Reveal your art collection, and it reveals your identity. While personal art acquisitions reflect individual tastes, museum collections often mirror the influence of trustees and affluent donors. These collections provide a window into the institution’s values and priorities.
Take the Louvre, for instance, which added its inaugural video artwork this year with Mohamed Bourouissa’s piece covering the Tuileries Garden. These acquisitions often highlight the power dynamics and exchanges prevalent in the art world. For example, Tate Modern’s latest significant acquisition, a grand triptych by Joan Mitchell, was a gift from Miami-based developer Jorge Pérez and his wife, Darlene.
This year, we’ve compiled 15 notable museum acquisitions, showcasing tributes to trans and nonbinary lives, expansive collections of Indigenous and Latin American art, and even the acquisition of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home.
At the High Museum of Art, a newly discovered Jacob Lawrence painting from his Harlem series will be showcased in 2026. Meanwhile, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Art Bridges Foundation have significantly expanded their collection of Indigenous art through a joint acquisition from the John and Susan Horseman Collection.
London’s Tate Modern now houses Joan Mitchell’s revered triptych, ‘Iva’, thanks to the Pérez’s donation. The Louvre embraced video art for the first time by acquiring Mohamed Bourouissa’s ‘Les 4 Temps’. At the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, Young Joon Kwak’s bronze sculpture, which portrays trans embodiment, has been added to their collection.
The Brooklyn Museum’s latest additions include Richard Artschwager’s ‘Piano’, while the Toledo Museum acquired the oldest known Kiddush cup. The Getty Museum adds a rare Hilma af Klint watercolor landscape, and the New York Historical Society secured Bill Cunningham’s extensive archive, thanks to trustee Sally Klingenstein Martell.
MALBA in Buenos Aires now boasts over 1,200 works from the Daros Collection, solidifying its status as a premier Latin American art institution. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has expanded its collection with numerous Dada and Surrealist works, including Man Ray’s iconic ‘Le violon d’Ingres’.
The Mississippi Museum of Art purchased a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home to engage more deeply with the local community. The Los Angeles County Museum acquired a rare self-portrait by Virginia Vezzi. Lastly, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris received a significant gift of Henri Matisse’s artworks, spotlighting his relationship with his daughter.
In Miami, the Pérez Art Museum acquired a painting by Taiwanese artist Guan-Hong Lu, furthering its international contemporary art collection. Associate curator Maritza Lacayo emphasizes the universal yet uniquely Taiwanese perspective Lu brings to his work.
