Brooklyn Museum Celebrates Bicentennial With Acquisitions
December 16, 2024 | In the PressFrom BKReader (https://www.bkreader.com/non-profit-community/brooklyn-museum-celebrates-bicentennial-with-acquisitions-9931857)
The Brooklyn Museum added more than 330 artworks to its collection in 2024, marking a milestone year as it celebrates its bicentennial.
The acquisitions span a range of disciplines, from American and Asian art, to photography and contemporary pieces, solidifying the museum's status as a premier cultural institution, according to a press release.
Over 100 of the new works were donated by benefactors in honor of the anniversary. They include Sasha and Edward P. Bass, the Alex Katz Foundation and the Robert Frank Foundation.
These pieces will be showcased in the upcoming exhibition Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200, running from Feb. 28, 2025 to Feb. 22, 2026. Highlights include contributions from renowned artists, such as Julie Mehretu, Robert Frank, Alex Katz and Coco Fusco.
The exhibition will rotate midway through its run to unveil additional gifts, reflecting the ongoing generosity of donors.
“We are blown away by the tremendous support of our benefactors who stepped up to celebrate our 200th anniversary with historic gifts of art, greatly enhancing a collection that inspires awe, illuminates shared histories, and connects us to one another,” said Anne Pasternak, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director of the Brooklyn Museum. “We cannot think of a more meaningful way to celebrate our bicentennial than by welcoming these exceptional and important pieces to our collection and sharing them with our community.”
Antony Gormley. Object II, 2019. Steel. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Barbara and John Vogelstein, in honor of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th Anniversary, 2023.56. © Antony Gormley. (Photo: © Stephen White & Co., Courtesy White Cube) Photo: Supplied/Brooklyn Museum
The acquisitions include key feminist works by artists such as Judy Chicago and Cheryl Riley; contemporary African art by Trevor Stuurman and Penny Siopis; and additions to the museum’s Asian Art collection by Kondo Takahiro and Mishima Kimiyo. The Decorative Arts and Design collection has also expanded, with a focus on Italian Radical Design and contemporary works by Chris Schanck and Jorge Lizarazo.
Noteworthy additions to the Contemporary Art collection feature paintings by Derrick Adams and Winfred Rembert, sculptures by Mark di Suvero and Nicole Eisenman, and time-based works by Carrie Mae Weems and Isaac Julien.
Kyohei Inukai the Elder. Dorothy, 1933. Oil on canvas. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of John and Miyoko U. Davey, in honor of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th Anniversary, 2024.1.4. © Kyohei Inukai the Elder. Photo: Supplied/Brooklyn Museum
The Photography collection saw a historic gift of 26 Robert Frank images depicting 1958 Coney Island, alongside works by Irving Penn and Joel Sternfeld.
View the Brooklyn Museum’s complete list of acquisitions here.
