The Met and Neue Galerie to Merge in Historic 2028 Deal
In a landmark institutional agreement, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will merge with the Neue Galerie New York in 2028. The Met will assume ownership of the Neue Galerie's Fifth Avenue building, which will be renamed the Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie, securing the future of the premier museum for early 20th-century German and Austrian art. The deal, orchestrated by Neue Galerie founder Ronald S. Lauder and Met director Max Hollein, is designed to preserve the unique character and visitor experience of the smaller institution. It will be supported by a new $200 million endowment and a significant gift of 13 artworks from the Lauder family, including major pieces by Gustav Klimt and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
In a consolidation of historic significance for New York’s cultural landscape, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Neue Galerie will merge in 2028. The agreement will see the Met assume ownership of the Neue Galerie’s Beaux-Arts mansion on Fifth Avenue, which houses one of the world’s foremost collections of early 20th-century German and Austrian art. The institution will be renamed the Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie—or the Met Neue Galerie—preserving its distinct identity while securing its future under the stewardship of the city's largest museum.
The merger is the culmination of a long and collaborative relationship between Neue Galerie founder Ronald S. Lauder and Max Hollein, the Vienna-born director of the Met. Hollein has been a board member of the Neue Galerie since 2006, a connection that fostered deep institutional trust long before he took the helm at the Met in 2018. This alliance was previously solidified in 2020 when Lauder made a landmark gift of his European arms and armor collection to the Met. The operational model for the new entity is said to be inspired by the Met’s successful management of The Cloisters, its distinct satellite museum in Upper Manhattan.
Under the terms of the deal, the essential experience of the Neue Galerie will be carefully maintained. Its current staff will remain, its collection will stay on view, and the much-loved Café Sabarsky will continue to operate, safeguarding the unique, intimate atmosphere of the museum. The Met’s role will be to provide its institutional muscle, expanding the Neue Galerie’s research capacity, global reach, and digital programming. The timing of the announcement is notable, arriving just ahead of the Neue Galerie's 25th anniversary and a planned renovation period from May to August 2026.
A major fundraising effort is underway to support the union, with the goal of establishing an endowment of approximately $200 million. The Neue Galerie’s existing endowment will be transferred to the Met, augmented by significant new gifts from Lauder and his daughter, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer. More than two dozen Met trustees have also pledged support, including a major contribution from the esteemed patron Marina Kellen French. The museum has reportedly already secured 80 percent of the target.
To anchor the merger culturally, Lauder and Zinterhofer are donating 13 masterworks from their personal collections to the new Met Neue Galerie. These artworks are intended to deepen the museum’s holdings and enrich its storytelling around this pivotal period in art history. The donation includes treasures such as Gustav Klimt’s large-scale portrait Die Tänzerin (The Dancer, 1916–18), the Expressionist oil painting Die Russische Tänzerin Mela (The Russian Dancer Mela, 1911) by Die Brücke artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Max Beckmann’s allegorical scene Gallerie Umberto (1925).
In a letter announcing the plan, Lauder affirmed his ongoing personal commitment. “I will continue to be at the front door, welcoming our members to each exhibition,” he wrote, signaling that the soul of the museum he founded will be preserved. The merger ensures the legacy of the Neue Galerie is protected and strengthened in perpetuity.
Source: Artnet News