Dear Friends,

In November 2001, Neue Galerie New York opened its doors for the first time. As Roberta Smith reported in The New York Times, “The first new art museum to open in New York in the 21st century is little short of superb.” Her review continued: “The Neue Galerie is just starting out, but its beginnings are a useful demonstration of the way nearly all New York museums founded in the first half of the 20th century [...] came to be. They were propelled into existence by a few people dedicated to making their passion for a particular type of art as contagious as possible. It's good to be reminded of the strength of such feelings and what they can accomplish.”

This autumn, we will celebrate the Neue Galerie’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Over these years, we have staged over 55 exhibitions; published scores of scholarly catalogues; and welcomed countless talented artists, educators, musicians and scholars to feature in our public programming. Members and the public share how much they enjoy our diverse collections of art and design, browsing our unique shops, and visiting our beloved Café Sabarsky.

As we reach this quarter-century milestone, our focus remains on the future of the Neue Galerie. The longevity of 1048 Fifth Avenue, our historic home, depends on careful, loving, ongoing upkeep. The building was completed in 1914 by Carrère & Hastings (architects of the New York Public Library) and is designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Commission. We have been engaged in a multi-phased process to enhance the building and fortify it for the next chapter. To ensure the ongoing vitality of our institution, after Memorial Day Weekend we will begin the next phase of the project, and the museum will be closed beginning May 27, 2026.

I do hope that you will make a visit to us on one of these beautiful New York springtime days. I am pleased to highlight that all galleries will remain open through Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day), including this season's special exhibition, “Egon Schiele: Portrait of Dr. Erwin von Graff,” which has been extended due to popular demand. Egon Schiele (1890-1918) is one of the greatest artists in the collection of the Neue Galerie. With this exhibition, we are focusing on a single work, along with related drawings and paintings: the Portrait of Dr. Erwin von Graff from 1910. This was the year Schiele really came into his own as an artist, and we consider the Graff painting to be one of the most important works in the extended collection of Neue Galerie. Meanwhile, the Neue Galerie is delighted to continue to present an exhibition devoted to one of the most inventive Austrian decorative artists of his generation, “Dagobert Peche: Ornamental Genius.” This show features approximately 50 objects, beautifully selected by Janis Staggs, Director of Curatorial at the Neue Galerie. Peche had a passion for the decorative, and he produced interiors and objects of incredible imagination and whimsy. “German Masterworks from the Neue Galerie” and “Austrian Masterworks from the Neue Galerie” also remain on view, drawn from the museum’s core holdings, offering you an extraordinary, up-close view of the gems in our collection.

In Autumn 2026, our doors will reopen, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Café Sabarsky, the Book Store, and Design Shop. The galleries will reopen with the “25th Anniversary Exhibition.” Details will be announced in the months ahead, but rest assured collection highlights – such as Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) – will be on view. We very much look forward to celebrating this moment with you.

I would like to thank you for your support and enthusiasm for the museum. It has been a pleasure sharing the treasures of the Neue Galerie with you over the past twenty-five years, and we envision a bright future. I am confident in saying that we have more to accomplish and we look forward to shepherding this great museum into its next decades, so that future generations may appreciate the Gesamtkunstwerk that is the Neue Galerie New York.

With best wishes,