Baltimore Museum of Art acquires about 30 art pieces in an effort to diversify its collections

The Baltimore Museum of Art has acquired about 30 pieces and suites in an effort to diversify its collections, the museum announced Thursday.

The new acquisitions range from contemporary pieces to European, Asian, and African art to works by Baltimore artists.

The BMA said in a press release that they have committed to showcasing “works by artists who are Indigenous, part of the global diaspora, and from Baltimore.”

“Ensuring that the BMA’s holdings continue to grow and develop in a way that reflects the true diversity of the artists and makers that have shaped the trajectory of art—not just in our contemporary moment but through time—remains a critical priority,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s interim co-director and Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Chief Curator, in a statement.

The newly acquired pieces include paintings and works on paper by Amoako Boafo, Benny Andrews, Alexander “Skunder” Boghossian, Elizabeth Catlett, Hulda Guzmán, Doron Langberg, Farah Mohammad, Jennifer Packer, and Anna Walinska; sculpture, objects, and mixed-media works by Areogun of Osi-Ilorin, Sophia Jane Maria Bonnell and Mary Anne Harvey Bonnell, Emmanuel Massillon, Thaddeus Mosely, Rose B. Simpson, and Salman Toor; and video artworks by Sky Hopinka, James Luna, and Caroline Monnett.

The BMA has also added pieces from a range of media created by artists who are from Baltimore or who have ties to the area. They include Mequitta Ahuja, Greg Fletcher, LaToya M. Hobbs, Monika Ikegwu, Joyce J. Scott, Elissa Blound Moorhead and Bradford Young. The museum also acquired a Baltimore Album Quilt from 1845.

The announcement of the acquisition comes almost a month after the departure of former BMA Art Director Christopher Bedford, who left the Baltimore museum to lead the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

During Bedford’s tenure with the BMA, the museum drew attention for efforts to diversify its collection, including showcasing more artworks by people of color and women.

“The slate of new acquisitions reflects the range of approaches the museum’s curatorial team is taking to fulfilling this essential and ongoing vision,” Naeem said. 

In addition to the acquisitions, the museum also announced that they have received several gifts to display. 

Among the donated pieces are: 27 works on paper by Johns Hopkins alum Lowery Stokes Sims; 12 prints by the late artist Shirley Gorelick; a selection of jewelry and ceramics by the late artist Barbara Katz; and textile pieces by the late fashion designer Frankie Welch.