New Museum of Contemporary Art

What New Museum of Contemporary Art does

The New Museum of Contemporary Art is a nonprofit, Manhattan-based contemporary art museum founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker. It is the only institution in Manhattan dedicated exclusively to contemporary art and presents benchmark exhibitions, public programs, artist residencies, and educational initiatives. Following a March 21, 2026 reopening after an $82 million, 60,000-square-foot expansion designed by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas — which doubled the museum's gallery space — the institution operates from a single flagship site at 235 Bowery in New York.

Its product surface spans core museum exhibitions (including a recurring Triennial and signature commissions), NEW INC (the first museum-born art and technology incubator, hosting ~120 creative entrepreneurs annually with 730+ alumni to date), the annual DEMO festival of art, design, and technology, educational programs (School/Educator Programs, Family Day, NewMu Teen Fellowship), artist residencies, the Oberon restaurant operated by the Oberon Group, the New Museum Store retail operation, and digital content via the Bloomberg Connects app. The underlying technology stack is light: a digital archive system covering 1977-2019, the third-party Bloomberg Connects app for exhibition audio guides, and internal content management and event booking systems — none of which are proprietary AI/ML systems.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of streams typical of a major nonprofit museum: admission tickets ($25 adult general admission, with discounts for seniors/students and free entry for visitors 18 and under), museum memberships (annual recurring), philanthropic donations and major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors, NEW INC subscription fees ($75 per person per month plus a $150 setup fee, with subsidized rates for underrepresented groups), guided and self-guided tour bookings ($50-$650 depending on audience type), retail merchandise, restaurant revenue (via Oberon), and corporate partnerships and sponsorships. Customer segments include general art enthusiasts and museum visitors, K-12 and higher-education educators and students, families with children, NYC public high school teenagers, emerging and established artists, and creative entrepreneurs participating in NEW INC. The museum has no parent company, no private equity backing, and is governed by a Board of Trustees; NEW INC operates as a wholly owned programmatic subsidiary founded in 2014.

Name

New Museum of Contemporary Art

Legal name

New Museum of Contemporary Art

Website

https://newmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 in Manhattan, is the borough's only dedicated contemporary art museum, presenting exhibitions, public programs, artist residencies, and the NEW INC art-and-technology incubator from a 60,000-square-foot Bowery facility reopened in March 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Contemporary art museum
• Art exhibitions
• Art education programs
• Artist residencies
• Museum membership

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Visitors pay admission fees to enter the museum. General admission is $25 for adults, with discounts for seniors ($22), students ($19), and free entry for youth 18 and under and museum members.
2. Museum Memberships: Annual membership program offering free admission, member-only events, and other benefits to individual and family members.
3. Donations and Major Gifts: Philanthropic support from individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors as a significant revenue stream.
4. NEW INC Membership Fees: The cultural incubator charges $75/person/month plus a $150 setup fee for members, with subsidized rates available for BIPOC, queer, trans, nonbinary, and disabled individuals.
5. Guided Tours: Revenue from booked guided tours for nonprofit organizations ($200), CUNY/SUNY groups ($150), college/university groups ($400), and private/corporate groups ($650), plus self-guided tours at $50 per group.
6. Retail Operations: Revenue from the New Museum Store (merchandise including exhibition catalogs, apparel, accessories) and Oberon restaurant operated by the Oberon Group.
7. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Major supporters program including corporate sponsors for exhibitions, programs, and facilities such as the expansion designed by OMA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The New Museum of Contemporary Art is Manhattan's only dedicated contemporary art museum, presenting benchmark exhibitions, artist residencies, and public programs in its expanded 60,000-square-foot Bowery facility. The institution operates a cultural incubator (NEW INC) supporting creative entrepreneurs and an annual art, design, and technology festival (DEMO), with additional revenue from museum memberships, guided tours, retail operations, and philanthropy.

