The Chipstone Foundation

What The Chipstone Foundation does

The Chipstone Foundation is a private nonprofit educational foundation founded in 1966 and headquartered in Fox Point, Wisconsin. It is dedicated to the study, collection, and public interpretation of American decorative arts and material culture, with a substantive emphasis on African-American artisan heritage through The Dave Project. Its core activities span curatorial research, museum exhibitions (35+ documented across partner institutions), peer-reviewed scholarly publishing (American Furniture, Ceramics in America, Material Intelligence), and educational programming including the long-running Object Lab undergraduate program and the Tangible Things course co-developed with Harvard University and distributed globally via EdX.

Its offerings are delivered through multiple formats: a library of 116+ educational videos on the Video Chipstone channel, the Cellar Door podcast, Radio Chipstone, digital classroom resources for K-12 educators, and physical exhibitions hosted at partner museums including the Milwaukee Art Museum (where the foundation curates five permanent galleries in the American Wing), the Haggerty Museum of Art, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the Lynden Sculpture Garden, and historically the Victoria and Albert Museum. The foundation holds core strategic partnerships with Milwaukee Art Museum, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (where it supports the Material Culture Program and an endowed professorship), and Harvard University / HarvardX / EdX.

As a nonprofit, Chipstone does not operate a commercial product or pricing model. Programs, publications, and online resources are distributed free to the public, and the organization is funded through endowment, grants, and donations. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The foundation has 1–10 employees and maintains its collection and Object Lab operations at its Fox Point, Wisconsin headquarters.

Name

The Chipstone Foundation

Legal name

The Chipstone Foundation

Website

https://chipstone.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chipstone Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded in 1966 in Fox Point, Wisconsin, dedicated to American material culture and decorative arts research, exhibitions, scholarly publishing, and educational programs serving museums, universities, K-12 educators, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Curatorial Services and Decorative Arts Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Decorative arts research
• Material culture education
• Museum curatorial services
• Scholarly journal publishing
• Academic museum programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chipstone Foundation is a non-profit foundation that curates and sponsors museum exhibitions on American material culture and decorative arts, publishes peer-reviewed scholarly journals and a magazine, runs educational programs (Object Lab, Tangible Things EdX course, The Dave Project), and produces multimedia educational content (Video Chipstone, Cellar Door podcast, Radio Chipstone) for museums, universities, K-12 educators, and the general public.

Product overview

The Chipstone Foundation is an educational foundation focused on material culture, decorative arts, and American art history. Its offerings span scholarly publications (American Furniture, Ceramics in America, Material Intelligence), multi-channel video programming (Video Chipstone with series including Object Lab, Tangible Things, The Dave Project, Making, Zoom Milwaukee), a podcast (Cellar Door), research programs (The Dave Project, Object Lab), and 35+ exhibitions primarily hosted at partner institutions including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Haggerty Museum, and John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Teaching programs include collaborations with Harvard University (Tangible Things via EdX) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The foundation curates permanent galleries at the Milwaukee Art Museum including Mrs. M——'s Cabinet and Hidden Dimensions Gallery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Dave Project: An ongoing research and exhibition initiative focused on African-American material culture, including the work of enslaved potter David Drake (Dave the Potter), Thomas Day, John Hemings, and other African-American artisans.
• Object Lab
• Tangible Things
• Chip-Lit
• Radio Chipstone
• Cellar Door
• Material Culture Program
• Mrs. M—'s Cabinet
• Video Chipstone

