Contemporary Art Affinity Group

In 2008, the museum founded its first department dedicated to the art of our times. The Department of Contemporary Art brings a fresh dynamism to its galleries by collecting and exhibiting works by living artists of national and international renown. This initiative emphasizes the relationships among historical art, diverse cultures, and contemporary art-making.

Activities include expanding the collection, organizing exhibitions, and working with artists-in-residence to create public and site-specific work at Mia. Recent acquisitions include Mona Hatoum’s 2008 barbed wire Cube (9x9x9), which conjures feelings of danger and discomfort in an uncertain world, and Yayoi Kusama’s 1967 exuberant painting of dots and interlocking shapes.
 
Learn more about the Contemporary Art department