PHOENIX (May 8, 2026) — Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) celebrated a historic evening at its 2026 pARTy in the Garden gala and afterpARTy on April 10. Chaired by Catherine and Jim Tuton and Matthew Boland and Christopher Greulich, the event featured the presentation of the inaugural PhxArt Luminary Award to Lee and Mike Cohn, longtime supporters of the institution’s exhibition, collection, and educational programs. More than 400 community leaders, philanthropists, and arts advocates also enjoyed a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and exclusive viewing of the special-engagement exhibition Florentine Baroque: The Haukohl Collection. The 2026 pARTy in the Garden raised $1.3 million in support of the Museum’s exhibitions, arts-education programs, free-access initiatives, and vital operations.

“We are deeply grateful to our chairs, supporters, and community for making this year’s pARTy in the Garden such a tremendous success,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “We were especially honored to celebrate Mike and Lee Cohn as the inaugural recipients of the PhxArt Luminary Award, in recognition of their extraordinary generosity and leadership, and to announce publicly for the first time their landmark gift to the Museum’s endowment. As the largest single contribution in the institution’s history, this transformative support will significantly strengthen our ability to grow and care for our contemporary art collection for generations to come. Over the past two decades, the Cohns’ unwavering support has expanded educational programs, championed Arizona artists, and enriched the cultural vitality of our state in lasting and meaningful ways.”

The PhxArt Luminary Award is a new annual honor recognizing individuals and organizations whose leadership, vision, and profound support have helped shape the Museum’s evolution into the global institution it is today. As the inaugural recipients, Lee and Mike Cohn were celebrated for both their enduring impact and their latest transformative gift. Over the years, their support has included foundational and sustained investment in the Museum’s Arizona Artists Awards program, the establishment of a dedicated curatorial position advancing contemporary and community-based art initiatives, and support for the Museum’s first ASU–LACMA Fellow.

Building on this legacy, the Cohns’ most recent major gift establishes the PhxArt Cohn Care of Collection & Acquisition Funds, Gift from Cohn Fund for Arts & Culture at The Arizona Community Foundation, Inc. These new endowment funds will directly support the care, conservation, and expansion of the Museum’s contemporary art collection, ensuring its continued vitality for future generations. In recognition of this auspicious gift, the Museum also unveiled the newly named Cohn Family Patio, located in the Dorrance Sculpture Garden, during the gala festivities.

The pARTy in the Garden ended with a surprise performance by award-winning singer Carolina Rial. Rial’s powerhouse performance was the perfect segue to The afterpARTy, which featured exclusive access to Florentine Baroque, custom craft cocktails, live music and entertainment, and late-night bites.

The success of the evening was made possible in part by the generosity of the event’s sponsors, whose support continues to advance the Museum’s mission.

2026 pARTy in the Garden Sponsors

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) has engaged millions of visitors with the art of our region and world. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, PhxArt creates spaces of exchange and belonging for all audiences through dynamic exhibitions, collections, and experiences with art. Each year, 300,000 guests on average engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 21,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. PhxArt also presents live performances, outstanding examples of global cinema, arts-education programs and workshops, a monthly live-music series, and more for the community. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880. 

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PHOENIX (June 20, 2024) – Today, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) announces a major gift from longtime Museum supporters and former Board Trustees Kelly and Steve Ellman that enables the Museum to expand fivefold the footprint of its fashion galleries, dedicated to exhibitions that showcase the history and art of fashion. The Kelly Ellman Fashion Galleries will open on October 9, 2024 with the first exhibition in a three-part series that explores the depths of the Museum’s fashion holdings. Drawn exclusively from the PhxArt fashion collection, The Collection: Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion features more than 80 garments and accessories. The display traces the formation of the Museum’s collection and the impact of Arizona Costume Institute on its expansion, while showcasing the collection’s impressive breadth and depth. Iconic silhouettes from the 18^th century through the present and vignettes illustrating significant themes and historical moments demonstrate the collection’s ability to explore and educate about the larger history of fashion. In addition to the expanded gallery space and inaugural exhibition, the Ellman gift also ensures fashion-related acquisitions, publications, and the early phases of a major collection digitization project.

“We are deeply grateful to the Ellman family for their ongoing support of Phoenix Art Museum’s beloved fashion collection over the past three decades,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “Through major gifts, acquisition and programming support, and their continued invaluable patronage, the Ellmans have played a critical role in ensuring that PhxArt upholds excellence in this particular collecting area. Their impact has truly enabled the Museum to make the art of fashion accessible for our broadest audiences.”

Phoenix Art Museum is one of few institutions in the United States that continually collects, preserves, and exhibits works of fashion, placing the southwestern institution in the company of other leading fashion museums. The Museum began collecting fashion in 1966, when Arizona Costume Institute was founded to support the acquisition and preservation of garments and accessories of historical and aesthetic significance. Today, the PhxArt fashion collection houses more than 9,000 objects of women’s, men’s, and children’s dress spanning the 18^th century through the present. It is also home to three special archives, including the Geoffrey Beene Archive of more than 300 garments by the late designer gifted by Patsy Tarr; the Emphatics Archive, featuring avant-garde fashions by Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Thierry Mugler, and others; and the Ann Bonfoey Taylor Archive, featuring the extraordinary custom-couture wardrobe of the American-socialite and tastemaker.

