Erin Dodson

Hallmark Art Collection is the most enduring corporate collection in the United States. Hallmark Cards founder J.C. Hall began collecting contemporary art in 1949 to encourage fine art, to bring recognition to artists of today, and to broaden public appreciation of fine art. Now comprising nearly 4,000 works in all media, the collection and its supporting programs creates a welcoming and stimulating environment for Hallmark staff and visitors alike while continuing to promote the company's commitment to creativity, excellence and diversity.

Hallmark Art Collection began in 1949 with acquisitions from a popular series of International Hallmark Art Awards and related traveling museum exhibitions. In the course of this trailblazing competition, which ran through 1960, Hallmark acquired iconic works by Edward Hopper, David Park, Charles Sheeler and other modern masters that form the core of this enduring collection. 

In subsequent years, Hallmark continued to acquire and commission significant works for its Crown Center campus by such artists as Alexander Calder, Sol Lewitt and Louise Nevelson. These highly visible works have become Kansas City landmarks and continue to serve as benchmarks for new acquisitions. The collection now comprises more than 3,900 works by over 1,200 artists working across all media, including paintings by Peter Halley and Kehinde Wiley, prints by Helen Frankenthaler and Jasper Johns, and sculptures by Daniel Arsham and Deborah Butterfield. Digital works by artists such as Jennifer Steinkamp and Jason Salavon have recently joined the collection as well.

The art is on display in Hallmark Cards Kansas City, Missouri headquarters, as well as its corporate offices, manufacturing plants and distribution facilities around the world. The collection provides daily inspiration for employees and visitors alike, and serves as a reminder that creativity and innovation have always been central to Hallmark’s success. The experience of art throughout the work environment is further enhanced by curator-guided tours, in-house exhibitions and a dynamic Visiting Artists program. 

Selections from the collection are on public view in the Hallmark Art Collection Gallery within the Visitors Center, and works are regularly lent to museums. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has been the beneficiary of notable gifts from the collection, including masterworks by Pierre Alechinsky and David Smith, as well as the Hallmark Photographic Collection, which was transferred to the museum in its entirety in 2006. A comprehensive website that includes scholarly articles and video documentaries further extends Hallmark Art Collection’s reach.