The Foundation

The Tinwood Foundation is a private operating foundation established in 2021 and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Foundation’s activities revolve around its extensive visual-art holdings, which it received by bequest from pioneering collector William S. Arnett after his death. The Foundation seeks to enhance awareness and understanding of Black art, artists, and culture of the American South, a mission that aligns with Arnett’s long-standing aspirations.

The Foundation’s collection includes thousands of artworks created by more than two hundred Black southern artists during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, in media ranging from paintings, sculptures, and ceramics, to works on paper and patchwork quilts. As a private operating foundation, we are not a grant-making organization. Instead, we participate directly in the development and execution of innovative programming in furtherance of our educational goals. We embrace a wide variety of possible pathways and projects, and actively seek collaborations and partnerships with other nonprofit and academic institutions.