New Museum

Hisrory

Founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City was created to champion living artists whose work didn’t fit into traditional museum structures. It became the first museum in New York devoted to contemporary art since World War II, operating as both a museum and an alternative space focused on dialogue between artists and the public.

During the late 1970s and 1980s, the museum showcased emerging artists and group exhibitions tackling social and political themes, expanding into new media like film, video, and performance. In the 1990s, it broadened its scope to include international and underrecognized artists, revising its mission to exhibit work by living or recently deceased artists, particularly in response to the AIDS crisis.

Under Lisa Phillips, appointed in 1999, the museum strengthened its global reach and experimental vision, commissioning a new building by SANAA that opened at 235 Bowery in 2007. This space introduced major initiatives such as the Triennial, 7×7 with Rhizome, IdeasCity, and NEW INC, the first museum-led art and technology incubator.

To support its growing programs, the museum began a 60,000-square-foot expansion in 2022, designed by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, doubling its exhibition capacity and establishing a permanent home for NEW INC and artist residencies.