The Ellman family has supported the Museum’s fashion collection since 1986, including a major gift that endowed the first iteration of the Ellman Fashion Design Gallery. This newest gift reaffirms the Museum’s commitment to increasing dedicated gallery space to our fashion collection, which now includes the entire mid-level floor of the Museum’s south wing. This change brings the institution’s permanent exhibition space for fashion from 1,200+ sq. ft. to nearly 6,400 sq. ft. The Ellman’s gift will also support future fashion exhibitions through the Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund, the establishment of the Ellman Fashion Program Fellow position, the first phases of a multi-year digitization project that will make the fashion collection more accessible to the general public on phxart.org, a collection publication created by SCALA Arts & Heritage Publishers, and fashion-related acquisitions that further strengthen and grow the Museum’s expansive fashion holdings.

The space’s inaugural exhibition, Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion, opens on October 9, 2024. Exhibition highlights include:

• A history on the founding of the Museum’s fashion collection, with an emphasis on the efforts of Arizona Costume Institute and notable supporters, including the Ellman family.
• A graphic display of more than 20 all-black silhouettes that have defined fashion history from the 18th century to the present.
• Vignettes of significant fashion “happenings” and themes, such as the Battle at Versailles, a high-fashion showdown between American and French designers in 1973; outstanding examples of avant-garde fashions; garments that draw inspiration from Romanticism and Greco-Roman culture; and technology-driven designs.

Notable designers and houses represented throughout Greatest Fits include:

“As the inaugural fashion presentation in the newly endowed Kelly Ellman Fashion Galleries, Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion will uncover and detail the strengths of our collection, while also highlighting exciting areas for potential growth and refinement,” said Helen Jean, the Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design. “We are deeply grateful to the Ellmans for ensuring that this collection will continue to grow, educate, and inspire for generations to come.”

High-resolution photography for Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion can be downloaded here. To request interviews, contact the Communications Office of Phoenix Art Museum at 602.257.2117 or samantha.santos@phxart.org.

About the Exhibitions
The Collection: Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum, with Catherine Wise, the Hirabayashi Intern in Fashion Design, and Summer Rye, intern.

It is presented through the generous support of Thomas Carlton Rogers II, Bennett and Jacquie Dorrance, the Kelly and Steve Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund,  and Arizona Costume Institute.  

All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.

Admission is free for Museum Members; youth aged 5 and younger; and Maricopa County Community Colleges students. Entrance into the exhibition is included in general admission for the public. Visitors may also enjoy reduced admission to the exhibition during voluntary-donation times on Wednesdays from 3 – 9 pm, made possible by SRP and City of Phoenix. For a full breakdown of general admission prices and hours, see phxart.org/visit/.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

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PHOENIX (October 12, 2023) – Today, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) announces three major gifts totaling $2 million in support of exhibitions, education and engagement programs, and contemporary art acquisitions, corresponding with the launch of dedicated funds to support the Musem’s ongoing work in these areas. With a founding gift of $1 million, The Opatrny Family Foundation creates the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, providing PhxArt with its first-ever dedicated fund for exhibition development and curatorial scholarship. The Cohn Fund for Arts & Culture, a component fund of the Arizona Community Foundation, has provided a founding grant of $750,000 to establish the Phoenix Art Museum Education and Engagement Excellence Fund, which enables the Museum to double its annual Arizona Artist Award prizes, among other initiatives. David and Dawn Lenhardt gave $250,000 to renew the David and Dawn Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative, bringing their overall support of the initiative since its founding in 2017 to $1 million. The initiative seeks to elevate PhxArt’s contemporary art program through the ongoing acquisition of contemporary artworks, an annual artist lecture series, and the designation of a contemporary art gallery.

“On behalf of our Board of Trustees, our staff and volunteers, and our community, we extend our deepest gratitude to The Opatrny Family Foundation, the Cohn Fund for Arts & Culture, and the Lenhardt family for this incredible display of generosity and commitment to the mission of Phoenix Art Museum,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “These gifts have allowed us to make great strides in our efforts to diversify our holdings, invite regionally based as well as globally recognized contemporary artists to the Museum, and bring outstanding exhibitions like Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory and Barbie®: A Cultural Icon to Arizona. The gifts from The Opatrny Family Foundation and the Cohn Fund for Arts & Culture have enabled the Museum to create critical financial infrastructure to ensure long-term, sustainable support for our exhibitions, Museum-wide education and engagement programming, and our support of Arizona-based artists. Thank you to the Opatrny, Cohn, and Lenhardt families for truly making a difference in our ability to present impactful art experiences and serve as a vital platform for community engagement and exchange, now and for decades to come.”

Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund

Founded this year with a $1 million gift to PhxArt’s endowment from The Opatrny Family Foundation, the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund provides integral support to the Museum’s development of impactful special-engagement exhibitions, large-format presentations, and enhanced collection reinstallations. Donors can contribute through either the Exhibition Current Use Fund, which provides support for exhibitions presented within a specific timeframe, or the Exhibition Endowment Fund, which incorporates restricted endowment gifts that support PhxArt’s commitment to excellence in its ongoing exhibitions programming. Contributions to the latter fund are added to an original corpus established by gifts from The Opatrny Family Foundation and The Joan Cremin Exhibition Endowment, which was created in 2016.

“The formation of the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund marks a critical step in ensuring PhxArt can advance its efforts in mounting top-tier presentations of emerging and established artists and engaging audiences with their important work,” remarked Donald Opatrny, Chair of the Museum’s governing Board of Trustees. “We hope that, through the Fund’s establishment, we can inspire new and past donors alike to contribute additional funding that will be invaluable to ensuring the continuity and quality of the Museum’s outstanding exhibitions programming.”

