Museum Exchange helps institutions diversify and expand their art collections and donor base
Experience efficient sourcing of new artworks and matching with donors, seamless logistics and donation processing, and assistance from our team of art donation experts.
300 museums
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50 hospitals & universities
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600 donors
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300 museums – 50 hospitals & universities – 600 donors –
Trusted By Over
Art Donation Services
Museum Exchange is the premier art donation service for institutions across North America. Our white glove service makes receiving art donations easy and accessible, whether you’re a small regional organization or major metropolitan institution. Partner with us to meet new donors and to experience a seamless donation process. We work with art in all media and periods.
Art Donation Matching
Access an expansive network of leading art donors across North America. Receive art donations that fulfill the institution’s collecting mandate and priorities.
Art Donation Processing
Manage the multi-step process of receiving art donations—from arranging shipping to issuing deeds of gift—through a single digital interface and with the support of our team of art donation experts. Coordinate logistics, track actions, receive notifications, and sign donation documents online.
Membership Eligibility
Museum Exchange works with a variety of museums, hospitals, universities, and other nonprofit organizations in North America. As a requirement of participation, institutions must use any art donations for a use related to its exempt purpose or function and must provide a copy of their Form 990 (United States) or T3010 (Canada) before receiving any art donations.
Contact us to learn more about our memberships and annual subscription pricing.
Museums
Accredited art museums from associations including the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG), and more are eligible to participate.
Healthcare & Education
501(c)(3) organizations (United States) or registered charities (Canada) from the healthcare, education, and service sectors including hospitals, universities, schools, libraries, and more are eligible to participate.
Ursula Von Rydingsvard, Three Boxes, 1985, Sheldon Museum of Art, Sheldon Art Association, Gift of Norma and Sheldon Minkowitz, 2021.
“The quarterly offerings are always engaging and easily fit our museum’s collecting strategies, making the process of deciding which works to choose for proposal submissions the most challenging task in the endeavor.”
— Wally Mason, Former Director and Chief Curator, Sheldon Museum of Art
Art Donation Process
Museum Exchange’s end-to-end service connects institutions with an expansive network of leading art donors across North America and manages every step of the art donation process—all online.
1. Browse Artworks
Browse our catalogues containing hundreds of artworks that are available for donation from donors across North America. Filter artworks by collecting area and classification. Artworks are added to the museum catalogue on a quarterly basis. Artworks are added to the healthcare & education catalogue on a rolling basis and remain on view for 15 days after the first proposal is submitted, up to 180 days.
2. Select Artworks
Save artworks of interest to your private folder. From there, submit artworks for Curatorial Review to review them with colleagues and receive approval from an administrator at your institution to pursue them for donation.
3. Submit a Proposal
Express interest in an artwork by submitting a proposal before the close of the cycle. Provide background information about the institution (mission, history, and facilities) and existing art program (if applicable). An administrator at your institution will be required to approve the proposal before it is sent to the donor for their consideration.
4. Match with a Donor
Receive notification of the donor’s decision within 15 days of the close of the donation cycle. Review the donor’s information and approve the match. Enroll your institution in an annual subscription to proceed with the donation.
5. Process the Donation
Complete the art donation process, guided by our digital interface and with the assistance of our team of art donation experts. Issue and sign documents electronically, eliminating the need for physical paperwork.
6. Receive the Donation
Receive the artwork at your institution and ratify the gift. You’re now ready to put it on view!