Art Bridges Cohort Program

Art Bridges Cohort Program is sponsored by Art Bridges Foundation. Supports multi-year, multi-museum partnerships to share American art, develop exhibitions, and engage communities through collaborative, sustainable art-sharing networks.

Cohort Program | Multi-Museum Art Sharing | Art Bridges Foundation Learn about collection highlights, program offerings, and more. Art Bridges Cohort Program The Art Bridges Cohort Program expands access to American art by supporting multiyear, multi-institutional art-sharing partnerships among museums nationwide.

The mission of the program is to create self-sustaining ecosystems of art sharing, collaboration, and community engagement across the country.

Build and nurture art-sharing partnerships among a given cohort that extends beyond the program Dismantle siloed workflows within and between museums in registration and conservation Broaden loan agreements’ climate parameters that restrict art access, especially to underserved areas around practices of sustainable and cost-effective art sharing and exhibition building Create engagement opportunities that are long-term, reciprocal, and community-led Phase 1 - Research and Development (8 months) Phase 2 - Small Art Share (22 months) Phase 3 - Large Art Share (47 months) Each cohort, comprised of a lead museum and cohort members, works together for 4-6 years to share their collections, making art lending, borrowing, and display more efficient and environmentally sustainable.

Installation view of Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea at the Whatcom Museum as part of the SAAM Cohort, March 19 2022 - August 21 - 2022 Art Bridges supports these partnerships through a mix of direct payments and flat-funding awards to offset hard and soft costs. Lead museums and cohort members are eligible to apply for Learning & Engagement funding in Phases 2 and 3 to deepen community engagement efforts.

Phase 1 Research & Development (8 months) Art Bridges will cover the travel and hosting costs of a 2-day, in-person convening for all museums within a cohort. Phase 2 Small Art Share (22 months) Art Bridges pays directly for the Ki Futures Accessible Loans Program for each cohort, Ki Futures Collections Care Apprenticeship Program, and direct costs, such as crating, shipping, installation, deinstallation, and insurance for 3-5 works.

Awards to lead museum and cohort members include project manager's salary, collections care apprentice's salary, collections care apprentice's housing and travel during training, $500 per object loaned, and 2 convenings.

Phase 3 Large Art Share (47 Months) Art Bridges pays directly for direct object costs, such as crating, shipping, installation and deinstallation, contract art handlers, installation materials, additional security, insurance, marketing toolkit, and exhibition design.

Awards to lead museum and cohort members include project manager's salary, collections care apprentice's salary, $500 per object loaned, annual convenings, in-gallery accessibility items, community resource group honoraria, sustainable exhibition materials incentive, and interpretation.

Wave 2 Research & Development applications open Wave 2 Research & Development applications close Wave 2 decisions communicated Research & Development convenings hosted in Bentonville, Arkansas Research & Development final reports due Phase 2 Part 1 applications due Research & Development support: Awarded through this program once yearly Research & Development awards support: Roundtrip flights, ground transportation up to $200 per diem, and lodging Frequently asked questions Do the new Cohort Program requirements apply to current partners?

If you are currently undertaking an implementation phase of your cohort project, continue executing this already funded work. The new Cohort Program requirements apply to applicants who are new partners, have closed previous cohort projects, or not yet entered an implementation phase by June 2024. What are the qualifying criteria to participate in the Cohort Program?

Lead Museums: - Art museum with a substantial American art collection that it’s willing and able to share - Completed at least 1 art-sharing project with Art Bridges - Strong history of community engagement - Has gallery space available to support two 6-month art shares over 6 years - Art museum with strong history of American art exhibitions - Strong history of community engagement - Has a Director of Education or similar position on staff - Has gallery space available to support two 6-month art shares over 6 years I’m a lead museum, and I’m interested in building a cohort but am unsure with whom to partner.

Can Art Bridges help? The Art Bridges Cohort team is happy to help research and identify potential cohort members based on your museum’s interests, mission and goals. While we are happy to provide recommendations, you are not required to move forward with any of them.

I’m interested in joining the Cohort Program as a cohort member. How do I apply for funding? Potential cohort members are required to be invited to be part of a cohort to participate in the Cohort Program.

If you are not associated with a specific cohort, please email the Cohort Program team. We’re happy to have a conversation to determine next steps. Do you require matching funds for the project?

No. How does Art Bridges define American art? Art Bridges understands American art as "art of the American experience" and thus not tied to citizenship or a specific time frame. These works may be created by artists who were born outside the US or have worked outside the US but have meaningful ties to the country.

Therefore, art shared may exist outside of your designated American art collection or American art department. Will art commissions be funded? No, the Cohort Program travels artworks that already exist and thus does not support the creation of new works.

However, you may apply for Learning & Engagement funding that covers community art projects, artist residencies or workshops. Is the Ki Futures Accessible Loans Program optional? No, every cohort lead and member in the program must participate in this program.

Representation from executive, registration, curatorial, learning and engagement, and facilities is recommended. Is applying for Learning & Engagement funding optional? Although not required, we expect all partners to apply for this funding, as it is a core component of activating your shared artworks and welcoming new communities to your museum.

Our cohort would like to publish a hardback catalog. Are these funded through the program? No, however, research that takes other forms without charge can be considered for funding support.

What kinds of art may be shared through the Cohort Program? We encourage diversity in the kinds of artistic mediums shared and recommend cohorts travel readily shareable art. We welcome conversations about what art is most compelling to lend and borrow for your communities.

How often do cohorts launch? We anticipate launching 4-6 cohorts per year, starting in the summer of 2025. Applications and timelines for future “waves,” or groups of cohorts, will be announced.

How many museums are in a cohort? A cohort consists of 4-6 museum partners, including a lead museum, who serves as the administrative hub. Can I start at any point in the Cohort Program?

No, every cohort must begin at Phase 1 before moving on to Phase 2 and then Phase 3. In Phase 2, does each cohort partner’s small art share presentation need to be the same across venues? No, they do not need to be the same.

Each cohort partner will decide which 3-5 objects they will borrow independently from the other partners’ choices. Each partner’s given art share can supplement a permanent collection hang or a traveling exhibition, or it can function as its own focus show. How objects are used is at the discretion of the partner.

Who completes the applications and reports? Both the lead and members are required to complete their given portions of the applications and reports. As the administrative hub of the cohort, the lead is required to answer some questions on behalf of the cohort.

What is a convening? A convening is a 1-2 daylong, on-site gathering, where cohort partners discuss their art-sharing projects, participate in professional development, and strengthen relationships with fellow members.

To launch a potential cohort, a Research & Development convening is hosted at the Heartland Whole Health Institute in Bentonville, Arkansas, while subsequent ones are hosted at lead and member sites, depending on capacity and cohort exhibition dates. Are cohort members and their lead required to be within a certain distance of each other to work together?

While not required, it is recommended that cohort partners are within a 4-hour drive of one another to keep art-sharing costs low. What is the duration of the Phase 2 and Phase 3 art shares? Each art share is required to run for 6 months minimum, not including art movement times.

We encourage organizations to facilitate on-view times that are longer than 6 months, if possible. Each cohort receives funding for 2 positions—a collections care apprentice and project manager. Where are these roles based?

Both roles are based at the lead museum, who manages hiring and supervision. No additional roles are supported within the Cohort Program. Does every cohort partner need to share art?

Yes, every partner is required to share art. If a given partner does not have a collection to share, the other cohort partners must contribute additional works to both the small and large art shares. Interested in the Cohort Program?