The MET’s Latest Exhibitions Programme - Plan

The Met’s commitment to integrating modern and contemporary art is quite visible and proving to be successful for years to come, with, the latest exhibition programme as well as the new budget that has been put to place. Just like one American self-help author Napoleon Hill said, “Plan your work and work your plan”, the Met’s recent plans cannot be said to be in vain.

Appreciating talent by best of the best artists. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) has invited artist to create new art pieces for its planned– exhibitions –programme. Among the selected artists is Canadian artist Kent Monkman, whose artistic theme is “a new idea of modern history painting”. Monkman is creating monumental paintings for the Great Hall, which will be showing as from 19th Dec - 12th Feb 2020. Kenyan – born artist Wangechi Mutu is creating sculptures that will be the first ever installation, for the empty sculptural niches on the Museum’s Fifth Avenue Facade. However, as the Museum’s director Max Hollei quickly points out, one of the niches was used before by ‘Big Bird’– a children’s television character for 1983 Sesame Street Special, titled – ‘Don’t Eat the Pictures’. Mutu is creating sculptures based on works in the Met’s collection, which will be showcasing as from 9th Sept - 12th Jan 2020.

Amongst the artists presented by Hollein, the Met’s director and deputy director Quincy Houghton, are solo artists such as:

Ragnar Kjartansson – Who will be presenting this month’s premiere – a seven screen video installation titled ‘Death is Elsewhere’, showcasing on 30th May - 2nd Sept 2019.

Artist Felix Vallotton’s survey which will pair his portrait of Gertrude Stein along with Picasso’s, and will be showcasing on 29th October - 26th January 2020.

Late Indian Sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee’s retrospective will be showcasing on 4th June - 29th Sept 2019 at the Met Breuer.

Leonard will be represented in a single-work display of Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, circa 1480, showcasing as from 15th July - 6th October 2019.

Apart from the successful programme planning of its exhibitions, the Met has also laid out its new budget plan. Chief executive Daniel Weiss for the first time in three years, presented the Met’s balanced budget plan. According to Weiss, the Met’s change last year, to scrap its pay-what-you-wish admissions policy for non-New Yorkers, helped with the Museum’s finances and did not have a negative effect on the attendance record. As from 1st March 2018, the Met changed its admissions policy for the out-of-town visitors, charging them a mandatory entry fee of $25 while New Yorkers and students in the tristate area continue to pay what they wish. The move aimed to offset the dwindling number of people who paid the full suggested donation, which had fallen from 63% of visitors in 2004 to 17% last year. The museum was also working to eliminate a $10 million deficit by 2020.

Weiss further discussed a number of building and renovation projects that were ongoing, including the $150m European Paintings Skylights Project, launched last summer and is due to be completed in 2022.