Product overview

The New Museum of Contemporary Art is Manhattan's only dedicated contemporary art museum, founded in 1977. The institution operates as a non-collecting museum presenting benchmark exhibitions, artist residencies, and public programs. Following a $82 million expansion completed in March 2026, the museum doubled its gallery space to 60,000 square feet. The museum houses several distinct programs: the core museum exhibitions and galleries; NEW INC, the first museum-born art and technology incubator supporting 120+ creative entrepreneurs annually; the DEMO annual festival of art, design, and technology; School and Educator Programs offering themed tours and professional development for K-12 classes; Family Programs including monthly Family Days and Kids Activity Guides; the NewMu Teen Fellowship for NYC high school students; and Artist Residencies with international institutional partnerships. Supporting amenities include the Oberon restaurant (operated by the Oberon Group), the New Museum Store, and the Bloomberg Connects app for audio guides. The museum also maintains Rhizome as a digital art affiliate focused on technology-engaged art.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Museum of Contemporary Art Manhattan's only dedicated contemporary art museum, presenting exhibitions, public programs, and artist residencies. The institution serves as a catalyst for dialogue between contemporary art and the public, featuring benchmark exhibitions and supporting new forms of artmaking.
• DEMO Festival The museum's annual festival of art, design, and technology, featuring talks, performances, installations, and experiments across the New Museum's expanded building on the Bowery.
• NEW INC A cultural incubator supporting artists, designers, and creative technologists, providing mentorship, workspace, professional development, and community resources. Membership at $75/person/month plus $150 setup fee, with subsidized rates available.
• Oberon Restaurant The New Museum's first full-service restaurant, operated by the Oberon Group (operators of Rucola and Rhodora Wine Bar), designed by OMA as the first full-service restaurant designed by OMA in the United States.
• New Museum Store The museum's retail store offering exhibition-related merchandise, books, and gifts, operating both online at newmuseumstore.org and as a physical storefront within the museum.
• Bloomberg Connects App Integration Digital audio guides and exhibition texts available through the Bloomberg Connects app, providing educational content for visitors including children-specific audio guides.
• School and Educator Programs Educational programs for K-12 classes featuring themed tours connecting art with classroom curricula, professional development workshops, and free lesson plans for educators.
• Family Programs Family-friendly programs including monthly Family Days with free activities, artmaking workshops, and downloadable Kids Activity Guides designed by the Black Painters Academy.
• NewMu Teen Fellowship A paid afterschool fellowship program for NYC public high school students spanning two school years, providing mentorship, creative development, and leadership opportunities culminating in public artwork displays and a Youth Summit.
• Artist Residencies Residency programs inviting artists to develop original work in the museum's studio, with partnerships with international institutions and an international curatorial residency program.
• Museum Tours Guided and self-guided tours led by Teaching Artists, available for university classes, nonprofit organizations, college/university groups, and private/corporate groups, focusing on current exhibitions.
• Museum Memberships Annual membership program offering free admission, member-only events, and other benefits to individual and family members.
• New Humans: Memories of the Future Inaugural exhibition of the expanded museum, featuring works by more than 200 artists, writers, scientists, architects, and filmmakers, exploring how technological developments have inspired evolving definitions of the human.
• Rhizome Digital art affiliate since 2003, defining and celebrating art engaged with new technologies since 1996.

Quantifiable outcome

• 686 jobs created by NEW INC members to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hyundai Motor CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Hyundai Motor Company partners with the New Museum through the Hyundai Translocal Series international partnership program, promoting collaboration among art organizations across different regions and cultures. The New Museum collaborates with Ulsan Museum of Art on joint exhibitions through 2028, featuring new work by Ho Tzu Nyen starting September 24 in New York and October 22 in Ulsan.
• Ulsan Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Ulsan Museum of Art collaborates with the New Museum on joint exhibitions through 2028 as part of the Hyundai Translocal Series, featuring a new work by Ho Tzu Nyen starting September 24 in New York and October 22 in Ulsan.
• Abu Dhabi Music and Arts FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation joined the Hyundai Translocal Series partnership program, launching a multidisciplinary residency exploring AI's impact on art with Seoul Museum of Art.
• Seoul Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Seoul Museum of Art (also referred to as Seo-Seoul Museum of Art) joined the Hyundai Translocal Series partnership, launching a multidisciplinary residency exploring AI's impact on art with Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation.
• RhizomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhizome is the New Museum's digital art affiliate since 2003, defining and celebrating art engaged with new technologies since 1996. Hosts programs including Seven on Seven (7x7) with the New Museum.
• Oberon GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOberon Group operates Oberon, the New Museum's first full-service restaurant. The restaurant is the first full-service restaurant designed by OMA in the United States, led by Partner Shohei Shigematsu and Associate Jake Forster.
• DESTE FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffsite partnership with DESTE Foundation at the Benaki Museum in Athens, presenting the exhibition In a Bright Green Field (June 11-September 13, 2025).
• Nam June Paik Art CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously announced joint exhibition partnership with Pinacoteca de São Paulo, scheduled for November as part of the Hyundai Translocal Series.
• Pinacoteca de São PaulominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously announced joint exhibition partnership with Nam June Paik Art Center, scheduled for November as part of the Hyundai Translocal Series.
• Onassis FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2020, NEW INC launched Onassis ONX, an XR accelerator for artists, in partnership with the Onassis Foundation.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM): Contemporary art museum with a 20th/21st-century focus in Miami; comparable institutional mission but serves a different geographic market and audience.

Direct peers

• The Kitchen: Nonprofit alternative space in Chelsea presenting contemporary performance, video, and visual art; smaller in scale but overlaps with the New Museum's experimental programming and downtown NYC audience.
• Whitney Museum of American Art: Manhattan-based museum dedicated to American contemporary and modern art with a comparable focus on living artists; the New Museum's founding director Marcia Tucker was a Whitney curator, making the institutions closely linked historically and programmatically.
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA Los Angeles): One of the few U.S. museums singularly devoted to contemporary art; comparable mission, exhibition cadence, and reliance on philanthropy, though based in Los Angeles rather than New York.
• Walker Art Center: Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary contemporary art institution combining museum exhibitions with performing arts, design, and public programs — a close functional analog to the New Museum's hybrid programming model.
• Institute of Contemporary Art Boston: Non-collecting contemporary art museum with a comparable focus on emerging artists and new work; similar size and operational model.

Broad incumbents

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): New York's flagship modern and contemporary art museum; significantly larger and broader in scope but overlaps directly with the New Museum's contemporary programming, audience, and donor base.
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Iconic NYC museum with a significant contemporary art program alongside its modern holdings; competes for the same Manhattan visitor, member, and corporate-sponsor pools.
• Brooklyn Museum: Large NYC museum with a strong contemporary and global art program that competes for the same Brooklyn/downtown audience and corporate sponsors.

Emerging players

• SculptureCenter: Long Island City nonprofit presenting experimental contemporary sculpture and installation; overlaps with the New Museum's artist-residency and emerging-artist focus at a smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/newmuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/newmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/newmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/newmuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Museum of Contemporary Art