New Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1977 |
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| Location | 235 Bowery Manhattan, New York City, New York 10002 United States |
| Type | Contemporary art |
| Public transit access | Bus: M103 Subway:   at Second Avenue,   at Bowery |
The New Museum of Contemporary Art is a cool museum in New York City. You can find it at 235 Bowery in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was started in 1977 by a person named Marcia Tucker.
Contents
History of the New Museum
The New Museum first opened its doors in a building on Fifth Avenue. This was part of the New School for Social Research. The museum stayed there until 1983.
Then, it moved to the Astor Building at 583 Broadway in the SoHo area.
In 1999, Lisa Phillips became the new director. She used to be a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 2001, the museum briefly used space in the Chelsea Art Museum.
Over the years, the New Museum has shown art from many countries. Artists from places like China, India, Germany, and South Africa have had their work displayed here. In 2003, the museum teamed up with Rhizome. This is a top online group for new media art from all over the world.
In 2005, the museum received a big grant of $20 million. This money came from the Carnegie Corporation. It was part of a larger donation from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to many arts groups.
What the New Museum Believes In
The New Museum was started by Marcia Tucker in 1977. Its main goal is to show new art and fresh ideas. They focus on artists who are not yet widely known or famous. Since it began, the museum has aimed to challenge traditional art museums. It keeps bringing new ideas into the art world. It also works hard to connect with the public.
The New Museum's Current Home (Since 2007)
On December 1, 2007, the New Museum opened its new building. This new home cost $50 million. It is located at 235 Bowery, between Stanton and Rivington Streets. The building has seven floors and covers 58,700 square feet. It was designed by the Japanese firm Sejima + Nishizawa/SANAA and the New York firm Gensler. This new space greatly expanded the museum's ability to show art.
The design by SANAA was chosen for a special reason. It fits the museum's mission perfectly. The building is flexible and its feel can change. This matches the ever-changing nature of modern art. The museum's bold look, like stacked white boxes, fits well in the Bowery neighborhood. It shows how different kinds of energy can exist together in modern culture.
In April 2008, the museum's new building was called one of the architectural New Seven Wonders of the World. This was by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. The New Museum is an important landmark in the Bowery area. The neighborhood is known for being unique and adventurous. The museum sees itself as having this same spirit.
The Bowery location has galleries for art and spaces for events. It also has a Resource Center. Here, you can find books and computers to access their website. The New Museum Digital Archive is an online place to find information. It has 7,500 written and visual items. These include details from past exhibitions and programs. You can search the archive for information on 4,000 artists, curators, and groups.
The museum bought the building next door at 231 Bowery in 2008. They hired OMA to design a new part, called an annex, in 2017. This new annex will have seven floors. It will also have a glass front and lots of gallery space. It is expected to open in 2025. The museum building closed in March 2024 for this work.
Employees Form a Union
In January 2019, employees at the New Museum voted to form a union. They joined NewMuU-UAW Local 2110. The employees wanted fair pay and good working conditions. They believed that fair treatment for all workers helps the museum stay diverse and strong.
Art Collection
When Marcia Tucker started the museum, she had a unique idea. She wanted the museum to buy and sell artworks every 10 years. This would keep the collection fresh and new. However, this plan was never fully put into action.
In 2000, the museum accepted its first art donation from a company. At that time, it had about 1,000 artworks in different styles. In 2004, the museum worked with other museums. They raised money to help pay for new art by young artists. As of 2021, the New Museum does not keep a permanent collection of its own art. Instead, it focuses on showing new and changing exhibitions.
Exhibitions and the Triennial
The museum shows the work of artists who are not yet widely known. For example, they showed art by Ana Mendieta and William Kentridge. These artists later became very famous. In 2003, the New Museum had a popular show called Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The museum also has a special exhibition series called the "New Museum Triennial." This show happens every three years. The first one was in 2009, called The Generational: Younger Than Jesus. It focused on young artists. Later Triennials included "The Ungovernables" (2012) and "Surround Audience" (2015).
