The mission of the New Museum of Contemporary Art is to advance
innovative art and artistic practice as a vital social force through
its exhibitions, programs and organizational structure. Primary to the
Museum’s purpose are education and public outreach, original
scholarship, and critical investigation of the museum’s role and
function.
To fulfill this mandate, the staff, director and trustees agree that
the following principles are essential:
Artists and their works are the creative lifeblood of society, as
well as the Museum’s core subject. All exhibitions and programs emerge
from the shared understanding that the Museum’s identity is inseparable
from the distinct visions of the artists with whom we collaborate.
Art today is a global phenomenon, spanning a vast array of
cultural activities and media in every region of the world, and
includes all age groups and classes within its capacity for
communication and learning.
Contemporary art encompasses a variety of related disciplines and
areas of inquiry. The Museum’s work is inherently interdisciplinary,
supporting the dissolution of boundaries that have isolated the visual
arts from other fields of endeavor.
The curatorial goals of the Museum are to identify and support
ideas and sensibilities that are not yet familiar to mainstream
audiences, and to present them in ways which are consistent with the
challenges they present to preconceived notions about art.
Contemporary art has the power to affect the lives of all people.
The Museum seeks to eliminate the barriers that inhibit the
participation of the broadest possible audience.
The educational goals of the Museum are to provide a meaningful
and stimulating environment for the exploration of contemporary art and
to promote dialogue among its many constituencies.
Contemporary art is a contested realm of culture, requiring
critical thinking and multiple interpretations of art’s meaning to help
reflect its complex nature.