Chicago, Shanghai, Moscow, Bilbao, Hamburg, London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Munich, Mexico City, Lima—these are but some of the cities in which people were able to participate in American art programming over the past two years. In 2005, the Terra Foundation for American Art expanded its grant program with the goal of strengthening historical American art presentation, study, and programming in Chicago and worldwide. At that time we could not have anticipated the tremendous enthusiasm and creativity with which the foundation’s priorities would be embraced and realized. The many programs listed in our 2006–2008 report are the result of dedication to those goals on the part of our board of directors, our foundation staff, our museum staff, our project partners, and our grantees. To each and every one, we extend our gratitude: youraccomplishments have enriched the story of historical American art and have made it relevant for a growing number of individuals around the globe.
At the heart of any American art exhibition, discussion, or research project is an original work of art, and we are committed to creating and supporting opportunities to engage with such works. The foundation’s collection of paintings, works on paper, and sculptures is now more than seven hundred objects strong and it continues to grow through purchases and donations. We actively lend collection works to exhibition venues throughout the world: over the past two years, 230 artworks have been seen in thirty-four exhibitions. How exciting to have American art shown in places it has never been before—and what a powerful means of stimulating art conversations across geographic boundaries.
This year we are celebrating an important milestone: the Terra Foundation is thirty years old. Founded in 1978 by Daniel J. Terra, the foundation was conceived to engage individuals with historical American art through exhibitions and related educational programs. This original impetus continues to guide the foundation today.
Anniversaries are times for reflection as well as occasions to look to the future. What is on our horizon? We see unlimited opportunity. When we restructured the foundation to offer increased support of the field, it was a bold move. To retain priorities yet shift the method of realizing them is always a challenge. Our energetic board of directors and dedicated staff in Chicago and Europe deserve recognition and praise for doing so with a dynamic sense of purpose. Keeping the foundation nimble allows it to be both responsive and proactive and, above all, to continue to make American art accessible to the public. This particular achievement is not only the result of hard work on the foundation’s part: many people in many countries, eager to see and discuss American art, have shared their innovative ideas for doing so. We are pleased to have been able to support the resulting varied projects.
What we hope strikes you is that American art is being seen, discussed, and welcomed worldwide. Thank you for joining us in this adventure.
