Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation
An American art foundation that stewards the Thoma collection and supports exhibitions, artists, writers, and scholarly research.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation is a United States-based philanthropic art foundation established in 2014 by collectors Carl Thoma and Marilynn Thoma. It was created to hold, preserve, exhibit, and share the couple’s substantial personal art collection, which they had begun assembling in 1975 and later donated to the foundation. The collection reportedly contains more than 1,500 works and is organized principally around three areas: digital art, Spanish Colonial art, and Japanese contemporary painting and sculpture. The foundation operates across exhibition, collection-loan, grantmaking, and scholarly-support activities. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, it presents works from the collection at Art House, a gallery on Canyon Road, and it has also shown collection material by appointment in Chicago through the Orange Door warehouse and exhibition space. In addition to its own presentation venues, the foundation lends works to museums and touring exhibitions, allowing objects in its holdings to circulate beyond its permanent facilities. Its philanthropic programs extend beyond object acquisition and display. The foundation administers an award for writers specializing in digital art and provides scholarships for graduate students researching and writing about Spanish Colonial art. In 2019, it awarded $159,000 for Spanish Colonial art scholarship support. It has also funded institutional initiatives and exhibitions connected with its collecting interests. A notable example was support for the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland’s effort to provide free admission to its galleries; the foundation awarded the museum $500,000 in 2019. The foundation also helped support the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago exhibition "I Was Raised on the Internet," a 2018 exhibition addressing digital culture and contemporary artistic practice. The foundation’s identity is therefore defined less by commercial branding than by the public stewardship of a focused private collection and by targeted cultural philanthropy. Its programs connect historical material, especially Spanish Colonial art, with contemporary and technologically oriented practices such as digital art and Japanese contemporary painting and sculpture. The foundation’s reported assets were valued at approximately $79 million in 2015, although that figure represents a historical reported valuation rather than a current financial statement. Publicly available reference material emphasizes the foundation’s collection, exhibitions, loans, grants, awards, and scholarships; detailed information about its present leadership, current assets, and recent programming is not established in the supplied sources.
History
Carl and Marilynn Thoma began collecting art in 1975. Over the following decades, their collecting developed into a substantial personal collection with particular strength in digital art, Spanish Colonial art, and Japanese contemporary painting and sculpture. In 2014, the couple established the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation and donated more than 1,500 works from their personal collection to it. The foundation was established as a vehicle for long-term stewardship and public engagement with the collection. Rather than limiting its activities to maintaining holdings, it developed several channels through which the works and related knowledge could reach wider audiences. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, it operates Art House, a gallery on Canyon Road where selected works from the permanent collection are exhibited. The foundation has also presented collection material in Chicago at the Orange Door, described as a warehouse and exhibition space available for presentations by appointment. The supplied reference material identifies Dallas, Texas, as another foundation location, while earlier summary material also associates the organization with Chicago. A major part of the foundation’s public role is lending. Works from the permanent collection are made available for museum exhibitions and touring presentations, extending the collection’s visibility beyond foundation-controlled spaces. The foundation has also funded exhibitions and institutional programs related to its areas of interest. Its support for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s 2018 exhibition "I Was Raised on the Internet" reflected its engagement with digital art and contemporary technological culture. The foundation’s grantmaking and awards programs address both artistic practice and scholarship. It administers an award for writers specializing in digital art and offers scholarships to graduate students researching and writing about Spanish Colonial art. In 2019, the foundation awarded $159,000 for Spanish Colonial art scholarship support. During the same year, it awarded $500,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland for an initiative designed to make gallery admission free, demonstrating that its philanthropy can also focus on public access and institutional participation. A reported 2015 valuation placed the foundation’s assets at approximately $79 million. This is a historical figure reported in reference material and should not be treated as a current valuation. The available sources do not provide a complete account of later leadership, annual grant totals, acquisition policy, or current programming. The foundation’s documented historical significance rests on the transition of the Thomas’ private collection into an organized public-facing foundation, its cross-disciplinary collection strategy, its exhibition venues and museum loans, and its targeted support for digital-art criticism, Spanish Colonial art scholarship, and broader museum access.
