The Cleveland Museum of Art announced it has raised $480 million since 2023 toward a $600 million fundraising campaign, reaching 80% of its goal. The four-year campaign, the largest in the museum's history and one of the largest in the U.S. in recent decades, aims to permanently fund 21 curatorial and top administrative positions, support the museum's exhibition program, bolster art conservation, enhance the library and digital innovation, and establish a conservator of photography and a photography prize. Roughly $40 million is reserved for capital projects including refurbishment of the Fountain of the Waters and Zodiac Garden and an overhaul of Wade Lagoon. Of the total goal, $200 million will come from gifts of artworks.
The campaign's success underscores the deep philanthropic tradition in Cleveland and the community's commitment to the museum's free general admission, a hallmark since it opened 110 years ago. Director William Griswold emphasized that the rising costs of exhibitions—the museum's most visible program—make new funding essential. The campaign also brings financial stability after a period of high turnover in leadership, including the resignation of a previous director. With a $1.1 billion endowment, the Cleveland Museum of Art is likely the sixth richest art museum in the U.S., and this campaign positions it to sustain its curatorial excellence and public access for years to come.