The American Collections Enhancement Project

In December 2000, the Speed Art Museum and the University of Kentucky Art Museum were awarded a joint American Collections Enhancement initiative grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to fund research and the dissemination of information on their American art collections. Over a period of three years, the Speed consulted with some of the leading scholars in American art and researched 57 of its American paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts objects as part of this project. The information gathered currently is being added to the Collection pages of the museum’s website and will inform a new handbook of the museum’s collection, as well as future installations and exhibitions. In addition, the grant funded new photography of over 50 American works in the collection, which will enhance the website. Through the website, teachers will also be able to access curriculum materials on the Education page that will assist them in teaching their students about American artists and how the arts played a role in the history of Kentucky.

To learn more about the American collection at the University of Kentucky Art Museum, please visit their website at http://www.uky.edu/ArtMuseum

To learn more about the Henry Luce Foundation and the programs it funds, please visit their website at http://www.hluce.org/