NEW YORK.- The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building just opened, marking the completion of The Museum of Modern Art's expansion and renovation project and the fulfillment of architect Yoshio Taniguchi's vision. The MoMA Education and Research Building provides a vital link between the Museum and its diverse and expanding audiences and broadens access to MoMA's extensive educational resources, housing one of the world's top research centers on Exam Topics, and new facilities for film screenings, educational programs, and school groups.

The eight-story, 63,000-square-foot building is designed to mirror the gallery building across the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden on the west side of MoMA's campus, with the dynamic interplay between the two serving as a visual reminder of the Museum's twin missions of art and education. MoMA's Library and Museum Archives will be located in the building, which also houses three new classrooms and workshop areas; a theater and two screening rooms; and curatorial study centers for Architecture and Design, Film, Media, and Painting and Sculpture.

"The opening of the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building celebrates the realization of our expansion and renovation project and embodies the fundamental relationship between art and education," said Glenn D. Lowry, Director, The Museum of Modern Art. "The Cullman Building will greatly enhance the Museum's capacity to offer an array of dynamic programs and resources for visitors of all ages. The project would not have been possible without the dedication and support of Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman, the Edward John Noble Foundation and the City of New York."

Lewis B. Cullman, MoMA honorary trustee, says, "Dorothy and I are delighted to see the completion of the Education and Research Building that bears our name. We strongly believe that education is the bedrock of civilized society and is a lifelong pursuit that expands our understanding of the world. It is particularly gratifying to see art education embodied in this spectacular new building, which will house the programs and the individuals who serve MoMA's diverse audiences and signify the importance of education to the Museum's mission."

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg says, "The Cullman Building demonstrates The Museum of Modern Art's continued commitment to the school children of the City of New York. Arts education is essential to the development of our children. It plays an important role in inspiring creativity, building confidence, promoting self-expression and helping to lay the groundwork for a life-long relationship with the arts."

Four works from MoMA's collection are on view in the public areas of the building to demonstrate to visitors, especially children and young adults, the vitality and diversity of modern and contemporary art. These works include a suspended bright red Ferrari Formula 1 Racing Car (1990), Marco Maggi's and Ken Solomon's timelapse video Micro and Soft on Macintosh Apple (2004), Elizabeth Murray's vibrant canvas Painters Progress (1981), and Andy Warhol's Cow wallpaper (1966).

A series of focused exhibitions drawn from the Museum's Library and Archives collections will also be displayed for the public throughout the year on the mezzanine level of the Education and Research Building. The inaugural installation, America Fantastica: Art, Literature, and the Surrealist Legacy in Experimental Publishing, 1938-1968, features works created by exiled European Surrealists and sympathetic Americans during the World War II era, as well as artist-run magazines from the 1950s and 1960s that drew on Surrealist publishing practices. Upcoming exhibitions include one held in conjunction with the symposium "The Feminist Future," which will explore feminist activism and its critique of artistic institution, followed by a display documenting the history of MoMA's education program.