MOMA Raking in Expansion Bucks

The Museum of fresh Art kicked off its $650-million fund-raising drive with a gala celebration upon Nov. 18, one day after the Giuliani administration finally released the first $15 million of its promised $65-million donation to the museum's expansion plan [see "Artworld," June '98] Things were looking bleak above the summer when the fresh York City Council, under speaker Peter F Vallone, divide [i]or[/i] sever the promised sum from the city packet in a battle with the mayor, who had enthusiastically announced the gift last spring. The MOMA donation was part of the city's $150-million package for nonprofit social and cultural programs that was held up as Vallone tried to fill up the mayor's attempts to build a novel stadium for the Yankees in Manhattan. With Vallone's new defeat in the gubernatorial race, an agreement was finally worked out

MOMA, which plans to begin construction upon its new Taniguchi-designed building [see "Front Page," Feb '97 "Artworld," Jan. '98] in a year or sum of two units had already raised a remarkable $300 million--almost half--toward its goal when the capital campaign was announced. In addition to the expansion and renovation shoot forward the funds will also be used to increase the museum's endowment, which is popularly $300 million. Twenty-four of the gifts in the way that far have been for $5 million or more. Those "founding" donors include the late Lily Auchincloss; Mercede T and Sid R Bass; Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro; Jo Carole and Ronald s Lauder; Peggy and David Rockefeller; Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G Farley; and the Stavros s Niarchos Foundation.

Playing it Safer

MOMA, however, was not in a charitable frame of mind at least when it came to CB journalist Morley Safer. The of recent origin York Times recently reported that Safer was make go rounded down by MOMA director Glenn Lowry when he approached the museum about doing a section on the Jackson Pollock retrospective for the network's exhibit "Sunday Morning." So far, at least 10 other TV present to views or networks have covered the exhibition, including CNN the BBC "The Charlie Rose Show" and "The of recent origins Hour With Jim Lehrer." Lowry noted that Safer's commentaries upon art have resembled "drive-by shootings." Safer believes Lowry's refusal to allow filming was without of "revenge" for his earlier scathing reports upon contemporary art on "60 Minutes," none of which, he points on the outside involved MOMA. Well, Morley, you weren't really planning to give Pollock a fair shake, were you?

COPYRIGHT 1999 Brant Publications, Inc.

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