The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation is excited to announce a new grant aimed at promoting and supporting conservation projects and research initiatives focused on South American viceregal art. The Thoma Foundation Art of the Spanish Americas Conservation Grant will annually award and distribute up to $50,000 among selected proposals chosen by an international jury of experts in the field. This funding is intended for conservators, curators, or other stakeholders working in museums or academic institutions and will be awarded to projects with the potential to make significant contributions to the preservation and conservation of South American viceregal art. We strongly encourage international applicants, particularly those from Latin America, to apply. Applicants are required to propose projects that focus on preventive conservation, the restoration of artworks in need of care, the acquisition of laboratory equipment, or the organization of preservation/conservation workshops or symposia.
The Thoma Foundation Art of the Spanish Americas Conservation Grant offers support for projects at various stages of development, from early planning and individual studies to advanced implementation, all with the goal of preserving historical artworks and safeguarding viceregal South American heritage. The proposed project must include a preservation/conservation professional who would either work individually or lead an interdisciplinary team that could include academic institution/museum staff, conservation scientists, curators, art historians, and other relevant experts. Grants range in duration from one to two years, with the expectation that, upon completion, the grantee will choose appropriate channels to disseminate their research outcomes throughout the conservation and art history fields.