Bronx Museum of the Arts

The Bronx Museum of the Arts was founded in 1971, in part due to the work of Irma Fleck. The museum was initially hosted on the ground floor of the Bronx County Courthouse, with supplementary galleries scattered throughout nearby neighborhoods. In 1982, the Bronx Museum found a more permanent home when an unused synagogue was purchased. Simon B. Zelnick had initially designed the place of worship in 1961, though it was used for this purpose for less than two decades. A 1988 expansion of the building by Castro-Blanco, Piscioneri, and Feder transformed much of the museum into the dark glass and steel structure that is still visible today. Expansion continued in 2004, when Arquitectonica was comissioned to design additional museum space. The architectural firm created an accordion-like three-story structure which almost doubled the Bronx Museum's floor space. This addition was completed in 2006 and also included a sculpture garden. In 2016, a $25 million renovation was announced which will bring a sense of cohesive identity to the architecture of the building.

In 2012, the Bronx Museum made the decision to stop charging for admission. Since then, the museum's popularity has skyrocketed and it now welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year. The museum helped build its status as a formidable institution in 2013, when it was selected to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale. The Bronx Museum focuses primarily on exhibiting contemporary artists. The permanent collection includes over 800 paintings, photographs, and sculptures. The museum's mission includes making art accessible and engaging to the ethnically diverse Bronx neighborhood. One way this is accomplished is through the annual "Artist in the Marketplace" program, where a panel of art professionals invite blossoming artists to participate in networking events and an exhibition in the museum. The Bronx Museum also maintains partnerships with many local schools.

About, Bronx Museum. Accessed October 16th 2020. http://www.bronxmuseum.org/about/about.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Arcspace. July 20th 2012. Accessed October 16th 2020. https://arcspace.com/feature/the-bronx-museum-of-the-arts/.

Bronx Museum of the Arts, NYC Arts. Accessed October 16th 2020. https://www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/384/bronx-museum-of-the-arts.

Bronx Museum of the Arts Plans Major Expansion, Art Forum. May 26th 2016. Accessed October 16th 2020. https://www.artforum.com/news/bronx-museum-of-the-arts-plans-major-expansion-60302.

Gardner, James. New Life on Grand Concourse Avenue, The Sun. January 24th 2006. Accessed October 16th 2020. https://www.nysun.com/arts/new-life-on-grand-concourse-avenue/26343/.

Samuels, Tanyanika. Bronx Museum to offer free admission: 'adopts' 40 neighborhood schools to increase access to the arts, New York Daily News. March 27th 2012. Accessed October 16th 2020. https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/bronx-museum-offer-free-admission-adopts-40-neighborhood-schools-increase-access-arts-article-1.1051638.

Vogel, Carol. Extensive Changes at a Bronx Museum, The New York Times. July 21st 2006. Accessed October 16th 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/21/arts/21voge.html.