Inception

The Museum of Modern Art was founded in 1929, in New York City. Its founding director was Alfred H. Barr Jr. and its founding trustees included Lillie P. Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan, and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. It was the first museum in the United States to include not only paintings, sculpture, and graphic art, but also industrial design, architecture, motion pictures, and photography. Since its inception, the museum has been dedicated to showcasing modern art, from the 19th century to the present day.

The Works

MoMA’s collection includes some of the most famous works on the planet. Some of the most notable are Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, and Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Aside from these, the museum also holds works by artists such as Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and many more. 

Legacy

The Museum of Modern Art now houses a wide collection of modern and contemporary art. Besides having more than 150,000 works of art and about 22,000 films, the MoMA also has an archive consisting of over 300,000 books. The museum holds regular art exhibitions and film screenings every year. It also offers educational programs, artist talks, and family workshops. In 2004, it even doubled its size by opening a new building. 

Every year, The Museum of Modern Art welcomes around 3 million visitors and has a team made up of more than 130,000 members. With such a vast and acclaimed collection, and the number of extra activities available, it’s no wonder why this is one of the most famous museums in the world. Personally, it’s a dream of mine to visit it someday and get to see some of this amazing art in person. 

Sources:

  1. https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/moma-the-museum-of-modern-art
  2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yoshio-Taniguchi 
  3. https://www.timeout.com/newyork/art/slideshow-top-20-paintings-at-moma