Ford Foundation will team up with the MoMA to launch scholars in residence program at that New York institution

To find new perspectives on art history, the Ford Foundation will team up with the Museum of Modern Art to launch a scholarly fellowship program at the New York-based institution. In September 2022, as part of the first iteration of the program, three scientists will conduct research at MoMA over a one-year period.

In its announcement, the MoMA said it was looking for scholars whose work deals with “historically underrepresented artists, moments, movements, and geography or offers new perspectives on art history topics. Each selected scholar will receive an annual stipend of US$185,000. The museum is currently looking for nominations on its website.

The new MoMA program was formed with a grant from the Ford Foundation, although the museum did not specify the amount it received. The Ford Foundation regularly provides grants to museums to support efforts to preserve diversity.

In 2020, the Ford Foundation provided funding to Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous arts organizations, including El Museo del Barrio, Studio Museum in Harlem, and Project Row Houses.

However, the Ford Foundation rarely gives grants to museums of the scale of MoMA. But, the Ford Foundation rarely gives grants to museums of the scale of MoMA. Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, said in a statement that museums are important for the understanding of art and, in turn, people`s view of the world. He also added that they are honored to support the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program for MoMA Residents and promote creative, diverse, and innovative thinking about the role contemporary art plays in our society today.

The Ford Foundation is an American charitable foundation established by charter to fund programs in support of democracy, poverty reduction, international cooperation, and human development. The Foundation was established in1936, by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, and two directors of the Ford Motor Company.

In its early years, the Ford Foundation was based in Michigan and operated by members of the Ford family and associates, providing financial support to organizations such as the Henry Ford Hospital, Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum, and others.

After the death of Edsel Ford in 1943 and Henry Ford in 1947, the management of the Ford Foundation passed to Edsel’s eldest son, Henry Ford II. In 1976, Henry Ford II, the last family member on the board of directors, withdrew from the management of the fund.

From 1952 to 1970, he funded the educational television broadcast network National Educational Television (NET). In 1952, the foundation opened its first international office in New Delhi, India. By the end of the 1980s, the Ford Foundation began to provide assistance in the fight against AIDS.

Among the organizations receiving grants from the Ford Foundation are:

• Palestinian Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW);
• Jerusalem Media Center hosting The Palestine Report website;
• Palestinian Academic Center for the Study of International Relations (PASSIA);
• “Rabbis for Human Rights”;
• “Physicians for Human Rights”;
• Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights.