In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Museum Travel Alliance, the MTA has launched a grant program. These grants support museums and partnering institutions in their efforts to preserve their collections, enrich their communities with educational projects, and advance their missions.
After a competitive review process, the MTA has awarded a total of nearly six figures in grant funding among seven institutions, with each grant supporting a specific project reflecting the institution’s needs
Here are the seven institutions chosen in 2025.
Gainesboro Modern Museum of Contemporary Art
Gainesboro, TN
The Gainesboro Modern Museum is dedicated to bringing world-class contemporary art to local communities and was named “the Best Museum in Tennessee” in 2025. The grant will fund a robust collections management system to help staff catalog and care for the museum’s holdings, laying the foundation for the expansion of its public programs and making art more accessible to all.
The Davis Museum at Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
This fall, The Davis Museum will present Excavating Antioch: The Archaeology of an Ancient City, featuring loans from five major collections across the U.S. and Türkiye. Through this landmark exhibition, researchers, students, and the public will have special access to rarely seen Roman-era artifacts in their historic context, with more than 120 ancient Mediterranean objects on view for the very first time.
The MTA team says, “The scale, scope, and international dimension of this project beautifully bring the Museum Travel Alliance’s mission to life. We are thrilled to support an initiative that so clearly demonstrates how cross-cultural collaboration expands and deepens our collective understanding of global heritage.”
Chicago History Museum
Chicago, IL
The Chicago History Museum, the city’s oldest cultural organization, is launching a dynamic series of member engagement and donor appreciation initiatives. With grant funding from MTA, the museum is investing in a sustainable culture of philanthropy, allowing its vital public programming and collection stewardship to continue in perpetuity.
Museum at Eldridge Street
New York, NY
Located in New York City, the Museum at Eldridge Street is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its landmark event, the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival. This event honors the histories of the city’s neighboring Ashkenazi Jewish, Chinese, and Puerto Rican communities. This free public event offers multilingual accessibility as well as diverse art and culinary offerings
San Diego Museum of Art
San Diego, CA
To mark its centennial, the San Diego Museum of Art is bolstering their philanthropic and cultural initiatives with a series of public and private events, including a historic exhibition.
“This milestone year transforms our campus into a dynamic civic stage, allowing our supporters to see firsthand the true, vibrant community impact of the legacy they have helped build over the last 100 years,” says Zach Roberts, Manager of Institutional Relations of SDMA.
Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at VCU and the VCU School of the Arts (VCUarts) have launched an initiative to support art engagement and educational experiences. The program will help build a self-sustaining donor pipeline to enhance student programming, artist residencies, and public programming.
Anonymous
MTA also provided funding to a museum that wishes to remain anonymous. Our team is excited to support their continued endeavors in scholarship, collection stewardship, and donor appreciation.
Written by Arrangements Abroad Staff
