The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the key components of its 150th anniversary celebration in 2020, including major gifts of art from around the world; exhibitions and displays that will examine art, history, and culture through spectacular objects; and dynamic programs that will engage the Met's local and global communities.
Highlights of the year include the exhibition “Making The Met, 1870–2020,” the opening of the newly renovated British Galleries, the display of new works of art given to the museum in honor of its 150th anniversary, the launch of cross-cultural installations, a robust schedule of programs and events, and more.
"As we celebrate this milestone, 150 years since our founding on April 13, 1870, we are grateful for the bold vision of our founders, who included a handful of New York City leaders and artists of the day. Over the course of the next 150 years, that vision grew into one of the most important cultural institutions in the world. This anniversary is an exciting moment to celebrate what the Met means to its audience, from the New Yorkers who enjoy the museum regularly, to the millions of tourists who walk through our doors every year, to those who experience our offerings remotely. It is also an opportunity to reflect on our history, to plan thoughtfully for our future, and to say thank you," said Daniel H. Weiss, the museum's president and CEO.
"The museum's anniversary is an occasion to celebrate this extraordinary institution and appreciate the vibrancy and astounding depth and scope of its collection, scholarship, and programs. We are also thinking deeply about our responsibilities as stewards of this exceptional resource, our commitment to cultivating the understanding and appreciation of art, and the ways in which we can illuminate the connections within cultural histories. The Met strives to be a seminal encyclopedic museum of the world, for the world, and in the world, and we are grateful to everyone who supports us in achieving that goal," said Max Hollein, director of the Met.
Making The Met, 1870–2020
The centerpiece of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 150th anniversary celebration will be the exhibition “Making The Met, 1870–2020.” On view March 30 to Aug. 2, the presentation is a museum-wide collaboration that will lead visitors on an immersive, thought-provoking journey through the Met's history. Organized around transformational moments in the evolution of the museum's collection, buildings, and ambitions, the exhibition will reveal the visionary figures and cultural forces that propelled the Met in new directions, from its founding in 1870 to the present day. It will feature more than 250 works of art of nearly every type from the Met collection, including visitor favorites and fragile treasures that can only be displayed from time to time. A range of intriguing topics will be explored, such as the educational and aspirational ideals of the Met's founders; the discoveries and dilemmas of excavation; the competing forces of progressivism and nationalism that led to the founding of the American Wing; the role of the museum during wartime; and the evolution at the Met's centennial toward a truly global approach to collecting. Rarely seen archival photographs, innovative digital features, and stories of both behind-the-scenes work and the museum's community outreach will enhance this unique experience. The exhibition will have an audio guide and be accompanied by a catalogue. More information is available at www.metmuseum.org/making-the-met.
“Making The Met, 1870–2020” is made possible by the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Lead corporate sponsorship is provided by Bank of America. The catalogue is made possible by the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, and the Doris Duke Fund for Publications. Audio Guide supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Image courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art.