The American Folk Art Museum plans to continue operating at its 2
Lincoln Square location thanks to financial help from trustees and the
Ford Foundation, the New York Times reported. “We are confident that
we’re embarking on a prudent course with the facilities that we have
and the staff that we have,” Edward Blanchard, who was elected the
museum’s new president yesterday, said. “I think
we’re going to do some very exciting things.” Blanchard declined to
specify the dollar amount of the donations.
Earlier this year, the Folk Art Museum was forced to move from a large
renovated space at 45 West 53rd Street after it defaulted on its
construction bonds.
It pays $1 in rent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
at its current location.
The Museum of Modern Art Bought The 53rd Street space from the Folk
Art Museum, which had been considering disbanding completely in the
face of its financial problems. At its board meeting yesterday, the
trustees of the museum created a strategy to increase its visibility
and to extend its brand instead. In addition, the museum will try to
expand its loans to other New York City museums and to mount traveling
exhibitions. [NYT]