[1] The program's member sites range from individual artists' studios and house museums to historic art colonies, each offering unique insights into the creative processes and living conditions of their former occupants.
HAHS is distinguished by its focus on the intersection of artistic creation and place, preserving not only the physical spaces but also the environmental contexts that influenced notable American artworks.
These sites provide rare opportunities for public access to authentic creative spaces, including preserved studios, domestic settings, and landscapes that played crucial roles in American art history.
The Luce Foundation grant specifically enabled the establishment of a test group focused on American art-related historic sites.
Drawing from the Trust's experience with Chesterwood, the home and studio of sculptor Daniel Chester French in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, HAHS formally launched in 2000 with an initial coalition of twenty sites.