The Chipstone Foundation was created by Stanley and Polly Stone with the purpose of housing their impressive decorative arts collection (which centered around early American furniture and historical prints, as well as seventeenth and eighteenth century British pottery), promoting decorative arts scholarship, and supporting significant projects and publications at other institutions. Following the Stone's death, the Foundation has redefined its aims so as to more fully contribute to the field. A partnership between the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Chipstone Foundation was created in 1999 to provide the public with access to this important collection through creative, argument-driven exhibitions. Chipstone is committed to furthering scholarship of the decorative arts, while staying current with the contemporary interpretations and issues associated with these objects.