Then and Now: Selections from the Collection

Then and Now: Selections from the Collection is organized by the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, SUNY, and curated by Curator of New Media and Director of Digital Initiatives Jacqueline Shilkoff and Curatorial Assistant Rebecca Elisabeta Marya (Rem) Ribeiro. Generous support for this ongoing exhibition is provided by the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art and the Roy R. Neuberger Legacy Endowment.

More about the permanent collection
Since its founding in 1969, with the initial promised gift of 300 objects from founding patron Roy R. Neuberger (1903–2010), the collection of the Neuberger Museum of Art has grown to approximately 7,000 pieces, representing a wide spectrum of styles and eras. At the heart of this diverse collection is Roy R. Neuberger’s guiding vision. He was deeply committed to supporting the careers of living artists, guided by a belief that collecting contemporary art was most meaningful when it provided encouragement and tangible support in real time. As he often said, the donation of his collection was “very much in line with my whole philosophy,” rooted in his desire to “encourage young artists.”

Neuberger collected not as an investment or a retrospective exercise, but as a way to recognize artists while they were actively making work, allowing them to experience both affirmation and financial support when it mattered most.

Then and Now places sculptural works originally given to the Museum by Roy R. Neuberger in conversation with objects added to the collection over time. It creates a dynamic dialogue across generations, movements, and artistic approaches, inviting visitors to experience the collection as a living resource that honors the Museum’s origins while affirming its continuing commitment to artists of our time.