Museum of Modern Art History

The Museum of Modern Art was conceptualized by three patrons of art, namely Miss Lillie P. Bliss, Mrs. Cornelius J. Sullivan, and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the late 1920's. The reason why the museum was conceived was because they felt a need to challenge the traditionalistic views of the current museums towards modern art. The museum was founded in 1929 and the founding director was Director, Alfred H. Barr, Jr. The idea was to allow the public to be able to understand and appreciate the visual arts of our times.

The response of the public to this new museum dedicated to modern art was extremely enthusiastic. Over the next 10 years the premises of the museum were changed three times to progressively larger ones and in 1939 the premises were shifted to the one that we know today in Midtown Manhattan. The museum was supposed to have a multi departmental structure and included one that was dedicated to architecture and design for the first time. Further expansion took place in the 1950s and 1960s under architect Philip Johnson who designed The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. Another major renovation was done in 1984 by Cesar Pelli who doubled the gallery space and added more customer friendly visitor facilities.

Today the museum has a dynamic schedule of modern and contemporary art exhibitions that span various subject matters, mediums and periods. The exhibitions are displayed in a systematic rotational manner so that there is always something new for those who like to visit the museum regularly.

The access to the bookstore allows the museum some revenue and at the same time it allows art lovers to get their hands on a variety of publications and reproductions. There is also a design store that people can visit. In keeping with their goal of furthering the knowledge of modern art, the museum also has an educational program that is dedicated to providing information and learning with regards to modern art.

NOTE: Information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Some content is compiled from 3rd party sources. If you are aware of incorrect or outdated information, feel free to contact us.