Terra Foundation for American Art
Encyclopedia
The Terra Foundation for American Art was created in 1978 by Daniel J. Terra. The governing mission of the nascent foundation was to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the country’s rich artistic and cultural heritage through the acquisition, preservation, exhibition, interpretation, research, and scholarship of works of American art. This goal was first put into practice with Terra's own growing American art collection and the museum in which he planned to house it. In 1978, the Tera Museum of American Art
was founded in Evanston
, Illinois in 1980. The museum relocated to Chicago
in 1987, and closed in 2004. A lawsuit regarding the closing was settled that year with the foundation required to stay in the state of Illinois for 50 years.
In 2004, the foundation decided to lend, after its museum closed, about fifty paintings at any one time to the Art Institute of Chicago
. The foundation also made a long-term loan to the Art Institute of all of the foundation's works on paper, approximately 350 works, to be available for study at the Art Institute’s Department of Prints and Drawings. The initial group of paintings became part of a combined installation of American art that opened to the public in April 2005.
The foundation continues to actively collect paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and other objects representing the fullest achievement in American art from the colonial period through 1945, and shares its collection with the public. Selections can be seen at the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny, the Art Institute of Chicago, and at other arts institutions for temporary exhibitions. For example, the foundation loaned works to the Louvre
in Paris for a major exhibition in the summer of 2006.
The foundation also continues to focus on international initiatives, building on the programs of its museum in France and partnerships with other European institutions to encourage the exploration of American art through an international lens. The foundation grants international loans of art from its collection and sponsors fellowships, symposia, and exhibitions for audiences overseas.
In 2005, the foundation announced an expanded grant program, designed to engage individuals around the globe in an enriched and enriching dialogue on American art through exhibitions, education projects, and academic and public programs.
Terra Museum
The Terra Museum of American Art was an art museum founded by Daniel J. Terra in Evanston, Illinois in 1980. The museum was relocated to Chicago in 1987. Charged by the Terra Foundation for the Arts, now known as the Terra Foundation for American Art, with exhibiting and interpreting original...
was founded in Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois in 1980. The museum relocated to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1987, and closed in 2004. A lawsuit regarding the closing was settled that year with the foundation required to stay in the state of Illinois for 50 years.
In 2004, the foundation decided to lend, after its museum closed, about fifty paintings at any one time to the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
. The foundation also made a long-term loan to the Art Institute of all of the foundation's works on paper, approximately 350 works, to be available for study at the Art Institute’s Department of Prints and Drawings. The initial group of paintings became part of a combined installation of American art that opened to the public in April 2005.
The foundation continues to actively collect paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and other objects representing the fullest achievement in American art from the colonial period through 1945, and shares its collection with the public. Selections can be seen at the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny, the Art Institute of Chicago, and at other arts institutions for temporary exhibitions. For example, the foundation loaned works to the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
in Paris for a major exhibition in the summer of 2006.
The foundation also continues to focus on international initiatives, building on the programs of its museum in France and partnerships with other European institutions to encourage the exploration of American art through an international lens. The foundation grants international loans of art from its collection and sponsors fellowships, symposia, and exhibitions for audiences overseas.
In 2005, the foundation announced an expanded grant program, designed to engage individuals around the globe in an enriched and enriching dialogue on American art through exhibitions, education projects, and academic and public programs.