The American Federation of Arts (AFA), a not-for-profit organization, initiates and organizes art exhibitions and provides educational and professional programs in collaboration with the museum community. Established in 1909, the AFA is one of the oldest art organizations in the country. In 1909, then Secretary of State Elihu Root outlined AFA's mission in an address to the National Academy of the Arts: to enrich the public's experience and understanding of art, primarily by taking original works "on tour to the hinterlands of the United States." Since its founding, the AFA has organized or circulated approximately 3,000 exhibitions, with presentations