Topic: Cultural Preservation

In this timeline, we will follow the path Ford Foundation programs took from the early beginnings to the end of the twentieth century. By no means comprehensive, this selection of grants, large and small, demonstrates the breadth and evolution of funding creativity over the decades. 

Nelson Rockefeller’s personal collection of indigenous art – and the museum he founded to share it – would eventually become a vital addition to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “encyclopedic” collection.

The Rockefeller Foundation evolved to bring the arts and humanities together, from classical archaeology to contemporary museums.

Although known for its work in science, medicine, and health, the Rockefeller Foundation supported a surprising number of performing arts activities.

The mid-20th century was an era influenced by mass communications, and a handful of philanthropic programs sought to tap into the possibilities of film and radio.

Saving threatened scholars and confronting a dramatically changed world.

Using new technology to save threatened world resources and keep free inquiry alive under threat of fascist destruction.

What might appear to be a simple publication project came to fruition only after a decade of political upheaval, cultural repression, war, and Rockefeller Foundation support.

Does philanthropy always require a perfect partnership to create something great? Peering behind the facade of The Met Cloisters museum reveals that the answer is sometimes “no.”

Stepping in to save French monuments without stepping on French pride.