The Wyeth Foundation awards grants to institutions and individuals who share its vision.
The Wyeth Foundation for American Art focuses on painting rather than the other visual arts. Grants, awarded to museums, art institutions and non-profits are meant to encourage the study and appreciation of American art. It's uncommon for an individual to receive a direct grant from the Foundation, but art institutions, notably the museums associated with the Smithsonian Institution, use funding from the Wyeth Foundation to award grants to outstanding artists and scholars who share its vision.
The Wyeth Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
The Wyeth Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, awarded to scholars working on their dissertations, focuses on the traditions of American art. Administered by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, the fellowship includes access to the museum's huge research library, the Archives of American Art and research databases. Grantees work in the offices of the American Art Museum in Washington, DC. Grant recipients receive a cash award for one year, plus travel and research allowances. Applications are graded on the quality of the proposed research project, the applicant's academic qualifications and experience.
The Wyeth Fellowship
Administered by the National Gallery of Art's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, the Wyeth Fellowship provides a grant for two years of work on a dissertation related to American Art, in particular native and Pre-Revolutionary aspects. Grantees must be in residence for one of two years at the Center. An additional year of study in the United States or abroad is also funded, and the Center contributes to the publication of a book for first time authors. Applicants, considered only through nomination by the chair of a university art history department, must be fluent in two languages as well as English.
College Art Association Fellowships
The Wyeth Foundation funds a grant awarded by the College Art Association to graduates finishing an MFA the year following the award. The award is open to all graduate students in the visual arts, but grantees must be members of CAA. Grants, awarded without contingencies, may be used for anything in any way related to the artist's work. Honorable mentions receive a complimentary membership to the College Art Association and registration at the annual conference.
Other Grants
The Wyeth Foundation awards grants to institutions presenting exhibitions in the Foundation's areas of interest and to individuals for projects promoting American Artists. In 2008, a University of Delaware Professor Emeritus received a grant to continue his preparation of artist Thomas Eakin's letters for publication. The Wilmington Library received funds to index and preserve original illustrations from children's books published from the 1940s through the 1960s. Grant requests are considered twice a year at the Foundation's board meeting.
