Partner Loan Network
Partner Loan Network supports museums with curatorial development and art loan logistics to bring American art out of storage, diversify displays, and expand community access across the country.
Funder: Art Bridges Foundation
Due Dates: Not specified
Funding Amounts: Lenders: $5,000–$15,000 for curatorial development, plus $500 per object for travel preparation; direct loan costs covered; borrower loans last 1–2 years
Summary: Supports museums lending and borrowing American art to bring collections out of storage and expand community access nationwide.
Key Information: Borrowers must accept complete artwork groupings and display every work throughout the loan period.
Description
The Partner Loan Network is an Art Bridges Foundation initiative supporting long-term art-sharing partnerships among museums across the United States and its territories. It helps institutions circulate American art that would otherwise remain in storage, addressing barriers such as financial constraints, limited gallery space, and staff capacity. Lending institutions work with Art Bridges to select artworks and assemble groupings of two to five objects for borrowing museums in its partner network.
The program aims to diversify artworks available to museums, fill collection gaps, encourage innovative interpretation of historical works, and make borrowing more accessible to museums of all sizes. Through logistical, strategic, and financial support, it also seeks to foster community engagement and attract new audiences at borrowing venues.
