Letter from Susan Dubin

At the end of June, I finished my second term as Chair of the Board of the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art, turning over the gavel to my dear colleague Paul Zukowsky. An active member of the Board since 2014, Paul is the energetic leader, gifted communicator, and all-around “people person” we need to help us move forward in these challenging times.

Sadly, this spring we lost two of our great friends and supporters: Bud Blank was the epitome of old-world courtliness. He was a great art collector, loved living with it, and loved to share it. And Don Cecil was so much fun to be with. His life experiences were worthy of a book and his total devotion to improving the lives of the less advantaged through education set an example for us all.

Though I will continue to serve on the Board, it is a bittersweet moment to look back on this unusual final year as chair. In the fall, we celebrated 2019 Roy R. Neuberger Prize winner Yto Barrada and welcomed the engaging Engels the Artist for his first solo show. In March, the pandemic forced an early shuttering of beautiful exhibitions from our permanent collection and special works by Isaac Julien and Pier Paolo Pasolini. Tracy Fitzpatrick and her staff quickly transitioned to digital programming, finding creative new ways to showcase the Museum’s works and programs. The Board and I are very proud that the Neuberger has been able to strengthen its connection to our community by opening up art to audiences that are now broader and more diverse than ever before, and offering teaching tools that span generations.

We thank all of our loyal members and friends whose support over the years has positioned the Neuberger to be strong enough to weather this difficult moment in time. Your participation and financial support is enabling us to believe a bright future lies ahead.