Phoenix Art Museum Education and Engagement Excellence Fund

With a grant of $750,000 from the Cohn Fund for Arts & Culture at the Arizona Community Foundation, this year Phoenix Art Museum established the Phoenix Art Museum Education and Engagement Excellence Fund. This initial seed investment, distributed over multiple years, supports the naming of the Cohn Assistant Curator of Contemporary and Community Art Initiatives position, currently held by Christian Ramírez. It additionally provides five-year support for the Museum’s ASU-LACMA Fellow, who takes part in a three-year master’s degree program created by Arizona State University and LACMA that is designed to foster a more diverse generation of Museum curators, administrators, and thought leaders. Claudia López, bilingual communications specialist, is the Museum’s inaugural PhxArt ASU-LACMA Fellow.

The grant also enables the Museum to deepen its support of Arizona-based artists. Effective with the 2024 cohort of Arizona Artist Award recipients, PhxArt will increase monetary support for the annual Scult Artist Award from $10,000 to $20,000 and the Lehmann Emerging Artists Awards from $5,000 to $10,000 per artist (two awarded). Additionally, the Museum will establish in 2024 the Sette/Cohn Artist Award, a new artist recognition opportunity that awards a $5,000 prize to an emerging Arizona-based artist.

With support from the Cohn Fund for Arts & Culture, PhxArt will also initiate an annual educational partnership with a Valley-based organization that is designed to broaden engagement with the visual arts among underserved audiences.

Donors can contribute to the Phoenix Art Museum Education and Engagement Excellence Fund through either the Education and Engagement Current Use Fund, which provides support for programming and engagement initiatives presented within a specific timeframe, or the Education and Engagement Endowment Fund, which incorporates restricted endowment gifts that support PhxArt’s commitment to excellence in education and engagement programming.

“We are pleased to support these initiatives to expand the Museum’s ‘reach’ beyond its walls,” said Mike Cohn, Valley philanthropist. “These programs will have a major impact on the Museum’s ability to support others in our shared community, and we are excited to help position PhxArt as a museum of the future through this grant.”

Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative

Dawn and David Lenhardt have also renewed their Contemporary Art Initiative, made possible through a recent gift of $250,000 from the Arizona-based family. The Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative seeks to deepen the Museum’s commitment to contemporary art and elevate the institution’s profile on a national scale through an annual artist lecture series, the designation of a contemporary art gallery, and the ongoing acquisition of contemporary artworks. Established in 2017, the initiative was expanded in 2021 to support the diversification of PhxArt’s contemporary art collection through the acquisition of works by artists contributing to discourses on race, gender, and other socially relevant issues, including those by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and women artists, among others. This recent gift ensures the continuation of two semiannual Lenhardt Lectures, featuring presentations by or conversations with emerging and internationally renowned contemporary artists. Since 2017, the Lenhardt family’s generosity, now totaling more than $1 million, has enabled the Museum to acquire artworks by Shara Hughes, Arcmanoro Niles, Derek Fordjour, Rashid Johnson, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, and Lily Stockman, as well as present lectures by Jim Hodges, Shara Hughes, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Arcmanoro Niles, Teresita Fernández, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Derek Fordjour, Rashid Johnson, and Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe in conversation with curator and cultural critic Larry Ossei-Mensah. The Fall 2023 Lenhardt Lecture will present Leonardo Drew.

“Dawn and I are thrilled to continue our support of the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative at Phoenix Art Museum,” said David Lenhardt, vice-chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “We remain dedicated to supporting the Museum in its mission to become an inclusive space of belonging, where everyone can see themselves reflected in the art on the walls or the programs in the galleries. It has been a pleasure to witness the initiative expand over the past five years in the pursuit of this goal, and we are excited to see what more the Museum can achieve.”

For more information on these recent gifts, please contact samantha.andreacchi@phxart.org.  

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 19,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

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PHOENIX (September 25, 2023) – Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) announces the renewal of the David and Dawn Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative, made possible through a gift of $250,000 from the Arizona-based family. The Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative seeks to deepen the Museum’s commitment to contemporary art and elevate the institution’s profile on a national scale through an annual artist lecture series, the designation of a contemporary art gallery, and the acquisition of contemporary artworks by artists in the field. Established in 2017, the initiative was expanded in 2021 to support the diversification of PhxArt’s contemporary art collection through the acquisition of works by artists contributing to discourses on race, gender, and other socially relevant concerns, including those by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and women artists, among others. This recent gift ensures the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative will continue for an additional five years in support of the Museum’s contemporary art acquisitions and education programs. It brings overall support of the Lenhardt Contemporary Initiative to more than $1 million since the program’s inception.

“We are deeply grateful to Dawn and David Lenhardt for renewing their support of an initiative that has not only allowed us to diversify our contemporary art holdings but provided valuable opportunities for intellectual exchange and community-building through art,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “Through the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative, the Museum has acquired six outstanding works that have brought a diversity of perspective and creative expression to our contemporary art collection. We have also welcomed numerous internationally renowned artists and thought leaders to the Valley, enabling our audiences and the local artist community to engage with significant figures in the field of global contemporary art. We look forward to advancing these efforts, in partnership with the Lenhardt family, over the next five years.”

