The Neuberger Museum of Art is more than a museum—it’s a catalyst for creativity, dialogue, and discovery. Located on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, it was founded on a bold vision: that art should be lived with, learned from, and accessible to all.
The Museum opened to the public in 1974, but its story began years earlier. As the first building completed on the new campus, it quickly became a hub for experimentation, where students used its unfinished galleries as spaces to think, make, and collaborate. Designed as the centerpiece of architect Edward Larrabee Barnes’s visionary campus master plan, the Museum was featured in a 1971 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art—affirming its place at the intersection of art, architecture, and education.
The Neuberger’s founding collection came from financier and philanthropist Roy R. Neuberger, one of the twentieth century’s most passionate champions of living artists. After witnessing how many great artists of the past had struggled for recognition, he vowed to change that future. He collected bold new work by American modernists—Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder—not for status, but out of deep conviction.
In 1969, Neuberger pledged 300 works to help establish a teaching museum at Purchase, ensuring that contemporary art would be a central part of the public college experience. The Museum’s foundation was further strengthened in 1974 with significant donations of African art from Neuberger’s close friends Lawrence Gussman and Elliot Hirshberg. These transformative gifts—along with landmark commissions like Threnody, Cleve Gray’s immersive response to the Vietnam War—gave the Neuberger remarkable range from the start. Today, the Museum’s collection includes more than 7,000 works, and Neuberger’s legacy continues to shape our mission.
As a teaching museum, the Neuberger remains a dynamic resource for students, faculty, and the public. We present bold exhibitions, thought-provoking programs, and a collection that spans modern, contemporary, and African art. We champion today’s artists and foster space for experimentation, reflection, and fresh perspectives.
The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours until 8pm on the first Wednesday of each month during the semester. Visit us—and be part of what’s next.
