Patrons and collectors Barbara and James Palmer have long played a vital role in the museum that bears their name. A Gift from the Heart: American Art from the Collection of James and Barbara Palmer documents in its entirety what is arguably one of the finest private collections of American art in the country. Amassed over more than three decades, the collection features notable works by well-known nineteenth-century artists and boasts strengths in Ashcan realism and Stieglitz-circle modernism, as well as works by noted artists of the mid- to late twentieth century.

Much of the book comprises thematic essays written by invited scholars-university professors, museum and gallery professionals, and independent curators-who consider the broader sociohistorical context of American art and culture as they delve into the particulars of the collection. Interspersed throughout the book are a series of short "In Focus" essays, highlighting a number of the most notable works in the collection. The remainder of the book is an extensive, fully illustrated catalogue of the 200+ paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and ceramics collected by the Palmers, including works that have already been donated to the museum and the remaining works, all of which will be gifted in the future.

Aside from the editor, the contributors are Robert Cozzolino, John Driscol, Randall R. Griffey, Molly S. Hutton, Lauren Lessing, G. Daniel Massad, Leo G. Mazow, Patrick J. McGrady, Jan Keene Muhlert, Marshall N. Price, Sarah Rich, and Elizabeth Hutton Turner.