For the Benefit of All the People

This June, the Cleveland Museum of Art celebrated a period of remarkable, sustained momentum at its annual Director’s Dinner. Building on a record-setting year in which attendance surpassed 800,000 visitors for the first time in its 110-year history, the CMA continues to attract large audiences, driven, in part, by a series of acclaimed special exhibitions, including Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow, Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses, Manet & Morisot, and Martin Puryear: Nexus. The museum also experienced dramatic growth in membership and improved member retention across all giving levels.

These accomplishments speak to the enduring relevance of the museum’s mission and its commitment to the vision articulated by its founders more than a century ago: “for the benefit of all the people forever.” Since its opening in 1916, the CMA has sought to make great works of art accessible to the broadest possible audience. Free general admission remains central to that commitment and continues to distinguish the CMA from many of its peers.

As the institution looks to the future, the goal is clear: to preserve and strengthen the museum so that future generations may continue to experience, study, and be inspired by the incredible collection that we hold in public trust. This is why the CMA is embarking on the public phase of a $600 million comprehensive fundraising campaign—the largest in its history—titled For the Benefit of All the People, in order to firmly secure the museum’s long-term future. 

The public phase of the campaign follows an outstanding successful silent phase, during which the museum secured more than $480 million in gifts and pledges, driven by extraordinary philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, corporations, and other generous donors, including the museum’s board of trustees and Campaign Committee. The campaign advances several key priorities outlined in the museum’s strategic plan, including organizing significant exhibitions that bring the world to Cleveland, expanding educational opportunities for learners of all ages, preserving and conserving the permanent collection, strengthening scholarship through the Ingalls Library and Museum Archives, and advancing digital initiatives that help bring our collection into homes and classrooms throughout the nation and around the world.

For more than 110 years, the CMA has adhered to the guiding principle that connecting art and people is critical to everything we do. This unflinching belief has shaped the museum’s evolution from a regional cultural institution into an internationally recognized museum with a deep connection to Northeast Ohio. Through free admission, school field trips, educational programs, special exhibitions, and community events such as Parade the Circle, Chalk Festival, and Family Play Days, the museum has introduced generations of Northeast Ohioans to art and cultures from around the globe. That is why, as we embark on the public phase of the campaign, we invite everyone to participate in a way that is meaningful to them—whether they visit the museum, see a special exhibition, become a member, or make a financial contribution. Together, we strengthen the foundation of this extraordinary institution, carrying its mission forward to our next 110 years.