“Dawn and I are thrilled to continue our support of the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative at Phoenix Art Museum,” said David Lenhardt, vice-chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “We remain dedicated to supporting the Museum in its mission to become an inclusive space of belonging, where everyone can see themselves reflected in the art on the walls or the programs in the galleries. It has been a pleasure to witness the initiative expand over the past five years in the pursuit of this goal, and we are excited to see what more the Museum can achieve.”

The flagship program of the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative is the semiannual Lenhardt Lecture, presented each spring and fall at Phoenix Art Museum. The program features a presentation by or conversation with emerging and internationally renowned contemporary artists. Additionally, Lenhardt Lecture speakers are asked to participate in arts-education opportunities with the community. Since the inaugural Lenhardt Lecture in 2018, the Museum has welcomed artists Jim Hodges, Shara Hughes, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Arcmanoro Niles, Teresita Fernández, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Derek Fordjour, Rashid Johnson, and, in 2023, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe in conversation with curator and cultural critic Larry Ossei-Mensah.

Additionally, the initiative supports the expansion and diversification of the Museum’s contemporary art collection. Since 2017, the Lenhardt family’s generosity has enabled the Museum to acquire artworks by Shara Hughes, Arcmanoro Niles, Derek Fordjour, Rashid Johnson, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, and Lily Stockman. For high-resolution images of select works, click here.

The Lenhardt Gallery, located within the Museum’s Ellen and Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art, also remains dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary art, with rotating displays of artworks from the Museum’s collection and significant loans from national and Phoenix collectors.

“In a few short years, the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative has had palpable and important impacts on the Museum’s collection and programmatic focus,” said Olga Viso, the Selig Family Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at PhxArt. “It has fueled the Museum’s larger institutional priorities around program and audience development and has brought artists of national and international renown to the Greater Phoenix Metro Area to engage directly with audiences and our thriving local artist community.”

For more information or interviews, contact the Museum’s Communications Office at samantha.santos@phxart.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 19,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

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PHOENIX (October 7, 2022) – Beginning October 8, Phoenix Art Museum will now offer free admission daily to all Maricopa County Community College District (MC³ hereafter) students with an active student ID. Made possible through the profound generosity of Men’s Arts Council (MAC), a non-profit member organization dedicated to supporting the Museum’s community-outreach programs, the free-access program, colloquially known as MC³@PAM, provides an affordable way for the Valley’s community-college students to experience the Museum’s robust exhibition schedule of American, Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design.

“Phoenix Art Museum is thrilled to announce this access program in partnership with Men’s Arts Council,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “Free-admission programs like MC³@PAM eliminate economic barriers and further our commitment to opening doors and expanding access to the arts for our audiences in Arizona. Many community-college students are among the first in their families to have the option to attend college, and with more than 75% of MCCC students attending on a part-time basis, balancing work and family with their educational studies, we did not want anything to stand in the way of these students enjoying arts and culture. We are deeply grateful to MAC for their outstanding generosity, for stepping up to meet this need in our community, and for helping create new generations of Museum visitors for years to come.”

Through MC³@PAM, all Maricopa Community Colleges students who attend any of the 10 colleges or affiliated skill centers will enjoy free general admission to PhxArt, including admission into special-engagement exhibitions. The program, which has been funded through 2025, also creates opportunities to integrate visual arts into college-classroom curricula. Support for the program is drawn from a transformative $1 million grant the Museum received from Men’s Arts Council in September 2022. In addition to MC³@PAM, the major gift will support quarterly Family Days, featuring free general admission, art-making workshops, guided tours, and other exciting events; the Museum’s new associate curator of education position, a role responsible for developing enriching arts-education programs for the public; PhxArt Amplified, the Museum’s popular weekend music and art experience featuring musicians performing throughout Museum galleries and public gathering spaces; and key technology upgrades.

“At our core, our mission is to support the community we serve through the work of Phoenix Art Museum,” said Joel Coen, president of Men’s Arts Council. “This program will allow families and students the opportunity to experience the museum once again and hopefully be a part of the resurgence of the Phoenix arts scene.”

Maricopa Community Colleges, one of the largest community-college districts in the nation, serves more than 100,000 students annually and provides affordable, high-quality education for degree and skill-seeking students in nearly every area of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Students enrolled for any number of credits and with an active ID from Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain community colleges qualify for the free admission program.

“We would like to thank the Men’s Arts Council and Phoenix Art Museum for their generous donation allowing access to the Maricopa Community Colleges’ population of approximately 100,000 students,” said Chancellor Steven Gonzales. “Partnerships like these create even additional value, cultural experiences, and learning opportunities for our students.”

For more information about the Museum, or for additional resources regarding MC³@PAM, contact the Museum’s Press Office at 602.257.2105, samantha.andreacchi@phxart.org, or press@phxart.org.

For more information on the Men’s Arts Council, contact Holly Morgan at 480.888.6074 or holly@hollymorganmedia.com.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About the Men’s Arts Council
The Men’s Arts Council (MAC) of Phoenix Art Museum, founded in January 1967, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the Museum’s programs and activities through unique events such as the Copperstate Overland. The Men’s Arts Council’s efforts enable the organization to make annual contributions to Phoenix Art Museum’s operating budget and financially sponsor exhibitions. For more information, visit mensartscouncil.com.

About The Maricopa County Colleges
The Maricopa County Community College District includes 10 regionally accredited colleges—Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain—and the Maricopa Corporate College, serving approximately 100,000 students through two-year degrees, certificates, and university transfer programs. For more information, visit maricopa.edu.

