Roy Lichtenstein Foundation closes, donates works to Whitney and Smithsonian

The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, established in 1999 by the artist and his family, has decided to close and donate its holdings to two major American museums. Over 400 works spanning Lichtenstein's career will go to the Whitney Museum, selected by a team led by David Breslin and Adam D. Weinberg to complement the museum's permanent collection of postwar American art. The Smithsonian Archives of American Art will receive archival material including interviews, audiovisual collections, correspondence, exhibition documentation, and thousands of photographs, which will be digitized and made freely available online. Dorothy Lichtenstein, the artist's former wife and foundation president, made the decision, though the reasons remain unknown. Executive Director Jack Cowart stated the foundation aims to facilitate public access to Lichtenstein's work, transfer pieces to public institutions, share archives, and complete the catalogue raisonné. The closure date is not set, and new collaborations are planned.