Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Diversity
news

Rockefeller Brothers Fund plans $1.5m in grants to help New York museums promote diverse artists

Financial aid will help eight institutions “disrupt dominant narratives” and “build back a more equitable culture” after Covid lockdown

Nancy Kenney
22 September 2020
Share
The Museum of the City of New York is among the recipients of new grants from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund

The Museum of the City of New York is among the recipients of new grants from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a family foundation that seeks to advance social justice, today announced $1.5m in grants to eight New York City cultural institutions to “build back a more equitable culture” after a long shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the fund says the money will support exhibitions, programmes, residencies and other initiatives that “provide greater visibility and opportunities for artists who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour, as well as for women and LGBTQ artists, whose work continues to be underrepresented in major American museums”.

The recipients include the Africa Center, the Bronx Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, MoMA PS1, El Museo del Barrio, the Museum of the City of New York, the Queens Museum and the Studio Museum in Harlem. All will use their grants to increase diversity at their institutions and to foster engagement with local communities after reopening, the fund says.

Among the supported programmes highlighted in the announcement are exhibitions focusing on female artists and artists of colour, including Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch at the Bronx Museum and Lorraine O’Grady: Both/And at the Brooklyn Museum. MoMA PS1 says the grant will help transform Greater New York into a year-round initiative by and for artists in the city, especially those who are under-recognized.

In another example, the Queens Museum says the money will go toward assisting Queens-based artists and community organizations by providing rent-free studio space and professional development as well as organising exhibitions and public and educational programmes. All of the institutions’ leaders say the aid will help them highlight local artists and storytellers from diverse backgrounds.

“Art can uniquely and powerfully challenge stereotypes, simplistic interpretations of complex and deeply personal experiences, and the perpetuation of subtle, and not-so-subtle, forms of oppression,” Stephen Heintz, president and chief executive of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, says in a statement. “When museums make an intentional, concerted effort to disrupt dominant narratives—in their collections, their programs, their marketing, and their staff—the result is magnified in a way that can impact not only the art world, but the world at large.”

DiversityMuseums & HeritageRockefeller Brothers FundBrooklyn MuseumMuseum of the City of New YorkBronx MuseumAfrica CenterMoMA PS1El Museo del BarrioQueens MuseumStudio Museum in HarlemPhilanthropy
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Museumsarchive
31 May 2002

How has MoMA prepared for its move from Manhattan during renovations?

The Museum of Modern Art has relocated to a working-class borough across the river while its famous headquarters expands

Anna Hammond
Museums & Heritagenews
16 December 2021

Bronx Museum of the Arts to undertake $21m expansion

The project includes the addition of a multi-storey entrance and lobby, and is being supported with state and city funds

Gabriella Angeleti