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PHOENIX (September 17, 2022) – Phoenix Art Museum announces a transformative $1 million grant from Men’s Arts Council (MAC), a non-profit member organization of Valley philanthropists dedicated to supporting the Museum’s community-outreach programs through annual giving. The unprecedented gift, the largest single gift in Men’s Arts Council’s 55+ year history, will directly benefit the Museum’s education efforts, fund technology updates in public gathering spaces, and create new access programs for the community, including free quarterly Family Days and free admission for Maricopa Community College District students.

“Phoenix Art Museum is truly honored by the profound generosity of Men’s Arts Council,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “This gift will empower the Museum to not only rebuild its public program offerings impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but increase access to visual arts and arts education for our community, removing economic barriers at a time when it is most crucial for Arizona families. We are incredibly fortunate to have benefited from their tireless support for much of the Museum’s nearly 65-year history, and this gift symbolizes their decades-long dedication to Phoenix Art Museum and the Greater Phoenix community.”

The $1 million grant, in addition to MAC’s generous annual giving, will support a number of key initiatives within the Museum that focus primarily on access, education and engagement, and technology infrastructure. To increase access to the Museum for more Arizona residents, MAC’s gift includes funding for quarterly Family Days, during which the Museum will open at no cost to families and feature artmaking workshops, guided tours, and other exciting events to make the galleries feel welcoming and accessible to Arizona families who may be visiting for the first time. MAC will also support the return of a historic Museum program that offered free admission to all Maricopa Community College District students, creating opportunities to integrate visual arts into college classroom curricula.

MAC’s gift will also support the new associate curator of education position, a role responsible for developing enriching arts-education programs for the public, including lectures, workshops, musical and dance performances, and more. Additionally, the gift will enable the Museum to bring back PhxArt Amplified, the Museum’s popular weekend music festival that featured a wide range of musicians performing throughout Museum galleries and public gathering spaces.

The $1 million grant will also include funding for key technology upgrades within public gathering spaces, focusing primarily on the Museum’s Singer Hall. This multipurpose space has been traditionally used for workshops for arts educators, arts lecture programs for Valley seniors, and many other Museum activities. The new technology upgrades will also enable the Museum to expand access to digital resources for visitors.

“For 55 years, the Men’s Arts Council has dedicated itself to providing Phoenix Art Museum with the resources it needs to perpetuate its mission of serving our community through expertly crafted exhibitions and thoughtful education,” said Joel Coen, president of Men’s Arts Council. “This year, it is our honor to commit this substantial donation to continue our ongoing relationship with the Museum and to support the arts in the Phoenix Metro Area as a whole.”

In the coming weeks, Phoenix Art Museum will announce dates for its new quarterly Family Days and its next Amplified event. Free admission for Maricopa Community College District students will begin October 1, 2022. For more information about the Museum, or for additional resources regarding the gift and education and engagement at PhxArt, contact the Museum’s Press Office at 602.257.2105, samantha.andreacchi@phxart.org, or press@phxart.org.

For more information on the Men’s Arts Council, contact Holly Morgan at 480.888.6074 or holly@hollymorganmedia.com.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the leading art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About the Men’s Arts Council
The Men’s Arts Council (MAC) of Phoenix Art Museum, founded in January 1967, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the Museum’s programs and activities through unique events such as the Copperstate Overland. The Men’s Arts Council’s efforts enable the organization to make annual contributions to Phoenix Art Museum’s operating budget and financially sponsor exhibitions. For more information, visit mensartscouncil.com.

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PHOENIX (December 22, 2021) – On December 6, 2021, Arizona Costume Institute (ACI), an affiliate group of Phoenix Art Museum, celebrated the return of its annual Holiday Luncheon by presenting Emmy-award winning designer Michael Costello as the keynote speaker. The in-person luncheon was the first major event hosted at Phoenix Art Museum since the institution’s closure in March 2020 precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sold-out event welcomed more than 350 guests and raised a record-breaking $300,000+ in vital support for the Museum and its fashion-design department.

“We are very grateful to the board of Arizona Costume Institute and its members for their ongoing generous support of Phoenix Art Museum, particularly over the past year and a half when the Museum faced incredible challenges due to the pandemic,” said Mark Koenig, the Interim Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “For more than 60 years, ACI has supported our fashion-design collection, and once again, the Holiday Luncheon has raised vital funds that will benefit fashion-design exhibitions and education programs for our community. We extend our deepest thanks and congratulations to the chairs of this event, Donna Johnson and Lisa Shapiro, and to the entire planning committee for creating a truly memorable luncheon.” 

Costello, the event’s keynote speaker, is a self-taught designer who first began drawing dresses on his bedroom walls at the age of 2, and by 15, he had opened his first boutique. While many may recognize him from television’s Project Runway franchise, Costello has since built a massive empire by helping women of all shapes and sizes feel beautiful. His exquisite dresses have dominated every prestigious red-carpet award show, from the GRAMMYs to the Oscars, and the designer has dressed Beyoncé, JLo, Lady Gaga, Kate Hudson, and many others. His designs have been featured in international fashion publications, including Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Times’ style section, Harper’s Bazaar, and Apparel News, and several of his dresses are on display at the GRAMMY Museum.