Margot Norton has organized many exhibitions. These include shows by Laure Prouvost and Judith Bernstein.
In July 2016, the museum hosted a show called "The Keeper." It had over 4,000 objects from many collectors. This show taught visitors about how people collect things.
In March 2023, it was announced that Vivian Crockett and Isabella Rjeille will plan the next Triennial in 2026.
Past Exhibitions at the New Museum
- Hans Haacke: All Connected (October 24, 2019 to January 26, 2020)
- Marianna Simnett: Blood In My Milk (April 9, 2018 to June 1, 2019)
- Petrit Halilaj: RU (September 27, 2017 to January 7, 2018)
- Raymond Pettibon: A Pen of All Work (until April 9, 2017)
- Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest (October 26, 2016 to January 15, 2017)
- My Barbarian: The Audience is Always Right (September 28, 2016 to January 8, 2017)
- Surround Audience triennial (February 25, 2015 to May 24, 2015)
- Niv Acosta: Discotropic (February 25, 2015 to May 24, 2015)
- Night and Day: Chris Ofili (October 29, 2014 to February 1, 2015)
- Christen Clifford: Wolf Woman performance (2014)
- Lili Reynaud-Dewar: LIVE THROUGH THAT?! (October 15, 2014 to January 25, 2015)
- Here and Elsewhere (July 16, 2014 to September 28, 2014)
- Pawel Althamer: The Neighbors (February 12, 2014 to April 13, 2014)
- Laure Prouvost: For Forgetting (February 12, 2014 to April 13, 2014)
- Report on the Construction of a Spaceship Module (January 22, 2014 to April 13, 2014)
- Occupied Territory: A New Museum Trilogy (January 22, 2014 to April 13, 2014)
- Chris Burden: Extreme Measures (October 2, 2013 to January 12, 2014)
- Ghosts in the Machine (July 18, 2012 to September 30, 2012)
- The Ungovernables triennial (February 15, 2012 to April 22, 2012)
- Carsten Höller: Experience (October 26, 2011 to January 22, 2012)
- Ostalgia (July 7, 2011 to September 2, 2011)
- Rivane Neuenschwander: A Day Like Any Other (June 23, 2010 to September 19, 2010)
- Younger than Jesus triennial (April 8, 2009 to July 12, 2009)
- Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton (October 8, 2008 to January 11, 2009)
- Unmonumental: The Object in the 21st Century (December 1, 2007 to March 30, 2008)
Other Programs at the Museum
Rhizome is a non-profit group that supports new media art. It has worked with the New Museum since 2003. Rhizome offers events, exhibitions, and an active website. It also has an archive of over 2,000 new media artworks.
In 2008, art dealer Barbara Gladstone started the Stuart Regen Visionaries Fund. This fund honors her late son. It supports a series of public talks called the Visionaries Series. These talks feature important thinkers in art, architecture, and culture. Past speakers include Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
NEW INC is a special program started by the museum. It's like an incubator for creative people. It offers a shared workspace and helps artists, tech experts, and designers grow their skills. Launched in 2014, NEW INC helps members explore new ideas. It also helps them build a lasting career. Some of its members include Lisa Park and Sougwen Chung.
In 2021, the New Museum started the Hostetler/Wrigley Sculpture Award. This award gives money to five women artists to create sculptures. Each winning project gets $400,000 to make and install their art.
IdeasCity was a program that explored art and culture outside the museum walls. It ran for nine years, starting in 2011. IdeasCity held festivals in New York City. It also had programs in cities around the world, like Athens and Toronto. The IdeasCity program ended in 2020.
How the Museum is Managed
Funding the New Museum
In 2002, the New Museum sold its old home in SoHo for $18 million. It then bought the new Bowery location for $5 million. To pay for the new building and its future, the museum raised about $64 million.
Board of Trustees
Since becoming director, Lisa Phillips has made the board of trustees larger. It grew from 18 members to 42. As of 2015, it includes important art collectors like Maja Hoffmann and Dakis Joannou.
See also
In Spanish: New Museum para niños
