Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art announced plans to lend major works from its collection to regional museums across the country. The historic loan program is part of a larger initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
National Gallery’s “Across the Nation” Loan Program Spans Cultures and Centuries
“Across the Nation” will include loans of major masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art’s collection of nearly 160,000 works, which range from ancient artifacts to the latest contemporary works. The 10 partner institutions in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington were selected for their geographic spread.
Works by the likes of Sandro Botticelli, Mark Rothko, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georgia O’Keeffe, and more will soon travel across the United States. The National Gallery plans to cover the cost of transportation, installation, and marketing campaigns related to the loans. The “Across the Nation” program is the “manifestation of the National Gallery’s vision as the nation’s art museum,” said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. “We are so thrilled to bring some of the most beloved works from the nation’s collection of art directly into communities across the country.”
Northern European Works in Iowa, Impressionist Paintings in Washington, and More
Museums participating in the “Across the Nation” program were invited to select works from the National Gallery’s collection that align with their existing programming goals. Some of these selections are already on view. The rest are scheduled to be installed by next month.
The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, is showing 10 Northern European works created in the aftermath of the High Renaissance. These include paintings by Anthony van Dyck, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and Frans Hals. The Anchorage Museum in Alaska is borrowing 20th-century works by famed American artists like O’Keeffe and Rothko.
Bellingham, Washington’s Whatcom Museum made a selection of French works that demonstrate the influence of Impressionism on Modern art. Meanwhile, a minimalist wall drawing by Sol LeWitt will go on public view for the second time in its history at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.
Other partner institutions include the Boise Art Museum in Idaho, the Denver Art Museum in Colorado, the Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan, the Mint Museum in North Carolina, and the New Britain Museum of Art in Connecticut.