In addition to the hosted interview between Costello and Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum, models wearing Costello’s most noteworthy designs walked among the luncheon’s guests, who enjoyed up-close-and-personal views of his stunning creations. The elegant event also featured a champagne reception, a plated two-course lunch, and a drawing featuring high-end, luxury items from both local and nationally recognized designers, boutiques, and businesses.

For media images (with IDs in the comments) from the ACI 2021 Holiday Luncheon, click here.

2021 ACI Holiday Luncheon Committee

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Donna Johnson
Lisa Shapiro

HONORARY CHAIR

Diane Halle

COMMITTEE

Perrine Adams
Ronna Beeson
Lisa Bell
Matthew Boland
Jennifer Carmer
Libby Cohen
Oscar De las salas
Emily Dietz
Shawnee Doherty
Katherine Emery
Wendy Ferrell
Kati Festy-Sandor
Ann Fuller
Amanda Garmany
Lisa Geyser
Janet Henrich-Glaser
Jan Herwick
Dawna Holtz
Jill Krigsten Riley
Lynne Love
Barbara Lytle
Laura Madden
Kathie May
Mary Ellen McKee
Beth McRae
Priscilla Nicholas
Patti Oleson
Donna Pettigrew Hicks
Shirley Prest
Helene Presutti
Sherri Quinn
Marc Reed
Chrissy Sayare
Tracy Serena
Carol Shriber
Khamsone Sirimanivong
Amy Slethaug
Joy Sprink
Kelley Sucher
Lauri Termansen
Vicki Vaughn
DeeDee Vecchione
Kelly Welty

CORPORATE SPONSOR

to be continued… a consignment boutique

UNDERWRITERS

Main Dish
Miriam Sukhman
FORD/Robert Black Agency
Brenda Howard
Lauri Termansen
Trends Magazine
House Home & More
Psyne Co

About Arizona Costume Institute

Arizona Costume Institute was founded in 1966 to support the fashion-design department of Phoenix Art Museum through the acquisition and preservation of garments and accessories of historical and aesthetic significance and through events and fundraising efforts that support and deepen awareness of the Museum’s fashion-design exhibitions and education programs. ACI’s support of this collection area depends on the enthusiasm of dedicated volunteers. The ACI Board of Managers 2021 president is Khamsone Sirimanivong.  To learn more about Arizona Costume Institute, visit arizonacostumeinstitute.org.

About the Fashion-Design Collection at Phoenix Art Museum

Founded in 1966, the fashion-design collection of Phoenix Art Museum is notable for its quality and comprehensiveness. More than 8,000 objects comprise the collection, including American and European men’s, women’s, and children’s dress and accessories dating from the late 17th century to the present. The Museum organizes two fashion exhibitions annually, which are curated by Helen Jean, the institution’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design, and presented in the Kelly Ellman Fashion Design Gallery. Phoenix Art Museum is one of only seven art museums in the United States with a long and continuously active fashion-design program.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

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PHOENIX (December 2, 2021) –Phoenix Art Museum announces the acquisition of Untitled Anxious Bruise Drawing (2021) by critically acclaimed New York-based artist Rashid Johnson. The work is the latest purchased by the Museum with funds from the Dawn and David Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative and furthers the Museum’s mission to diversify its contemporary art holdings. Johnson, whose work was recently presented in a solo exhibition at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, is internationally renowned for his abstract and evocative installations, two- and three-dimensional objects, videos, and performances that explore themes of social history, art history, philosophy, and his own autobiography. His work is the fourth acquired by the Museum since 2017 through the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative and will be on view in 2022.

“We are excited to add Rashid Johnson’s work to the Museum’s contemporary art collection,” said Mark Koenig, the Interim Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “Not only does this acquisition, made possible by Dawn and David Lenhardt, bring greater diversity to the experiences and perspectives represented in the Museum’s collection—it also advances our contemporary art holdings and ensures our community has access to some of the most significant and dynamic artists working today.”

Born in Chicago and now based in New York, Rashid Johnson studied photography at the Art Institute of Chicago, but his practice has since expanded to embrace sculpture, painting, drawing, filmmaking, and installation. Through spontaneous and unmediated mark-making, his work addresses the existential conditions of his own life as well as life itself, resulting in compositions that are both autobiographical and metaphorical.

The latest Lenhardt acquisition, Johnson’s Untitled Anxious Bruise Drawing (2021) is part of a new series of drawings and paintings by the artist titled Bruise. The series, which recently debuted in the artist’s solo exhibition Black and Blue at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, develops themes presented in Johnson’s Anxious Red series that he created during the pandemic to explore the anxiety, isolation, and loss felt by many due to COVID-19. These Bruise works, including Untitled Anxious Bruise Drawing, use gridded compositions of expressive half-geometric, half-human faces in various shades of blue to conjure the feelings of aftermath, reckoning, and healing that have now taken hold of people from all walks of life, all over the globe. They also draw from the mood and lyrics of the Fats Waller jazz standard “Black and Blue,” which was made popular by Louis Armstrong and is an important motif in Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man. In this way, the paintings reflect not just the immediate impact of violent social changes sparked by the pandemic and the intensification of hostilities across political lines, but how current social moments and movements are indicative of ongoing, historical inequities.

“In a relatively short amount of time, Rashid Johnson has developed an intensive practice that has embraced a wide range of media,” said Gilbert Vicario, the Museum’s curator of modern and contemporary art. “Johnson’s Bruise Drawings, part of his most recent body of work, demonstrate his capacity to simultaneously draw from figuration and abstraction to evoke aspects of African-American intellectual history and cultural identity through the emotionally and psychologically charged lens of the past two years.”

