Neuberger Museum of Art Awarded $50,000 Frankenthaler Climate Initiative Grant
Neuberger joins a national cohort of 74 arts institutions reimagining a greener future
The Neuberger Museum of Art has been awarded a $50,000 Implementation Grant from the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, a grantmaking program established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in collaboration with Environment & Culture Partners and RMI to catalyze climate action in the visual arts. The Neuberger is one of 74 organizations across the United States selected to receive funding in this fifth cycle of awards, totaling $3.4 million.
Established in 2021, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is the first program linking visual arts and environmental strategy. It reflects the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s mission—founded by the artist herself—to inspire new generations through philanthropy and education.
Implementation Grants support innovative, large-scale energy upgrades—projects that reduce energy use, lower emissions, and model sustainable practices across the cultural sector. The Neuberger will use its grant to support the LED Conversion Galleries Project—upgrading the Museum’s gallery lighting system from outdated halogen bulbs to high-efficiency LED fixtures. The project is projected to lower annual greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent, reduce energy consumption by nearly 100,000 kWh, and decrease annual energy costs by more than $17,000.
“We’re grateful to the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation for supporting our efforts to show how smarter lighting can enhance both the presentation and preservation of artworks while reducing the Museum’s environmental impact,” said Neuberger Museum of Art Director Tracy Fitzpatrick. “This grant marks an important step in our plan to convert every gallery to energy-efficient LED lighting.”
The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is administered by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in partnership with RMI and Environment & Culture Partners. The program recently announced a five-year extension of its commitment to helping arts institutions reduce their carbon footprint and embrace climate-smart strategies. For more information about the Initiative and a full list of 2025 grantees, visit frankenthalerclimateinitiative.org.
About the Neuberger Museum of Art
The Neuberger Museum of Art opened at the heart of the Purchase College, SUNY campus in 1974 with a core collection donated by Roy R. Neuberger, one of the greatest private collectors, philanthropists, and arts advocates of the twentieth century. Its collection has grown to nearly 7,000 objects. Today, critically acclaimed exhibitions, tours, lectures, and interactive programs for patrons of all ages make the Neuberger a center of teaching and learning for all stages of life.
The Neuberger Museum of Art is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5pm. Admission is always free.
Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of sixty-four universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students. Today, Purchase College, SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity.
Launched in 2021 by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is the first nationwide grant program supporting energy efficiency and clean energy use in the visual arts. To date, it has awarded more than $17.5 million to 249 institutions across 40 states, supporting 318 sustainability projects nationwide. The initiative reflects the Foundation’s broader mission to advance the artist’s legacy through strategic philanthropy, exhibitions, education, and systemic change in the arts.
Neuberger Museum of Art
735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York 10577
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