Acquisition of Works of Art

The Museum’s collections of some 300,000 objects represent masterpieces of painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architectural settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas.

It's by continually adding new works of art to these collections that the Museum ensures they will remain relevant and reflective of a diverse local and global audience for many years to come.

Contributions to the acquisition fund enable the Museum to take advantage of extraordinary opportunities in the art market—if, for example, a Philadelphia treasure is in danger of being sold, or should an exceptional object turn up at auction.

The Friends of the Alfred Stieglitz Center, brings together collectors, artists, curators, and other enthusiasts of photography. Each year, the Friends select works of art for the Museum's photography collections. Another way to support acquisitions is by joining the Young Friends. Proceeds from the Young Friends annual gala and other programs are directed to the acquisition of specific works of art.

Supporting Conservation

As one of the nation’s great artistic and historic resources, the Philadelphia Museum of Art assumes the enormous responsibility of preserving its collections for future generations.

The conservation of approximately 300,000 objects, dating as far back as 500 A.D. and encompassing an astonishing diversity of mediums, presents both monumental challenges and exceptional opportunities for research and discovery. However, the professional and technical resources required to carry out this work can often be difficult to come by.

Gifts in support of conservation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art are used to improve the laboratory facilities, to support the treatment of works of art, and to maintain the Museum’s position as a leading center for conservation training and research.

Learn more about conservation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Support the Museum’s Digital Age Initiative

Now numbering 225,000 objects representing more than two millennia of human creativity in the Western world and Asia, the Museum’s collections constitute one of the greatest arts and humanities resources in the United States. In order to share the collections as broadly as possible, the Philadelphia Museum of Art launched a comprehensive Digital Age Initiative in 2007, with the goal of publishing 80% of the collection online by 2017, on its public website and to expand its online audiences through development of diverse interfaces.

The overarching goal of the Digital Age Initiative is to unlock the Museum’s entire collection. The many projects that make up the initiative seek to transform the museum experience into a forum that encourages the enjoyment and study of the collection from diverse perspectives. Through the development of new interfaces our visitors (online and in house) will be able to relate to these objects, compare and contrast them with objects of their own and objects at other museums, share their stories and contribute to the scholarly record.

Gifts in support of the Digital Age Initiative will support projects that produce high-quality photography of each object, verify and add information to the object catalog records, and support the production of educational, interpretive and social network tools such as descriptive audio tours, podcasts, and content.

• A gift of $2,500 will support the online publication of 150 objects
• A gift of $1,500 will support the online publication of 100 objects
• A gift of $1,000 will support the online publication of 50 objects
• A gift of $500 will support the online publication of 25 objects

Gifts of all sizes are welcome.

Supporting the Division of Education

It takes extensive resources and a staff with a wide range of expertise to serve an audience that includes students, teachers, parents and children, as well as adults of all interests and education levels, senior citizens, scholars, art-lovers and, of course, the especially important first-time visitors to the Museum.

Contributions to Education support the vast activities of the Division, including the creation of interpretive materials, school programs, teacher workshops, interactive websites, community outreach, scholarly publications, art history courses, lectures and symposia. Special opportunities are also provided for the visually- and hearing-impaired and physically challenged, as well as home-bound art lovers. Learn more about Education Programs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Over the last century, these programs have grown substantially and have established the Museum’s Division of Education as a national leader in developing innovative ways of promoting greater appreciation for the arts.

Your support of the Division of Education will ensure that all of the Museum’s visitors will have the opportunity for an enriching experience every time they explore the collections.

Supporting the Endowment

Endowment is at the core of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s permanent financial strength, and a growing endowment minimizes visitor costs and maintains access to the Museum’s treasures for everyone.

Through the generosity of many friends and benefactors, and with superb financial management, the Museum has carefully built its endowment over the years. Still, the Museum’s endowment today is just a fraction of those of its peer institutions in New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland.

You can participate in building and strengthening the Museum’s endowment by making an outright gift, pledge, bequest or other planned gift, such as a Charitable Gift Annuity or Charitable Trust. Planned gifts can be tailored to meet your family’s financial needs; in addition, you will enjoy a significant tax deduction while reducing or eliminating capital gains and/or estate tax liability.

Supporting Exhibitions

The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents more than 25 acclaimed special exhibitions each year, ranging from comprehensive single-artist retrospectives to historical surveys to focused presentations that explore specific topics. The organization of these exhibitions can take years, and often requires the cooperation of many museums and private collectors along with considerable research scholarship.

Your gift in support of exhibitions will provide much needed funds for these ambitious and innovative undertakings, including the research, gallery design and educational materials that accompany each presentation. Generous individuals like you have helped make possible exciting Museum exhibitions such as Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt, Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose (1882-1966), and Frida Kahlo.

The Museum also provides opportunities for corporate sponsorship of exhibitions.

Learn about upcoming exhibitions that can benefit from your support.

Supporting the Library & Archives

One of the most distinguished art reference libraries in the United States, the Museum Library houses more than 200,000 books, auction catalogues, and periodicals dating from the 16th century to the present. The Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives is the primary source of information relating to the Museum’s history, including past exhibitions, activities, events, and interactions with significant figures and organizations in the world of art.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Library provides visiting scholars, students, teachers, public visitors, and Museum curators with important and rare academic materials. Our curators rely on the Library to research and plan upcoming exhibitions and advance new scholarship on the Museum’s collections. Building the Library’s holdings ensures that it will continue to offer the best possible educational resources to its many users.

You can also support the Library and Archives in the following way:

Library Acquisitions and Donor Recognition Bookplates
Give a gift of $100 or more to the Library book acquisition fund and a bookplate with your name will be placed inside a newly acquired book!

You may acquire a book in your own name, jointly with other contributors, or as a tribute to a loved one or dear friend. You may also direct your gift to the purchase of a book within a particular area of interest.

Annual Fund

Your gift in support of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's operations helps keep the Museum strong and vibrant in countless ways.

As the primary funding for everyday activities and general maintenance of the Museum, your generous contribution goes towards:

These endeavors, while sometimes behind the scenes, are critical in ensuring the Museum's efficient operation and the opportunity for personal enrichment and lifelong learning for visitors in the current year.

For more information, please contact Development by phone at (215) 684-7750, by fax at (215) 236-0796, or by e-mail at .