Solo exhibitions of Johnson’s work have been presented nationally and internationally, including at Museo Tamayo, Mexico City; Milwaukee Art Museum; Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow; and Drawing Center, New York. His first feature-length film, an adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released in 2019 on HBO, and his interactive installation and sound work is open through Fall 2021 at MoMA PS1 in Queens, New York. Johnson’s work is in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Guggenheim Museum, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; and now, Phoenix Art Museum.

“Dawn and I are thrilled that Phoenix Art Museum has added this spectacular work by Rashid Johnson into its collection,” said David Lenhardt, who also serves as the vice chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “Johnson’s visceral paintings spark important and timely conversations around prevalent social inequities. We are inspired by the ways Johnson uses his platform to give back to various communities and how his practice and civic commitments inspire younger artists working today. We are grateful for the opportunity to help Phoenix Art Museum acquire this work so that it will be represented in the institution’s contemporary art collection in perpetuity.”

For more information about this latest acquisition or the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative, contact the Communications Office of Phoenix Art Museum at 602.257.2105 or samantha.andreacchi@phxart.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About the Dawn and David Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative
Made possible through the generosity of the Arizona-based Lenhardt family, the Dawn and David Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative was established in 2017 to deepen the Museum’s commitment to contemporary art through various programs, namely the Lenhardt Lectures, which engage Valley audiences with some of the most acclaimed contemporary artists in the world; the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund, which enables Phoenix Art Museum to collect works by contemporary artists; and the Dawn and David Lenhardt Gallery, designated for the presentation of contemporary art, including works acquired with funds from the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative, loans from national and local collectors, and a rotating series of artworks from the Lenhardts’ own collection. In 2021, the initiative was expanded to support the diversification of the contemporary art collection of Phoenix Art Museum through the acquisition of works by artists contributing to discourses on race, gender, and other socially relevant concerns, including those by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and women artists, among others.

Since 2017, the Museum has acquired artworks by Shara Hughes, Arcmanoro Niles, Derek Fordjour, and Rashid Johnson with funds from the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative. Since 2018, the annual Lenhardt Lectures have presented renowned artists Jim Hodges, Shara Hughes, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Arcmanoro Niles, Teresita Fernández, Amalia Mesa-Bains, and Derek Fordjour.

About Rashid Johnson
Rashid Johnson (b. 1977, Chicago) is recognized as one of the major voices of his generation. Johnson composes searing meditations on race and class while establishing an organic formal vocabulary that fuses various sculptural and painterly traditions. Though he employs materials drawn from specific autobiographical contexts—including those related to African-American intellectual and imaginative life—and though his practice had its beginnings in photography and conceptual art, Johnson is equally interested in testing the ability of abstract visual languages to communicate across cultural boundaries. The breadth and generosity of his vision has resulted in a wide range of two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects, installations, videos, and performances.

In addition to presenting his September 2021 solo exhibition at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, Johnson debuted large-scale artworks commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera, which will be on view at the opera house during the 2021–2022 season. A major outdoor sculpture by the artist was recently installed at Storm King Art Center, New Windsor, New York. Stage, Johnson’s interactive installation and sound work, is open through fall 2021 at MoMA PS1 in Queens, New York. He has been the subject of solo exhibitions at institutions including Museo Tamayo, Mexico City (2019); Aspen Art Museum, Colorado (2019); Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City (2017); Milwaukee Art Museum (2017); Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow (2016); and Drawing Center, New York (2015). His work is in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Guggenheim Museum, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. His first feature-length film, an adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released on HBO in 2019. Johnson lives and works in New York.

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PHOENIX (October 12, 2021) – Phoenix Art Museum has been named the recipient of a $240,746 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the first in the institution’s recent history since 2012. The award provides vital support for the institution’s upcoming special-engagement exhibition Landscapes of Extraction: The Art of Mining in the American West, the first major exhibition of Western American art organized by the Museum since The West Select in 2014. The grant also supports an accompanying exhibition publication that adds contemporary voices to existing scholarship on mining-related art.

“Phoenix Art Museum is deeply grateful to the National Endowment for the Humanities for this generous grant—the largest the Museum has received from the NEH in our institution’s history,” said Mark Koenig, the Interim Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “With this funding, the Museum will be able to share with Arizona audiences a groundbreaking view on the history of the art of mining in our region through Landscapes of Extraction: The Art of Mining in the American West, which offers a nuanced view into how artists over the past 100 years have depicted mining scenes and reflected society’s evolving perspectives on the industry’s impact on western U.S. landscapes.”

Opening on November 7, 2021 in Steele Gallery, the premiere exhibition space at Phoenix Art Museum, Landscapes of Extraction explores the modern evolution of mining imagery through more than 65 paintings and prints, illuminating how artists have interpreted and conveyed these landscapes of enterprise from the 1910s to the present. The exhibition begins with works from the early- to mid-20th century, when artists such as Lew Davis, Philip C. Curtis, Paul Sample, and Louise Emerson Ronnebeck portrayed regional themes and industries in their work, inspired, in part, by New Deal programs during the 1930s and early 1940s. These historical paintings showcase images of open-pit mines and coal tipples, the towns that grew up around mines and were abandoned when they closed, and the miners and their families who lived, worked, and toiled in those environments. Contemporary works created into the 2010s stand in contrast by demonstrating how artists have, over time, become more attuned to the monumental impact that humans, technology, mining, and other industries have had on the natural world, with a number examining the ongoing legacy of pollution. Works by artists such as Edward Burtynsky, David Emitt Adams, Martin Stupich, and Robert Adams explore the environmental costs of our global reliance on mined materials, while a work by contemporary fine art photographer Cara Romero, an enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, illuminates the experiences of Indigenous peoples globally who have been displaced from traditional lands for oil pipelines and other mining ventures. The exhibition is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Betsy Fahlman, PhD, the Museum’s adjunct curator of American art.

