Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is a prestigious institution located in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1913 with the vision of serving "for the benefit of all the people forever," the museum has been dedicated to making art accessible to a broad audience while maintaining high aesthetic, intellectual, and professional standards. Its mission is to help people understand and engage with the world's great art, and it is recognized as one of the world's most distinguished comprehensive art museums and a key cultural institution in northeastern Ohio. The museum's collection boasts over 63,000 artworks and spans 6,000 years of artistic achievement, making it a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, performing arts, and digital innovations. Notably, the CMA is known for its award-winning Open Access program, which offers free admission to all visitors. The CMA's history began with its opening on June 6, 1916, thanks to the support of Cleveland industrialists Hinman B. Hurlbut, John Huntington, Horace Kelley, and Jeptha H. Wade II, who provided the land and endowments necessary for its establishment. The museum's original neoclassic building, designed by the Cleveland firm of Hubbell & Benes, was constructed of white Georgian marble at a cost of $1.25 million. Under the leadership of its first director, Frederic Allen Whiting, the museum initiated educational programs for both children and adults, including the first Annual Exhibition of Cleveland Artists & Craftsmen in 1919, later known as the May Show. The museum's second director, William M. Milliken, secured its international reputation through significant acquisitions funded by large bequests, such as the Rogers Bequest and the Severance Fund. Successive directors continued to enhance the museum's collections and community connections. Dr. Sherman Emery Lee, the third director, was instrumental in developing the museum's renowned Asian collection. The museum underwent several expansions, including a wing designed by Marcel Breuer in 1971, and additions during the tenures of Dr. Evan Hopkins Turner and Katharine Lee Reid, which expanded the museum's library, galleries, and modern art collections. The museum's renovation and expansion project continued under directors Timothy Rub and David Franklin. William M. Griswold, the ninth director appointed in May 2014, led the museum through its centennial in 2016 and a successful capital campaign, culminating in a historic renovation and expansion that honors its extraordinary collection. The CMA's strategic plan, "Making Art Matter," reflects its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and outlines initiatives to engage all audiences. The museum acknowledges the Indigenous peoples dispossessed from the Ohio region and continues to strive towards deepening visitors' engagement with art and culture. The Cleveland Museum of Art's leadership includes a Board of Trustees dedicated to the museum's mission, vision, and promise. As it moves into its second century, the CMA remains a beacon of art and education, upholding its founding principle of benefiting all people forever.