NEW YORK, NY.- Officials gathered today on the Bowery to celebrate the opening of the New Museum’s widely anticipated 60,000 sq ft expansion, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Executive Architect Cooper Robertson. Seamlessly integrated with the Museum’s existing SANAA-designed flagship building, OMA’s dramatic new expansion introduces the next chapter in the institution’s nearly fifty-year history of experimentation, innovation, and incubation of new art and new ideas.

Made possible by a $130 million capital campaign, the New Museum’s new building supports the expansion of the institution’s ambitious exhibition program, collaborations with peer arts institutions around the world, extensive education offerings both within the Museum’s walls and in the surrounding community, and industry-leading interdisciplinary initiatives including NEW INC, the first museum-born art, design, and technology incubator.

Attendees at the ribbon cutting included New York City Council Member Chirstopher Marte; New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij; Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal; New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee; New York State Senator Brian Kavanagh; Erika Mallin, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts; Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum; James-Keith Brown, President of the New Museum’s Board of Trustees; Shohei Shigematsu, Partner, OMA; and Erin Flynn, Principal, Cooper Robertson (now Corgan).

“Over the past five decades, the New Museum has grown its footprint at key moments in its history to better serve artists and the public, from the Museum’s beginnings in a temporary space on Hudson Street, to its years of programming on Broadway, to the opening of our first purpose-built space by SANAA in 2007, and now to the future possibilities offered by the OMA-designed expansion of our home on the Bowery,” said Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum. “Our 120,000 sq ft building offers a myriad new opportunities for the New Museum to support and partner with artists and art institutions across the globe while remaining deeply rooted in New York City.”

New York City Council Member Chirstopher Marte said, “On the Bowery, the New Museum has long been a home for bold ideas, new voices, and the kind of contemporary art that challenges people to see the world differently. Its reopening is an exciting moment not just for the city’s cultural life, but for Lower Manhattan. As this next chapter begins, I’m proud to welcome the New Museum back to our district and look forward to seeing it continue to bring artists, visitors, and neighbors together here in downtown New York.”

"The New Museum was born out of the bold, visionary, and boundary-pushing spirit of legendary Marcia Tucker. In the nearly fifty years since, the New Museum has invested in visionary women to create a home for new art and new ideas, especially those that don’t fit neatly into boxes,” said New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij. "With this extraordinary, 60,000 square foot expansion shepherded by the great Lisa Phillips and her team, the New Museum is embarking on an exciting new chapter with more space for exhibitions, for experimentation, and for artists to connect with audiences in exciting new ways. The city is proud of its investment in this major project, which we supported alongside the museum's programs that offer free and affordable education and community engagement for all New Yorkers."

Erika Mallin, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts, said, “As a proud supporter for nearly 50 years, NYSCA recognizes the New Museum as an institution that refuses to stand still. With this exciting expansion, they are more than a home for contemporary art: they are activating new ideas, growing alongside their community, and holding space for the art of tomorrow. The New Museum has reimagined what a museum can be and NYSCA looks forward to the next 50 years.”

“As we look forward to welcoming the public back to the New Museum—kicking off with a free opening weekend celebration—we are deeply thankful to the artists, community members, staff, board members, government officials, and patrons who have made this momentous collective accomplishment possible,” said James-Keith Brown, President of the New Museum’s Board of Trustees.

The New Museum’s expanded building is named for the late Toby Devan Lewis in memory of her steadfast support for the most experimental and pathbreaking art and artists, and in recognition of her twenty-seven years of service on the New Museum’s Board of Trustees. Generous support for the New Museum’s capital campaign has been provided by numerous individuals and foundations, as well as by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with funding from the New York City Mayor’s Office, New York City Council, and Manhattan Borough President’s Office; the New York State Council on the Arts and Empire State Development with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.