Help Honor One Woman’s Dedication to Art     

“There’s nothing more rewarding than helping to build the institutional capacity of museums so that they can better serve the public as intellectual and educational community resources.” —Kim Igoe

Kim Igoe spent her life dedicated to the arts, both in her 30-year career as an arts professional and as a patron and frequent museum visitor. In life, she drew inspiration from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s galleries for folk and self-taught art and especially from James Hampton’s The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly.

This giving season, your year-end gift will support the study of this American treasure.

Following Kim Igoe’s passing in 2020, her family honored her legacy and dedication to the arts by creating the Kim Igoe Endowment, which supports the cataloguing, conservation, study, and presentation of her favorite work, The Throne of the Third Heaven. Their generous support also funded the Kim Igoe Advanced-Level Intern, who is currently working with registrars and conservation colleagues on the foundational work of cataloguing the many components of the artwork.

You can join Kim’s legacy by making a donation today to support this work. 

Reaching this goal helps amplify the work started by Kim Igoe’s family and friends. Double your impact! Your gift will help us meet our goal to match a grant from the Peck Stacpoole Foundation. Support this multi-year project and bring more of Hampton's The Throne of the Third Heaven to light.

In this American Art Moments video, Leslie Umberger, SAAM’s curator of folk and self-taught art, shares insights into Hampton’s life as a self-taught artist of color in Washington, DC, who created his work during the Civil Rights movement. Learn about the lasting importance of his efforts while taking in the captivating details that make The Throne of the Third Heaven so special.

As a non-profit, we rely on donations from generous supporters like you. If you would like information on making a Donor Advised Fund or IRA gift, a corporate matching gift, or other ways to support SAAM before the end of the year, contact us at [email protected] or 202-633-8420.

Make your donation online before December 31 to be sure your tax-deductible gift counts for 2023.