The Bingham Trust

The Trust holds 113 original preparatory drawings by George Caleb Bingham and 12 related engravings after Bingham's paintings in trust for the People of Missouri who contributed to the fund that enabled the purchases. The Trust, in partnership with the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City stored, conserved, collaborated with scholars to interpret, and lent the works to public museums in the U.S. to exhibit the drawings. The two museums provided these services to the Trust without charge. Due to the fragility of the ink and paper on which they were produced, they can only be exposed for limited periods of time and are stored in carefully controlled and secure environments.

On October 12, 2023 Charles E. Valier, Trustee and Chairman of The Bingham Trust gave a talk about George Caleb Bingham at the Saint Louis Art Museum titled 'I Forget I am a Painter, Not a Politician'. Also in 2023, trustees of The Bingham Trust researched and prepared for two Washington University lectures relating to the life and art of George Caleb Bingham. The first lecture was on February 9, 2024 on the Washington University campus (and simultaneously zoomed) titled "George Caleb Bingham, How his Ejection from the Missouri Legislature Reshaped his Art". The second was on February 16, 2024 at the Saint Louis Art Museum titled "George Caleb Bingham, How his Election Series Paintings Illuminate Ante-bellum Missouri Politics".