New Groupings Available
Partner Loan Network
View the latest Partner Loan Network groupings and other available artworks.
Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership convening, April 2022
About
The Art Bridges Partner Loan Network is an initiative dedicated to bringing American art out of museum vaults and presenting it in communities across the United States. A significant portion of collections sits in storage, meaning that important works of art remain inaccessible to the public. While most museums would prefer to have these artworks on view, issues like financial constraints, limited gallery space, and staff capacity impact their ability to lend them out to other museums. To offset such restrictions, Art Bridges created the Partner Loan Network, which presents a lending model that provides museums with the logistical and strategic support needed to circulate their collections.
Goals
01.
Bring artwork out of storage
and into new communities
02.
Increase the diversity of artworks
for museums across the country
03.
Fill the gaps
in museum collections
04.
Interpret historical works
in new and innovative ways
05.
Increase transparency of the process for borrowing artworks
and expand access for museums of all sizes
06.
Foster community engagement
and attract new audiences for borrowing institutions
How It Works
Lending institutions work with Art Bridges to select artworks from their collections. These artworks are then grouped into sets of 2 to 5 pieces and made available for loan to other museums. Art Bridges manages all logistics—including loan agreements, insurance, crating, packing, and shipping—at no cost to the lending institution or borrowing venues.
Each long-term loan is on view at borrowing venues for a minimum of 1 year, and leading up to the loan, there is an average of 1 year for project development with Art Bridges. Lending institutions provide label copy and reference images, when available, and can partner with Art Bridges and borrowing venues to develop additional interpretive materials, such as extended texts, themes, and historical context.
Art Bridges provides 2 phases of funding to support lender participation in the Partner Loan Network:
Phase 1: Funding supports curatorial development, including final checklists and object assessments. Depending on the number of groupings, lending institutions receive a fixed amount between $5,000 and $15,000.
Phase 2: Once groupings and checklists are approved, Art Bridges provides $500 per object to support preparation for travel. In addition, Art Bridges covers all direct costs for crating, shipping, installation, deinstallation, and insurance.
For borrowing venues, Art Bridges is committed to making art accessible by offering loans through the Partner Loan Network that are 100% free. In addition, borrowing venues are encouraged to apply for funding to support programming and community engagement.
Frequently asked questions
There is no limit to the number of artworks a lender can submit to the program.
The Partner Loan Network accepts American artworks of all mediums. We require that the selected artworks be stable enough to remain on view for the entire loan period. Our team reviews all submitted checklists and provides any edits or feedback. Not all submitted checklists are guaranteed to be accepted into the program.
No, a borrowing venue must take the grouping in its entirety.
Yes, borrowing venues may request as many groupings of 3–5 artworks as they would like. Groupings can be from different lenders.
Yes.
Lenders must lend artworks to the program for at least 1 year. Borrower loans last for 1 - 2 years per grouping.
If Art Bridges is unable to place a grouping during the agreed loan term, the loan will still expire at the end of the term.
There is no limit to the number of times an institution can lend works to the Partner Loan Network.
No, we ask that all objects remain in the program for the duration of the loan period. Loans can be recalled if security or environmental concerns arise.
Yes, lenders are welcome to borrow works from the Partner Loan Network or participate in another Art Bridges program. They are also eligible to apply for Learning & Engagement awards to activate these loans.
Clementine Hunter (1886 or 1887 - 1988), Plantation Life, Natchitoches, Louisiana, 1980-1986, oil on canvas board, 22 1/2 x 35 1/2 in. American Folk Art Museum, New York, Gift of Joan Einbender, 2016.28.2. Copyright Cane River Art Corporation, with special thanks to Thomas Whitehead. Photo by Adam Reich.
