The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s climate initiative has awarded 74 new grants totalling $3.4 million to US arts organisations to support their energy efficiency and clean energy projects.
First launched in 2021 as a $5m programme, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative has now awarded more than $17.5m to 249 grantees to date, and has extended the programme for another five years.
The full list of 2025 grantees can be found here, but art museums to receive funding in this fifth round include the Cincinnati Art Museum in Ohio, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Museum of Art + Light in Kansas.
Organisations and institutions to get grants will work on projects such as advancing net-zero and carbon-neutral plans, renovating facilities to preserve collections, and utilising new technologies to increase energy efficiency.
Lise Motherwell, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s board chair, said: “It is inspiring to see how visual arts organizations continue to make impactful change through their commitment to sustainability.
“With each cycle, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative supports an ever-growing network of cultural institutions that are taking bold steps to reduce their environmental impact and embrace long-term solutions.”
Funding for clean energy projects
The foundation’s executive director, Elizabeth Smith, added: “The foundation is proud to continue supporting visionary projects that are reshaping the way arts institutions operate.”
The climate initiative was created in partnership with RMI and Environment & Culture Partners, a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening and broadening the environmental leadership of the cultural sector.
“With each additional year of FCI project proposals, we see growth across the field in terms of sustainability awareness and ability,” said Sarah Sutton, CEO of Environment & Culture Partners.
“This year’s grantees are advancing projects that not only enhance their own institutions, but also create stronger ties with their communities by enhancing infrastructure, access, and service.
“The collective knowledge, ambition, and foresight in this group give us confidence that the cultural sector is poised to continue driving real, measurable progress.”
The application process for the next cycle of the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is expected to open in spring 2026.
