art through loans, exhibitions, and community engagement to expand public access and build lasting, sustainable collaboration.
Funder: Art Bridges Foundation
Due Dates: March 1, 2027 (Applications open) | June 1, 2027 (Applications close)
Funding Amounts: Direct payments and flat-funding awards over 4–6 years, including $500 per object loaned in Phases 2 and 3; no matching funds required
Summary: Supports long-term museum partnerships that share American art through loans, exhibitions, and community engagement.
Key Information: Cohort members must be invited; lead museums must have completed at least one art-sharing project with Art Bridges.
Description
Art Bridges Foundation’s Cohort Program supports multiyear, multi-institutional partnerships that expand public access to American art. Each cohort includes a lead museum and member museums working together for 4–6 years to lend, borrow, and display collections. Part of Art Bridges’ Art Sharing initiative, the program combines financial and strategic support to bring artworks out of storage and into communities.
The program aims to build partnerships that continue beyond its funding, dismantle siloed museum workflows, and reduce registration and conservation bottlenecks. It also seeks to broaden restrictive loan-agreement climate parameters, particularly where they limit access in underserved areas. Sustainable, cost-effective exhibition practices and long-term, reciprocal, community-led engagement are central priorities.
