Museum of Modern Art - MoMA

Located in midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, The Museum of Modern Art (known as MoMA), is considered to be one of the most influential museum of modern art in the world. The museum's collection features an extensive overview of modern and contemporary art .

The idea for The Museum of Modern Art was developed in 1928 by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, the wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr., and two of her friends, Lillie P. Bliss and Mrs. Cornelius J. Sullivan. They originally rented six rooms on the twelfth floor of a building, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street and it opened to the public on November 7, 1929. At the time, it was America's premier museum devoted exclusively to modern art. Its first successful exhibition was in it's opening month, displaying paintings by among others, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne, and George Seurat.

Within the next ten years the museum moved into and out of three more temporary locations. John D. Rockefeller Jr. was not initially supportive of his wife's venture as he was opposed to the modern art movement and did little to help in her efforts. Over time however, he came around and eventually donated the land on which the current museum is located as well as other contributions. The current Museum of Modern Art opened to the public on May 10, 1939.

MoMA underwent a major renovation between 2002 and 2004 which would nearly double it's exhibition space to 630,000 feet. During that time a portion of its collection was on display in the New York City borough of Queens in the converted former Swingline Staple Factory. Since the completion of the renovations the Museum of Modern Art has been averaging over 2 million visitors a year.