Jewish Museum Receives Gift of 70 Artworks and $10 M. from Barnett and Annalee Newman Foundation
By Alex Greenberger, ARTnews
The Barnett and Annalee Newman Foundation has given the Jewish Museum in New York a gift of more than 70 artworks and $10 million, with funds set to go toward the endowment of a curatorial position and the upkeep of the institution’s collection. The gifted works include more than 30 pieces from the collection of the late New York School artist and his wife (including pieces by Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Claes Oldenburg) as well as more than 40 works by winners of the foundation’s Barnett and Annalee Newman Award, such as Julie Mehretu, Mark Bradford, and Sarah Sze.
In tribute to the gift, the museum has renamed Kelly Taxter’s current position as associate curator in the contemporary art department; she now bears the title of Barnett and Annalee Newman Curator of Contemporary Art. The Jewish Museum is currently planning a series of exhibitions featuring works added to the collection through the gift, with the first show slated for next year.
In a statement, Claudia Gould, the Jewish Museum’s director, said, “We are honored that the Jewish Museum was chosen for this extraordinary gift and we believe that this is the right home for the collection, given Barnett Newman’s connection to his heritage, one that valued intellectualism and activism. This gift allows the Museum to expand our contemporary art collection in a significant and meaningful way, while celebrating the legacy of such an influential artist.”