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T
he Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded on April , ,
“to be located in the City of New York, for the purpose of estab-
lishing and maintaining in said city a Museum and library of art,
of encouraging and developing the study of the ne arts, and the applica-
tion of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general
knowledge of kindred subjects, and, to that end, of furnishing popular
instruction.”¹
is statement of purpose has guided the Museum for over years. e
Met is devoted to a universal collection of art in the service of the public.
During the strategic-planning process, the need for anupdated,
more inclusive and welcoming mission statement with a more tightly
articulated expression of that purpose became apparent.
To that end, on May , , the Trustees of e Metropolitan Museum
of Art rearmed the above statement of purpose and supplemented it
with the following statement of mission:
e Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and
presents signicant works of art across time and cultures in order to
connect all people to creativity, knowledge, ideas, and one another.
Core Values
• Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness,
always.
• Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued.
• Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work
together toward our shared mission.
• Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise — and
inspire curiosity and creativity.
• Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when
we fall short, and then evolve.
Vision
As we look to the future, we seek to be an institution in service to the
world and a valued resource to our local communities. Further, we aspire
to bridge the past and the present moment, drawing connections between
our vast cultural history and contemporary communities around the
world. e Museum aims to become increasingly relevant to a con-
stantly evolving contemporary society and to facilitate new connec-
tions between our objects and the issues of our time. By emphasizing the
broader themes and larger questions that art has posed throughout the
centuries, the Museum seeks to draw connections between our collections
and the public. We must remain alert to the needs of our audiences and
work harder to meet people where they are rather than assume that they
will be drawn to the Museum regardless of what is on view and how it is
presented. In so doing, the Museum will identify opportunities to present
important and unfamiliar narratives and cross-cultural perspectives and
foster a more diverse and expanded canon of art history.
ere is much more that we would like to accomplish as a global
leader in scholarship, including deepening and disseminating knowl-
edge across a breadth of disciplines and balancing our dedication to
object-centered scholarship grounded in the collection with a concern
for larger historical and theoretical questions. We will increase resources,
time, and support for the serious and sustained use of primary and sec-
ondary research materials for the creation of new knowledge. We will
Charter of e Metropolitan Museum of Art, State of New York, Laws of , Chapter , passed April , , and amended L., ch. ; L. , ch. .
support the work of our own sta and visiting scholars to present new
insights and ideas that will engage both general and specialist audiences
in the galleries and online.
Programmatically, we will expand our cross-departmental collabora-
tions, including exhibitions and publications, that engage multiple per-
spectives. We will highlight the interconnectedness and multidimensional
nature of culture through the ages. Such new interpretations involve
broadening the voices that we invite to share their stories to include art-
ists and our diverse audiences, for whom we aspire to create an inspiring
and welcoming visitor experience. To advance this objective, we plan
to add signicant, impactful works that strategically transform the collec-
tion and gallery displays.
e Met of the future is both increasingly global and more locally
engaged. e Museum will grow its international programming and
institutional partnerships, in part by expanding access to its digital con-
tent. e Museum will also become more multilingual, multicultural,
and inclusive in its outreach and will deepen its relationships with local
communities.
Internally, the Museum is committed to fostering a workplace that is
inclusive, equitable, and transparent, which requires that we become
more diverse, welcoming, supportive, and collaborative. Further, we
seek to provide new opportunities and resources for professional devel-
opment and personal well-being. We will work to build a culture that
embraces continuous improvement, experimentation, and innovation
and that insists on fairness, opportunity, recognition, and accountability
within every department and across the institution.
rough the ambitious and thoughtful redesign and development of
new gallery and storage spaces, the Museum will enhance the presenta-
tion, protection, and preservation of our collections. In particular,
our deep investment in the rethinking of gallery spaces will support the
achievement of our programmatic and community engagement vision.
Finally, as a perpetual institution, we must increase our focus on
environmental and nancial sustainability as well as our investment
in and integration of emerging technologies. e Museum will prioritize
the preservation and strategic use of resources. As it creates new public
spaces, it will ensure that they are environmentally sound and exible for
multiple potential future uses. Financially, the Museum will continue to
recognize and nourish the philanthropic relationships that provide essen-
tial resources for core mission-related work, while also advancing oppor-
tunities to create new earned-revenue streams and philanthropic support
thatwill sustain e Met into the future.
Five-Year Strategic Goals 2022–27
To realize our vision, we dened six primary goals to guide our activities
over the next ve years. e goals are supported by strategies and priority
initiatives.
I. Build a universally relevant institution that connects to contemporary
audiences and rearm our commitment to scholarship
II. Increase and promote the Museum’s global presence
III. Deepen the Museum’s relationship with local communities
IV. Strengthen e Met as a professional community and workplace
V. Enhance the presentation, protection, and preservation of the
collection
VI. Maintain sustainable approaches to nancial management,
operations, and facilities
Mission Statement
