Kelton Foundation facts for kids

The Kelton Foundation is a special group based in Santa Monica, California. It was started in 1983 by a man named Richard Kelton. The foundation is a charitable organization, which means it helps others. Its main goal is to learn about people and the ocean through art and science. It also has a huge collection of amazing artworks called the Kelton Collection.

The Kelton Foundation: Exploring Art and the Sea

Who Was Richard Kelton?

Richard Kelton was a real estate developer. He loved art, especially art about the ocean and from the Pacific region. He was also very interested in art from the time when China traded with other countries. He collected many pieces of Aboriginal Australian art. Richard Kelton traveled and collected artworks until about 2007. He passed away in 2019.

Amazing Artworks: The Kelton Collection

The Kelton Foundation owns a large collection of art. It includes art from the Pacific region and China Trade art. It also has many important ethnographic items. These are objects that teach us about different cultures.

Richard Kelton was especially passionate about Aboriginal Australian art. In 1980, he put on his first art show at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. This was likely the first time Aboriginal Australian art was shown in the United States.

The Kelton Collection has artworks by many famous contemporary Indigenous Australian artists. Some of these artists include Takariya Napaltjarri, Daisy Leura Nakamarra, and Minnie Pwerle. It also features art by Dhuwarrwarr Marika. Richard Kelton felt a special connection to artists like Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. The collection includes art from many different areas of Australia. These places include Arnhem Land, the Tiwi Islands, and the eastern Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Sharing Knowledge: Exhibitions and Research

The Kelton Foundation does more than just collect art. It also puts on its own art shows. It lets other museums and groups borrow its art and objects. This helps more people see and learn from the collection. The foundation also helps experts who are studying these topics. They provide support for important research.

The Blue World Web Museum

The foundation also helps fund something called the Blue World Web Museum. This is like a "virtual museum" you can visit online. It focuses on art about the ocean. Its goal is to create online art shows that you might not find anywhere else. It also aims to teach people and make them more interested in maritime museums. Maritime museums are places that show things related to the sea.

The Foundation's Future

In December 2020, some of Richard Kelton's art was sold. Over 250 artworks were bought by a collector named Bruno Raschle. Even after this sale, the Kelton Foundation continues its charitable work with Australia. It now focuses on helping with health and schooling projects for Australia's Indigenous people, also known as First Nations.