Traveling Exhibitions Support is sponsored by Art Bridges Inc.. Support for the creation, preparation, and presentation of traveling exhibitions of American art.

Traveling Exhibitions | Art Bridges Foundation | No Participation Fee Learn about collection highlights, program offerings, and more. Art Bridges Traveling Exhibitions Our Traveling Exhibitions program helps museums attract new audiences and share world-class art with communities nationwide.

We support traveling exhibitions by partnering with museums that have organized, or are in the process of organizing, great exhibitions but cannot tour them without additional financial, logistical, or strategic support. We help make these exhibitions accessible to wider audiences nationwide by providing funding for shared and local costs to borrowing venues.

Gallery photo from Yellowstone Art Museum's tour of In Conversation: Will Wilson Inspire the creation of new engagement opportunities and attract new audiences Art Bridges collaborates with organizing institutions to extend the reach and impact of their exhibitions and introduce them to new audiences nationwide.

Once a proposal is submitted and approved, organizers receive a generous flat fee for a 2-year loan of their exhibition to Art Bridges, while we cover all direct touring costs. Art Bridges takes on the full management of your exhibition tour—handling lender coordination, venue bookings, loan agreements, contracts, and tour materials—freeing up your team’s time and capacity to focus on core institutional priorities and projects.

For borrowing venues, Art Bridges is committed to making exhibitions accessible by offering substantial funding support. Qualifying venues will receive funding between 20-70% of shared and local exhibition costs, along with dedicated Learning & Engagement funding to support related programming and community outreach.

The process is simple: it begins with a brief introductory call to explore which exhibitions align with your goals and interests. Once you’ve selected an exhibition and your venue is approved, you’ll be invited to submit a funding application. Best of all, there is no participation fee for any of our touring exhibitions—ensuring access without financial barriers.

Interested in submitting an exhibition proposal? Art Bridges welcomes proposals for traveling exhibitions that showcase new narratives or innovative perspectives and would not be possible to travel without Art Bridges' support. Exhibitions should appeal to a diverse audience, increasing museum reach and engagement while remaining accessible to borrowing venues.

Exhibitions featuring underrepresented artists, or scholarship that expands the American art canon to include more diverse representation, are encouraged. Proposals must also demonstrate strong potential for educational and community engagement opportunities, aligning with Art Bridges’ mission to expand the definition of American art through innovative curation and presentation methods.

If you are interested in submitting an exhibition proposal to Art Bridges for consideration, please send your materials to andi. phillips@artbridgesfoundation. org.

Exhibitions must meet the following qualifying criteria: The exhibition is based on art of the American experience and is inclusive of artists that have a geographic and/or thematic connection to the US and its territories. The exhibition advances the dialogue of American art, as well as the mission and vision of Art Bridges.

The exhibition would not be able to tour without Art Bridges' support due to limited staff capacity or the lack of a traveling exhibitions department. The exhibition presents opportunities for strong, impactful Learning & Engagement projects at borrowing venues.

Materials needed for submission: Proposal, including the scope of the project, themes, and curatorial goals (please keep to 3-4 pages) Working checklist, noting loan objects and lenders Size of the exhibition in square footage When the exhibition could start to travel Any other content that would be helpful for the committee Wall text/Didactic materials Programming that has been created or could be created for the tour Exhibition proposals are reviewed quarterly.

The Art Bridges team will contact submission owners within a few weeks after this meeting to notify them of the outcome. Frequently asked questions At what stage in development can organizers submit exhibition proposals to Art Bridges? Exhibition proposals can be submitted at any stage in the development process.

The earlier a project is submitted, the more collaborative support Art Bridges can provide a potential partner. Can exhibition organizers charge a participation fee? No. What does Art Bridges not provide funding support for in relation to exhibitions?

Art Bridges provides a flat-rate funding model for organizers. Art Bridges does not currently provide funding support for exhibition development costs, staff salaries, museum overhead, marketing, organizer exhibition presentation, catalogs, or other printed materials that may be sold in conjunction with an exhibition. Do organizers get to approve borrowing venues?

Yes, organizers can give their final approval of a borrowing venue before Art Bridges issues a venue contract. Do organizers get to approve exhibition layouts and additional content created by borrowing venues? Yes, organizers can be involved in the review process related to the exhibition’s presentation at borrowing venues.

Can organizers and borrowing venues participate in more than 1 project with Art Bridges at the same time? Yes, organizers and borrowing venues may participate in more than 1 program area offered by Art Bridges at the same time. Does Art Bridges provide funding for Learning & Engagement programming developed by borrowing venues to support the exhibition?

Yes, any approved borrowing venue will be eligible to apply for funding to support the creation of programming specific to the traveling exhibition. Installation view of Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection at Spelman College Museum of Fine Arts in Atlanta, Georgia View our exhibitions on tour Explore our past exhibitions