- 2019
Scholarship and museum-access awards
[1]The foundation awarded $159,000 for Spanish Colonial art scholarship support and $500,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland for a free-admission initiative.
- 2018
Support for I Was Raised on the Internet
[1]The foundation supported the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago exhibition examining digital culture and contemporary art.
- 2015
Historical asset valuation reported
[1]Reference material reported the foundation’s assets at approximately $79 million for 2015.
- 2014
Foundation established
[1]Carl and Marilynn Thoma formed the foundation and donated more than 1,500 works from their personal collection to it.
- 1975
Carl and Marilynn Thoma begin collecting art
[1]The couple began building the personal collection that later became the foundation’s principal collection.
Products and positioning
A collection-led philanthropic foundation positioned at the intersection of art stewardship, public exhibition, museum collaboration, and specialist research support, with a distinctive focus on digital art, Spanish Colonial art, and Japanese contemporary art.
Gallery and exhibition venue
Art House
A foundation-operated gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Art House presents selected works from the foundation’s permanent collection and functions as one of its principal public-facing exhibition venues.
Collection presentation and exhibition space
Orange Door
A Chicago warehouse and exhibition space used to show works from the foundation’s collection by appointment. It provides an additional setting for collection access and presentation outside the foundation’s Santa Fe gallery.
Art collection · 2014
Permanent collection
A collection of more than 1,500 works donated by the Thomas and focused primarily on digital art, Spanish Colonial art, and Japanese contemporary painting and sculpture. Works are exhibited in foundation spaces and lent to museums and touring exhibitions.
Grant and award program
Digital-art writing award
An award administered by the foundation for writers whose work specializes in digital art and related criticism.
Scholarship program
Spanish Colonial art scholarships
Scholarships supporting graduate students conducting research and writing on Spanish Colonial art. The program reflects the foundation’s commitment to developing scholarship around one of its principal collection areas.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland free-admission initiative
United States
The foundation awarded $500,000 to support the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland’s initiative to make admission to its galleries free.
Outcome. The grant supported expanded public access to the museum; the supplied sources do not provide further outcome metrics.
- 2018Support for I Was Raised on the Internet
United States
The foundation supported the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago exhibition "I Was Raised on the Internet," linking its digital-art interests with a major museum presentation about technology, online culture, and contemporary artistic practice.
Outcome. The exhibition was presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; the supplied sources do not specify the foundation’s exact contribution or a separate campaign performance measure.
Brand decisions
2019
Fund scholarship and public museum accessOtherBackground
The foundation’s grantmaking programs address both specialist research and broader public engagement with art.
Action taken
It awarded $159,000 for Spanish Colonial art scholarship and $500,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland for a free-admission initiative.
Aftermath
The grants extended the foundation’s role beyond collection display into scholarly development and access-oriented museum philanthropy.
Grant awards. $159,000 for Spanish Colonial art scholarship; $500,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (2019)
2014
Convert the private collection into a foundation-held public resourceStrategyBackground
Carl and Marilynn Thoma had assembled a personal collection since 1975, with concentrations in digital art, Spanish Colonial art, and Japanese contemporary art.
Action taken
They established the foundation and donated more than 1,500 works to it for stewardship, exhibition, and lending.
Aftermath
The foundation became the institutional vehicle for presenting the collection, lending works to museums, and supporting related artistic and scholarly initiatives.
Recent events
- 2019
Thoma Foundation awards support for Spanish Colonial art scholarship[1]
Other
The foundation awarded $159,000 to support scholarship and graduate research concerning Spanish Colonial art.
- 2019
Thoma Foundation awards $500,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland[1]
Other
The foundation provided $500,000 to support the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland’s initiative to offer free admission.
- 2018
I Was Raised on the Internet receives foundation support[1]
Campaign
The foundation supported the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago exhibition "I Was Raised on the Internet," which examined digital culture and its relationship to contemporary art.
Sources1 sources
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