About

Our mission is to foster the preservation, understanding, and appreciation of 20th century American art beyond the accepted canon. We believe American art is an important living document of the many histories and cultural perspectives that have defined the United States, the communities, and the individuals who live here. Through our work to acquire, research, conserve, exhibit, and loan works of art—in addition to supporting education, scholarship, and publishing—we aim to expand the story of American art’s artistic legacy with a focus on overlooked moments and often neglected figures. We can, in turn, better acknowledge the breadth of artistic inventiveness in the United States and gain new insights into the past in order to imagine a better future. In collaboration with other collections, institutions, and individual lenders, we endeavor to share unexpected narratives and a broader knowledge of America’s 20th century visual culture.

The O’Brien Art Project Foundation (DBA O’Brien Art Foundation) is a charitable organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The O’Brien Art Foundation was formally established in 2019 as a charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the legacy of 20th century American art via the pillars of object study, preservation, exhibition, and historical exploration. The Foundation maintains its own collection in addition to overseeing and representing The Marty O’Brien Collection of American Art. The O’Brien Collection grew out of the personal collecting interests of our founder, who as the CEO of his own insurance brokerage, started acquiring historically meaningful art in the early 2000s. The O’Brien Collection began with examples of American Tonalism and American Scene, and through avid self-directed research and intentional acquisitions, O’Brien and the Foundation have since expanded the collections to encompass work from the 1890s to 1980s across media and art movements. The Foundation is based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. 

In support of our mission, we prioritize active engagement in discursive contexts and scholarship initiatives both nationally and locally. We are the Lead Sponsor for the 28th annual American Art Conference (Spring of 2025) held by the Initiatives in Arts and Culture (IAC) in New York City. This is the largest and most important symposium on American Art.