Agnes Gund, a towering art collector and patron of New York's Museum of Modern Art, died Thursday in Manhattan at age 87. Following the announcement, artists and cultural workers including Roxana Marcoci, Glenn Ligon, Lorna Simpson, and Hoor Al Qasimi honored her memory on social media, recalling her friendship, generosity, and commitment to social justice. Gund spearheaded MoMA's 1990s expansion, founded the arts education nonprofit Studio in the School in 1977, and in 2017 sold Roy Lichtenstein's "Masterpiece" (1962) to launch the Art for Justice Fund, a $100 million grant initiative for criminal justice reform.
Gund's death marks the loss of a legendary figure whose influence reshaped both MoMA and the broader contemporary art landscape. Her ability to combine art patronage with activism—using a major auction sale to fund criminal justice reform—set a powerful precedent for philanthropy in the art world. The outpouring of tributes from artists, curators, and museum leaders underscores her role as a beloved connector and champion of diverse artists, making her legacy one of institutional transformation and social impact.