named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Content Fellows Program
Supports specialized scholars who lead content development in underrepresented areas of art history, including African, Southeast Asian, Indigenous, and Islamic art.
Museum and Institutional Partnerships
Collaborates with museums and academic institutions to expand access to art historical knowledge and co-develop educational content.
Open Educational Resources (OER) Publishing
Produces free, peer-reviewed essays, videos, and multimedia resources on global art history for use in classrooms and self-directed learning.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
-
Artist Legacy Preservation and Documentation 1 activity
- Advance open art history education through technology and open knowledge sharingSupports the global dissemination of art history knowledge by leveraging technology to provide free, open-access resources, aligning with its mission to advance research and education in art history.
-
-
Open Research Infrastructure & Publishing 1 activity
- Augment educational content with academic image research and open-licensed mediaSupports online publication of art history resources by integrating openly-licensed or existing photographs and conducting academic image research to enhance educational essays.
-
-
History Education Curriculum Development 1 activity
- Support formal art history education curriculaProvides official art history content for Khan Academy and develops instructional materials aligned with AP and A-Level art history courses, serving undergraduate, graduate, and high school students worldwide.
-
-
Uncategorized 7 activities
- Facilitate scholarly collaboration through contributor and editorial networksOperates as a consortium with over 35 editors and more than 800 contributors from over 350 colleges, universities, museums, and research centers, ensuring content is created and peer-reviewed by experts in the field.
- Produce and distribute open-access art history educational contentCreates and publishes free, open-access essays, videos, and instructional materials in art history, supported by over 800 contributors from academic and cultural institutions, with content used globally by students, educators, and informal learners. Produced 3,500 resources receiving 60 million views in 2024, distributed under a Creative Commons non-commercial license and free of advertisements.
- Provide educational resources on African artOffers accessible, peer-reviewed content on African artistic expression across regions and time periods, including beginner's guides and contributions to global cultural heritage.
- Provide educational resources on pre-colonial and colonial art histories of the AmericasProduces content on pre-colonial Native American civilizations, the colonial histories of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, and the artistic practices of pre-colonial South American cultures, including coverage of pyramids, goldwork, textiles, earthworks, and trade networks.
- Provide educational resources on prehistoric artOffers content on early human artistic production spanning at least 100,000 years, including painted rock, carved bone, sculptures, and monumental stele.
- Recognize major donors in support of organizational missionPublicly acknowledges contributions from major donors such as John and Ann Doerr and Alice L. Walton who support the organization’s mission.
- Teach foundational concepts in art historyProvides instructional materials on core art historical principles such as line, balance, symmetry, and emphasis, and helps learners develop skills in observing and describing art.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.10M
Contributions & grants$900K82%
Program service revenue$168K15%
Investment income$37K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.16M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$788K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.33M
Cash$1.23M
Investments$0
Liabilities$41K
Net assets$1.29M
Liquid reserves12.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +10.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVEN ZUCKER | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $268K |
| BETH HARRIS | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $248K |
board members · 8
- ARIF KADIR — DIRECTOR
- ELIZABETH MACAULAY — CHAIR
- JENNIFER FREUND PARDEE — DIRECTOR
- MARIE VOIGHT — DIRECTOR
- MAURA MILLER — TREASURER
- MINLI VIRDONE — DIRECTOR
- RENEE ATER — DIRECTOR
- SANDY HELLER — DIRECTOR UNTIL 11/24
relationships · 61
Who they work with
- 350 colleges, universities, museums, and research centers Partner — Network of institutions whose scholars contribute content to Smarthistory
- Agnes Gund Funder — Major donor contributing over $5,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Alice L. Walton Foundation Funder — Major donor contributing over $1,000,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Funder — Major donor contributing over $1,000,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Art Bridges Partner — Nonprofit foundation led by advisory board member Margaret C. Conrads, aligned with Smarthistory’s goal of sharing American art widely.
- Art Institute of Chicago Partner — Cultural client represented by advisory board member Kim Mitchell through Brunswick Arts.
- Art Institute of Chicago Partner — Partner institution that features Smarthistory videos on works from its collection.
- Bank of America Funder — Major donor contributing over $250,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies Funder — Major donor contributing over $10,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Brooklyn Museum Partner — Cultural client represented by advisory board member Kim Mitchell through Brunswick Arts.
- Brooklyn Museum Partner — Partner institution that recommends and links to Smarthistory as a learning resource.
- Brooklyn Museum Partner — Provides artwork images used in Smarthistory educational content, such as the Jain pilgrimage map from c. 1750.
- Byzantine Studies Association of North America Funder — Major donor contributing over $1,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Partner — Institution where Dr. Billie Lythberg completed post-doctoral research, supporting Oceanic art scholarship.
- Carrie Anderson Funder — Major donor contributing over $1,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Cleveland Museum of Art Partner — Cultural client represented by advisory board member Kim Mitchell through Brunswick Arts.
- College Art Association Partner — Partner organization that includes Smarthistory in its list of online teaching resources.
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Partner — Host institution for editor Sarah Barack, indicating institutional collaboration in conservation and material technology content.
- Cooper Hewitt/Smithsonian Design Museum Partner — Cultural client represented by advisory board member Kim Mitchell through Brunswick Arts.
- Creative Commons Partner — Organization behind Smarthistory's open access, open educational resource system enabling shared use and re-use.
- Crystal Bridges Partner — Institutional affiliation of advisory board member Margaret C. Conrads, who supports Smarthistory's mission of broadening access to art history.
- David Rumsey Funder — Major donor contributing over $5,000 to support Smarthistory.
- Dr. Beth Harris Partner — Contributing author and scholar providing expertise on African art content
- Dr. Bryan Zygmont Partner — Contributing author providing educational content on prehistoric art
- Dr. Christa Clarke Partner — Contributing author and scholar providing expertise on African art content
- Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker Partner — Contributing author providing educational content on prehistoric art
- Dr. Kathryn Wysocki Gunsch Partner — Contributing author and scholar providing expertise on African art content
- Dr. Senta German Partner — Contributing author providing educational content on prehistoric art
- Dr. Steven Zucker Partner — Contributing author and scholar providing expertise on African art content
- Facebook Network — Hosts a community group to connect with users and share content.
+ 31 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Decolonizing Pedagogy Through Inclusive Content Designmethodology: decolonizing_art_historyBy broadening the traditional Western art canon and organizing content around thematic, regional, and cultural contexts, we foster cross-cultural understanding and greater relevance to contemporary visual culture because inclusive frameworks validate diverse perspectives and challenge historical exclusions.
- Open Collaborative Scholarship Modelmethodology: collaborative_scholarship_networkBy building content through a global network of scholars and institutions, we produce academically rigorous and diverse art history resources because distributed expertise enhances both accuracy and inclusivity in knowledge production.
- Open Educational Resources for Democratized Accessmethodology: open_educational_resourcesBy using open-access publishing and Creative Commons licensing, we expand global participation in art history education because removing cost and reuse barriers enables broader, more equitable engagement with scholarly content.
- Peer-Reviewed Open Scholarshipmethodology: open_peer_reviewBy subjecting all content to open peer review by Ph.D.-level experts, we ensure academic rigor and accessibility because transparent vetting strengthens credibility while maintaining public trust and educational utility.