Products and services

• Video Chipstone A multi-channel educational video library covering material culture, decorative arts, and American history through themed series (Object Lab, The Dave Project, Tangible Things, Making, Museum of Rooms, Hidden Dimensions, Zoom Milwaukee); distributed via the Chipstone website and YouTube free of charge.
• Cellar Door Podcast A podcast series produced by the foundation covering topics in material culture, decorative arts, and American art history.
• American Furniture A scholarly journal published by the foundation focused on American furniture history and decorative arts, distributed to libraries, scholars, and subscribers.
• Ceramics in America An annual peer-reviewed journal published by the foundation covering ceramics and allied arts in American history and culture.
• Material Intelligence A magazine publication covering material culture studies and allied fields, distributed via its own website and through Chipstone channels.
• The Dave Project A long-running research initiative exploring African-American material culture, with focus on enslaved artisans including Dave the Potter (David Drake), Thomas Day, John Hemings, and makers of Southern face vessels; includes publications, curriculum guides, and video content.
• Object Lab An intensive material culture education programme for undergraduate and graduate students featuring hands-on object study, blindfold exercises, working sessions with clay and wood, and design challenges; ten iterations documented from 2009 (Object Lab 1.0) through Object Lab 10.0.
• Tangible Things (EdX Course) An interdisciplinary course on material culture originally team-taught at Harvard University by Prof. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Chipstone curator Dr. Sarah Anne Carter, adapted into a free online course distributed globally through the HarvardX/EdX platform.
• Mrs. M---'s Cabinet Gallery An ongoing gallery curated by the Chipstone Foundation within the Constance and Dudley Godfrey American Wing at the Milwaukee Art Museum, hosting rotating installations, salon events, concerts on wax cylinder recordings, and graduate seminars.
• Museum Exhibition Curation and Sponsorship Curatorial services, gallery design, and exhibition sponsorship for partner museums including Milwaukee Art Museum, Haggerty Museum of Art, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Lynden Sculpture Garden, Museum of Wisconsin Art, and others; 35 exhibitions documented across the foundation's history.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Ex FabulaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 September 2017Co-hosted StorySlam with Ex Fabula storytelling organization at Milwaukee Art Museum, connected to The Dave Project and Rashid Johnson exhibitions.
• Milwaukee Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership where Chipstone Foundation curates galleries within the Constance and Dudley Godfrey American Wing, including Mrs. M.———'s Cabinet, American Collections installation, and numerous other exhibitions. The partnership has produced 35+ exhibitions and extensive video documentation.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supports the Material Culture Program through student assistantships, grants, and the Stanley and Polly Stone Professor of American Decorative Arts appointment (Prof. Ann Smart Martin). Chipstone Curator holds teaching appointment in Art History at UW-Madison.
• Harvard University / HarvardX / EdXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative course development for Tangible Things - team taught by Harvard Professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Chipstone curator Dr. Sarah Anne Carter. Course adapted to free online format through HarvardX/EdX platform for global distribution.
• Haggerty Museum of Art (Marquette University)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Chipstone Foundation exhibitions including 'The Print Room' (2014) and 'Aesthetic Afterlife' (2014), exploring transfer-printed ceramics and throw-away culture themes respectively.
• John Michael Kohler Arts CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Apartment 4' exhibition (June 2018 - June 2019) featuring Iris Häussler and the Chipstone Foundation, displayed at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
• Lynden Sculpture GardenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Fo Wilson's 'Eliza's Peculiar Cabinet of Curiosities' installation with commissioned artist response programs including performances by Tomeka Reid, Honey Pot Performance, and others. Partnership includes ongoing programming series.
• Oxford University PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher for 'Tangible Things' book developed from Harvard course collaboration, making Chipstone educational content available in print format globally.
• Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichelle Erickson served as Ceramics Resident: World Class Maker at V&A (July-September 2012), creating videos on historical ceramic recreation techniques. V&A collaborated on puzzle jug and agateware teapot video productions.
• Carthage CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for exhibitions at Carthage College H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art including 'What Remains is Dust' and 'A Dangerous Proposition' by Rebecca Keller (2017). Dr. Temple Burling serves as Carthage College Associate Professor.
• Milwaukee Public MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for Object Lab 7.0 student interpretations alongside Chipstone Museum in Fox Point, WI.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: A Smithsonian museum focused on design and decorative arts with strong educational programming and a digital platform. Comparable to Chipstone in marrying decorative arts scholarship with public education.
• Colonial Williamsburg: A large living-history museum foundation with extensive educational programs, craft demonstrations, and material culture research. Shares Chipstone's educational mission and emphasis on historical craftsmanship.
• Smithsonian Institution: The largest U.S. museum and research complex, with extensive material culture collections. Relevant as a broader incumbent pursuing similar scholarly and public-facing educational missions.
• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: A large American history museum with extensive collections and educational programming. Comparable in mission of interpreting American material culture for the public.

Direct peers

• Old Sturbridge Village: A living history museum focused on early New England material culture and craft. Comparable to Chipstone in object-based education and material culture research.
• Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library: A museum and library focused on American decorative arts and material culture, with a major collection of furniture and ceramics. Shares Chipstone's core domain of American decorative arts scholarship and museum-based research.
• Historic New England: Preserves and interprets historic New England homes and collections with deep focus on decorative arts and material culture. Comparable to Chipstone in focus on object-based scholarship and educational programming.
• Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (Old Salem Museums & Gardens): Research museum focused on decorative arts of the early American South, including studies of enslaved artisans. Direct overlap with Chipstone's Dave Project on African-American material culture and decorative arts scholarship.
• American Antiquarian Society: A research library and historical institution focused on American history and material culture, with significant publishing program. Comparable to Chipstone's journals and scholarly publication output.

Regional players

• Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens: A museum with a notable decorative arts collection focused on Russian and European decorative arts. Relevant peer in decorative arts-focused museum operations, though with a different geographic and stylistic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chipstone_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/chipstonefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/thechipstonefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Chipstone Foundation