Modern and Contemporary Art

The Met has been acquiring the art of its time since its founding in the nineteenth century, even though a dedicated Department of Contemporary Arts was only established in 1967. The department’s early years were shaped by curators like Henry Geldzahler, and later Lowery Stokes Sims, who joined the museum in 1972. The department’s holdings have grown significantly through acquisitions, generous gifts, and bequests. Notable collections include the Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, featuring nearly 90 Cubist masterpieces; the Alfred Stieglitz Collection; works from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation; a monumental promised gift of major works by Philip Guston; and the Azari collection of contemporary Iranian art.

The department found a permanent home in the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing in 1987 and later also mounted exhibitions at The Met Breuer (2016–2020). Looking ahead, the department’s collections will find a new home in The Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, slated to open in 2030.

The Modern and Contemporary Art department strives to be a space where the rich and complex narratives of art can be presented in a manner that reflects the diversity of experiences and perspectives that inform their creation. This crucial work relies on a shared commitment to best practices, and the following principles that guide us:

• We believe that sustaining a work environment that is fair and equitable, supportive and flexible, and that fosters mutual respect is vital for creating a safe space for a range of expertise to thrive.
• We recognize that we have a critical responsibility towards shaping the field of art history. This endeavor requires honesty, truth and transparency in our work in order to acknowledge imperfect institutional histories, rigorously challenge orthodoxies, proactively elevate underrepresented narratives, and foster new areas of knowledge.
• We endeavor to broaden the scope of our engagement with colleagues and our various communities, both local and global, through partnerships, collaborations, and dialogues in a manner that centers reciprocity while being expansive, inclusive, and intersectional.
• We aim to learn and grow by being receptive to artists and their practices, and to different communities and their priorities, as well as to reflect and share the knowledge we gain in the work we do.
• We seek to contribute meaningfully to our shared cultural environment by being responsible stewards of the art in our care and being ethical and creative in our practice in order to model the museum in which we want to work and the world in which we want to live.

The principles outlined above were first arrived upon following departmental staff discussions over 2020-21 and will be updated/revised as the department evolves.