Bronx Museum Of The Arts Needs Dough

Bronx Museum of the Arts announced Thursday that it is launching an ambitious fundraising campaign this year, seeking to raise $1 million to add 40 new works of art to its collection, in honor of its 40th anniversary.

The museum has already began its "40 Years, 40 Gifts," collection campaign, scoring a $500,000 gift from the Ford Foundation and $25,000 from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Trust.

"These acquisitions will highlight the Bronx roots of many contemporary artists, illustrating how the borough has served as inspiration for a wide range of artists over the past 40 years,” said executive director Holly Block. “The Bronx is a dynamic hub for artists to experiment and create significant art, and we will use these acquisitions to engage a new generation with the incredible artistic talent in this community."

The new additions to the museum will seek out contemporary works by artists with strong connections to the Bronx, the museum said in a statement.

In honor of its 40th anniversary, the museum is also offering free admission for visitors this year, and has launched a program to "adopt" 40 Bronx schools by providing them with arts education.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts is a cultural institution located in the New York City borough of Bronx. The museum focuses on contemporary and 20th century works created by American artists, and it has hosted exhibitions of art and design from Latin America, Africa and Asia. Its permanent collection consists of more than 800 paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper.

Bronx Museum of the Arts is located at 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street in the Bronx. For more information, please visit here.