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Neuberger Museum of Art

backstory50: Transformative Giving

Endowments both enrich and transform the trajectory of a museum, providing financial support for things such as new acquisitions, updated technology, and even the hiring and longevity of staff positions.

In 2007, the Neuberger Museum of Art received a generous bequest from the Alex Gordon Estate for programming related to the work of contemporary Caribbean, Latin, and South American artists. In 2009, the Museum announced the appointment of Patrice Giasson as the Alex Gordon Curator of the Art of the Americas. Many of you know Patrice and his shows highlighting artists from this part of the world. These projects tie both to the curricular work being done by colleagues across the Purchase College campus in the Department of Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies as well as the recent federal designation of Purchase College as a Hispanic Serving Institution. In fact, his latest exhibition, Rosalie D. Gagné: A Contemporary Alchemist, opened today and I hope that I’m seeing many of you at the opening reception that’s happening right now!

The gift from the Gordon estate fulfilled Alex’s ultimate passion and desire to give back to his community, particularly in support of arts education. In addition to endowing the curator, the funds have supported many important projects including our five-part traveling exhibition Destination: Latin America featuring works from the Museum’s collection, special projects such as Teresa Margolles: We Have a Common Thread and Nicolas de Jesus: A Mexican Artist for Global Justice, and 2018 artist-in-residence Ignacio Iturria. With projects such as these, the Museum has been able to expand its history; highlight Latinx artists in our collection and special exhibitions; provide rich and scholarly catalogues; and continue to do important, meaningful work.

Today’s 50th anniversary thank-you goes to Patrice and to the Alex Gordon estate for generously continuing Alex’s legacy.

Tracy Fitzpatrick
Director, Neuberger Museum of Art

Orange square with a white border and large numbers 50 with small letters neu overlapping the top of the 5 and the word Years beneath

Watch for a new backstory every Wednesday and follow us on social media as we share stories about the Museum’s history, our evolution to the present day, and look ahead to our exciting future. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and “NEU 50 Years” updates on our anniversary webpage.