The Kelton Foundation (sometimes the Richard Kelton Foundation) of Santa Monica, California was founded in 1983 as a private non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The foundation’s primary activities involve ethnographic, scientific and artistic investigations of humankind and the sea.
Since its inception the Kelton Foundation has sponsored over 23 expeditions to remote places in the world in support of scientific research and exploration. In addition, the Kelton Foundation promotes the stewardship, enhancement and understanding of maritime history through its collections of maritime art, navigational instruments, China Trade goods, Pacific tribal ethnographic materials, and Aboriginal art. The foundation uses its collections to mount exhibits, extend objects and art on loan to other institutions, and assist scholars in active research regarding topics pertinent to the collection themes.