A group of 49 arts institutions has been awarded a total of $3 million in clean energy grants as part of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI), now in its second year.

The Initiative is part of a larger $10 million effort being developed along with RMI and claims to be the largest grant-making program of its kind in the country. 

“The first round of FCI’s funding helped museums actualize climate neutrality commitments, prepare for and respond to climate-driven disasters, and create avenues to achieve long-term operational sustainability, among other key goals,” the Foundation's Lise Motherwell explained. “This second phase expands our reach and impact by advancing current projects in development and providing a new roster of visual art institutions with the support needed to meet their climate goals.”

Among the greater New York area institutions awarded, the Storm King Art Center will receive $100,000 for photovoltaic panels and a building envelope thermal performance upgrade; the New Museum will receive another $100,000 for solar panels; $50,000 and $100,000 going to the Guggenheim and MoMA respectively in order to implement various climate and sustainability upgrades; the Morgan Library will get $100,000 for its planned cooling tower upgrades; and the Yale University Art Gallery will receive $100,000 for comprehensive environmental monitoring of its 69-year-old Louis Kahn-designed structure.

Other projects being funded by the FCI grants include The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles’ Geffen solar transition; the ever-changing Huntington Library’s new energy master planning; the Judd Foundation’s new study center and carbon neutrality upgrades; and the Pittsburgh Glass Center’s new thermal envelope design.

The Foundation shares that many of the projects stem from last year’s inaugural list of grants, which, combined with the 2022 cycle, brings the total two-year allotment to $8.1 million.

“The global climate catastrophe has never been more urgent,” said RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst. “Cultural institutions have proven that change is possible by improving their energy efficiency and generating clean energy, setting an example for other charitable organizations.”