The $240,746 NEH grant was awarded to Phoenix Art Museum in support of the major exhibition as part of the American Rescue Plan that the U.S. Congress passed in March 2021. Since then, the NEH has been working to distribute the $135 million appropriated by Congress to cultural organizations and educational institutions adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

For more information on this recent NEH grant award, Phoenix Art Museum, and Landscapes of Extraction, contact the Communications Office of Phoenix Art Museum at 602.257.2105 or samantha.andreacchi@phxart.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum has provided access to visual arts and educational programs in Arizona for nearly 60 years and is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions are shown alongside the Museum’s permanent collection of more than 19,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents festivals, a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed to enlighten, entertain, and stimulate visitors of all ages. Visitors also enjoy vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org or call 602.257.1880.

About the National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.

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PHOENIX (September 30, 2021) – Phoenix Art Museum has been named one of 71 nonprofits throughout Maricopa County to receive funding from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s “Now is the Moment” Grants Commemoration, a single-day investment of $123 million in Maricopa County’s nonprofit community. On September 13, 2021, the Museum received an unanticipated $4 million grant from Piper Trust, which represents the largest grant the Museum has ever received from the Trust and one of the largest single grants the Museum has received in its 60-year history from any philanthropic organization or grantmaking body. The funding, which was presented as a surprise award, will be used to support the Museum’s general operations as the institution continues to rebuild following an unprecedented seven-month closure necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic impact.  

“We are deeply grateful for the outstanding generosity of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust,” said Mark Koenig, the Interim Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “For more than two decades, Piper Trust has provided significant ongoing support to Phoenix Art Museum, grants that have benefitted everything from exhibitions and education programs to the Museum’s bilingual website and general operating support. This latest gift—the largest the Museum has received in the history of our institutions’ long partnership—further cements Piper Trust’s resolute commitment to the arts in our region and provides truly transformative support for the Museum following the single most challenging year in our 60-year history.”

Despite a tumultuous year due to the global health crisis caused by COVID-19 and economic uncertainty across all sectors, many individuals and institutions with large investments in the stock market experienced extraordinary growth in the value of their holdings, including Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, whose endowment grew by $123 million in the 15 months following the start of the pandemic. With these opposing forces at work, and as stewards of the mission of the Trust’s founder, Virginia Galvin Piper, Piper Trustees felt compelled to share all of the organization’s earnings with the community in one swift action. On September 13, 2021, Piper Trust launched the $123-million “Now is the Moment” Grants Commemoration—the largest single-day grant initiative in Arizona’s history—and named 71 organizations across Maricopa County, including Phoenix Art Museum, as recipients of transformative individual grants of varying amounts. Most grants were awarded as unrestricted support, providing grantees with full discretion and flexibility to use the funds as necessary for their respective organizations.

“We are truly honored to be a recipient of this $4 million grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, one of the largest one-time grants the Museum has received from any organization in its history,” said Mark Feldman, chair of the Board of Trustees of Phoenix Art Museum. “This grant means so much to not only Phoenix Art Museum but to the community we serve. We are deeply grateful to be able to use this funding to support important operations and ensure that our doors stay open for generations to come, and we extend our congratulations to the 70 other recipients who are also benefitting from Piper Trust’s unparalleled generosity. Arts and cultural organizations, as well as so many others across the nonprofit sector, have been fundamentally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this grant commemoration provides much-needed relief for us all.”

Phoenix Art Museum has benefitted from the generosity of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust since 2000. Through Piper Trust’s exhibition endowment, the Museum has received significant support for a number of major Museum exhibitions, most recently including Stories of Abstraction: Contemporary Latin American Art in the Global Context, Teresita Fernández: Elemental, Wondrous Worlds: Art and Islam Through Time and Place, and the upcoming Landscapes of Extraction: The Art of Mining in the American West. In 2017, Piper Trust awarded the Museum nearly $1 million in support for the institution’s new website, the first bilingual website in English and Spanish in the Museum’s history and the first of its kind at any major art museum in the United States. Additionally, as of September 12, 2021, Piper Trust has provided more than $400,000 of general operating support to the Museum since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This recent grant of $4 million awarded on September 13, 2021 will further support general operations at Phoenix Art Museum, along with opportunities for innovation that will better enable the Museum to serve its communities.

“Phoenix Art Museum is a treasured cultural destination in our community,” said Mary Jane Rynd, president and CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. “The Museum continually shows us unique ways of public engagement, such as The Violet Protest—a collaborative project that illustrates how art can bring people together and foster positive actions especially during challenging times,” said Rynd.

For more information on this recent grant awarded by Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and Phoenix Art Museum, contact the Museum’s Communications Office at samantha.andreacchi@phxart.org or 602.257.2105.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $644 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations. For more information, visit pipertrust.org.

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