Art Bridges Traveling Exhibitions

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.

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.

1. 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. 
2. The exhibition advances the dialogue of American art, as well as the mission and vision of Art Bridges.
3. 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. 
4. The exhibition presents opportunities for strong, impactful Learning & Engagement projects at borrowing venues.

1. Proposal, including the scope of the project, themes, and curatorial goals (please keep to 3-4 pages)
2. Working checklist, noting loan objects and lenders
3. Size of the exhibition in square footage
4. When the exhibition could start to travel
5. Any other content that would be helpful for the committee
   1. Wall text/Didactic materials
   2. Special partnerships
   3. 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.