Who Funded the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

Art|Art Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to as “The Met,” is one of the most famous and beloved art museums in the world. It houses an incredible collection of artwork, spanning centuries and encompassing numerous styles and genres. But who funded such an ambitious endeavor?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870, when a group of prominent New Yorkers – including John Taylor Johnston, Robert L. Stuart, and Benjamin Altman – pooled their resources to create a place where people could explore and appreciate art. The museum’s charter was signed by Governor John T. Hoffman on April 13th of that year.

Initially, the museum was funded by donations from wealthy New Yorkers. Johnston donated $100,000 to purchase a building for the museum in 1872, and other prominent figures like William B. Astor and Henry Gurdon Marquand donated hundreds of thousands more over the next few years. By 1875, the museum had become a major attraction in New York City and had begun to receive donations from people all over the world.

The Metropolitan Museum also receives support from corporations and foundations that are dedicated to preserving art and culture. In recent years, major corporations like JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs have contributed substantial amounts of money to help fund exhibitions and educational programs at The Met.

In addition to corporate funding, The Met also relies heavily on its annual operating budget which is provided by the City of New York through its Cultural Institutions Group (CIG). This budget accounts for approximately 70% of The Met’s annual operating expenses including salaries for staff members as well as special exhibitions and educational programming.

Conclusion: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is funded primarily by donations from wealthy individuals as well as corporations and foundations dedicated to preserving art and culture; it also receives an important portion of its funding from the City of New York through its Cultural Institutions Group (CIG). This mix of public-private partnerships has allowed The Met to remain one of the preeminent institutions devoted to art appreciation around the world for over 150 years.