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Roy Lichtenstein Foundation

Annual Giving
$8.3M
Grant Range
$2K - $13.8M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $8.3 million (2023 tax year)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $2,000 - $13,800,000
  • Median Grant: $251,000
  • Geographic Focus: National and international
  • Application Method: Invitation only/no public application process

Contact Details

Roy Lichtenstein Foundation

Overview

The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation was chartered as a private operating foundation in 1998, following the artist's death in 1997, and formally opened in 1999. With total assets of $68.3 million (2023), the foundation was established primarily to facilitate public access to the work of Roy Lichtenstein and the art and artists of his time; to create a catalogue raisonné of all known Lichtenstein works; and to share information which could assist the development and education of the next generations of curators, critics, and scholars concerning the artist Roy Lichtenstein. Throughout its lifetime, the foundation has awarded over $16 million in grants and facilitated major institutional gifts of artwork totaling more than $100 million. The foundation began its sunset process in 2018, transferring its holdings to successor institutions, and does not intend to operate in perpetuity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation makes strategic grants to museums, archives, educational institutions, and arts organizations that align with its mission. Recent grant examples include:

  • Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution: $2 million (2025) for Digital Transformation Initiative; $5 million endowment for processing and digitizing materials on underrepresented artists
  • Ohio State University: Two $3 million endowments (2017) establishing the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Endowed Chair of Art History and the Roy Lichtenstein Endowed Chair of Studio Art
  • Whitney Museum of American Art: Over 400 artworks establishing the Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection (ongoing gifts totaling over $100 million in value)
  • Foundation for Contemporary Arts: $1 million endowment establishing the $45,000 annual Roy Lichtenstein Award; $250,000 lead partnership for FCA's 60th Anniversary Gala
  • Atlanta University Center (AUC) Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective: $160,000 annually for four years supporting two Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships in Museum Professions
  • National Gallery of Art: $135,950 to underwrite acquisition of 175 works by 50 artists from the Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia
  • Major Photography Archives Donation: Distribution of approximately 200,000 items from the Shunk-Kender and Harry Shunk Photography Collections to five institutions (Getty Research Institute, Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, Centre Pompidou, and Tate)

Grant amounts have ranged from $2,000 to $13.8 million, with the median grant at $251,000.

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on:

  • Preservation and Documentation: Creating and maintaining a comprehensive catalogue raisonné of Roy Lichtenstein's works
  • Public Access: Facilitating exhibitions and public engagement with Lichtenstein's work and contemporary art
  • Education and Scholarship: Supporting art history, curatorial studies, and research about postwar American art
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Prioritizing projects that amplify underrepresented voices in art history, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and women
  • Digital Transformation: Supporting the digitization and accessibility of art historical materials and archives
  • Museum Collections: Gifting artworks to strengthen museum collections worldwide
  • Fellowship Programs: Supporting early-career museum professionals, curators, and art historians

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. All funding recipients are proactively identified and approached by the foundation based on alignment with their strategic priorities.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Dorothy Lichtenstein (Founding President, deceased) established the foundation following Roy Lichtenstein's death in 1997. She stated about the diversity initiative: "We are delighted to support the Archives of American Art in expanding the ways the public can learn about and enjoy the rich diversity of American Art. Having this diversity of treasures available online will be a great boon to students, scholars and art-lovers."

Jack Cowart (Founding Executive Director) has led the foundation since 1999. Previously Deputy Director/Chief Curator of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (1992–99) and Head of the Department of 20th-Century Art at the National Gallery of Art (1983–92), Cowart has overseen the foundation's growth from 1.5 employees with no money and no art to a staff of twenty, including archivists, registrar, image processors, photographers, and digital catalogue raisonné team members. Regarding the Brandywine Workshop acquisition, Cowart stated the foundation was "delighted" to fund this acquisition, noting it aligned with their mission "to facilitate public access to art and artists of Roy Lichtenstein's time."

Ruth Fine (Chair of the Foundation Board) is curator of the 1994 exhibition "The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein" and coordinated the definitive Roy Lichtenstein print catalogue raisonné.

Board Members Emeriti include Elizabeth Glassman, Adam D. Weinberg, and others who have contributed to the foundation's work.

Deceased Founding Members: Kenneth L. Goldglit and Renee Lichtenstein Tolcott

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grant recipients are proactively identified and approached by the foundation based on strategic alignment with the foundation's mission and priorities.

The foundation operates as a private operating foundation with a targeted philanthropic strategy focused on preserving Roy Lichtenstein's legacy and supporting scholarship about American art, particularly regarding underrepresented artists.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Decisions are made internally by foundation leadership and the board of directors based on strategic priorities.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept applications, so there is no application success rate to report.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or reapplications.

Application Success Factors

Since the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation does not accept applications, organizations cannot directly pursue funding. However, analyzing the foundation's grant history reveals clear patterns in their funding decisions:

Strategic Alignment Factors:

  1. Connection to Roy Lichtenstein's Legacy: Organizations that preserve, exhibit, or provide scholarly access to Lichtenstein's work or the work of his contemporaries are prioritized. The foundation has made its largest gifts to institutions like the Whitney Museum and Archives of American Art that directly serve this mission.

  2. Commitment to Diversity: The foundation has demonstrated strong support for projects amplifying underrepresented voices in art history. Dorothy Lichtenstein emphasized supporting "this diversity of treasures," and the $5 million endowment specifically targets materials on African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and women artists.

  3. Educational Impact: Programs that develop the next generation of curators, critics, and scholars receive significant support, such as the $160,000 annual fellowship program at Atlanta University Center and the $6 million in endowed professorships at Ohio State University (Lichtenstein's alma mater).

  4. Digital Accessibility: The foundation has invested heavily in digital transformation projects, including the $2 million grant to the Archives of American Art to enable collection and preservation of born-digital artwork and the comprehensive online publication of Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné featuring over 5,500 recognized works.

  5. Long-term Sustainability: The foundation favors endowment gifts that provide perpetual support, such as the $1 million endowment creating the annual $45,000 Roy Lichtenstein Award through the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

  6. Institutional Excellence: Recipients are major, well-established institutions with proven track records in their fields—Smithsonian, Whitney Museum, National Gallery of Art, Ohio State University, Getty Research Institute, MoMA, Centre Pompidou, and Tate.

Foundation Philosophy:

Jack Cowart noted the foundation functions "to facilitate public access to art and artists of Roy Lichtenstein's time," which guides all funding decisions. The foundation has organized or contributed to more than 75 exhibitions concerning Roy Lichtenstein and related artists globally, and conducted 250 oral history interviews.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Application Process: The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation exclusively makes grants to preselected organizations—you cannot apply for funding
  • Sunset Phase: The foundation began transferring its holdings to successor institutions in 2018 and does not intend to operate in perpetuity, meaning future grant opportunities may be increasingly limited
  • Strategic Focus Areas: If your organization works in art preservation, digital archives, diversity in art history, or museum education, you may align with the foundation's priorities—but you still cannot apply directly
  • Major Institutional Partners: The foundation works with nationally and internationally recognized museums, archives, and universities rather than smaller or grassroots organizations
  • Endowment Preference: Recent grants favor creating permanent endowments ($1-5 million) over annual operating support, ensuring lasting impact beyond the foundation's planned closure
  • Roy Lichtenstein Connection: Priority goes to organizations with direct ties to preserving or studying Lichtenstein's work, his era, or his artistic contemporaries
  • Relationship-Based Funding: All funding relationships are initiated by the foundation based on their strategic priorities and existing connections within the art world institutional network

References

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