The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has announced the acquisition of nearly 250 works by artists from a wide range of countries, furthering its commitment to expanding global representation within its collection. The acquisitions include works from or connected to Brazil, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Republic of Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Sudan. The museum also continues to support local and regional artists such as Derrick Adams, Oletha DeVane, Grace Hartigan, and Thiang Uk.
These new additions come through both purchases and gifts. Among the notable pieces are paintings by Nadoyama Aijun, Alice Rahon, and Rubem Valentim; sculptures and mixed-media works by José Alves, Emanoel Araújo, Manjunath Kamath, Ronaldo Pereira Rego, and Kiyan Williams; a video installation by Ebun Sodipo; textiles by Theodore Diouf, Bocar Pathe Diong, and Gulnur Mukazhanova; as well as works on paper by Nadim Asfar, Marcel Duchamp, Ahmad Ghossein, Susan Rothenberg, and Malick Sidibé. Historical objects created by unnamed artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as India and Kashmir are also included.
An anonymous donation added more than 180 contemporary works by 63 artists such as Sam Anderson, Danica Barboza, Gina Beavers, Lucas Blalock, Alex Da Corte, Rafael Delacruz, Juliana Huxtable, and Martine Syms. This collection highlights connections between New York’s gallery scene and Baltimore’s creative communities during the years 2010–2017.
Barbara Dauphin Duthuit has gifted the BMA 10 copper plates and 10 etchings by Henri Matisse. The museum already holds over 1,600 works by Matisse—the largest public collection in the world—and this gift adds to previous donations made in 2024. Several etchings relate to Matisse’s illustrated book “Poems of Stéphane Mallarmé” (1932), while others depict his daughter Marguerite. These materials will support future scholarship on Matisse at the BMA. Three exhibitions focused on Matisse are scheduled for March 2026: “Fratino and Matisse: To See This Light Again,” “Matisse and Martinique: Portraits and Poetry,” and “Matisse in Vence: The Stations of the Cross.”
Asma Naeem—the Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director—stated: “The acquisitions announced today reflect the BMA’s expansive vision for diversifying our collection with works that tell global narratives of art and culture and that connect local and global experience… Our collecting practices embrace a deep sense of discovery that invites our visitors to connect with an incredible range of voices… I look forward to sharing these captivating works in our galleries.”
Highlights among recent acquisitions include:
– Kiyan Williams’ “Statue of Freedom (Marsha P. Johnson),” a life-size sculpture reimagining an iconic monument.
– Marcel Duchamp’s “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors Even (The Green Box)” (1934), which documents his conceptual process.
– Tapestries designed by Théodore Diouf (“Symbiose” c.1980; “Les Esprits de la Nuit” 1979) and Bocar Pathe Diong (“Sangomar” c.1980), reflecting post-independence Senegalese modernism.
– Salah Elmur’s painting “Farewell Wall” (2024), building on Sudanese modernist traditions.
– Gulnar Mukazhanova’s textile work “Shadows of Hope #15” (2024), referencing her Kazakh heritage.
– Two abstract pieces by Emanoel Araújo—a key figure in Afro-Brazilian art—entering the collection for the first time.
– An eighteenth-century Delft tobacco jar labeled “Deree van Baltimore,” illustrating historical trade links between Maryland plantations and Europe.
– An eighteenth-century brass crucifix from an unidentified Kongolese artist blending Christian iconography with Kongo spiritual motifs.
Founded in 1914 the Baltimore Museum of Art holds more than 97,000 objects spanning multiple eras and cultures—including what is recognized as the world’s largest public holding of Henri Matisse’s work—and offers free general admission.
