American Friends Musée d'Orsay
AFMO, the American Friends Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie, is a public non-profit charitable organization. Since its beginnings in 2009, AFMO has been committed to nurturing a collaborative French-American partnership in the arts by building support for the Orsay and Orangerie museums. About one million Americans visit the museums annually, the largest number of foreign visitors. AFMO's support for exhibitions, collection care and acquisitions, education, and building renovations, enriches the experiences of Americans and French citizens in the U.S. and in Paris.
This support also enables paintings from the Musée d'Orsay to travel to American museums: stunning exhibitions such as Degas at the Opera at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and Félix Fénéon: The Anarchist and the Avant-Garde - From Signac to Matisse and Beyond at the Museum of Modern Art in New York illustrate the quality and importance of cultural exchange.
AFMO acquires works of art to lend and gift to the museums. Through its tax-exempt status, AFMO is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as an American 501(c)(3) organization.
AFMO was incorporated in 2009 by co-founders Seonaid McArthur and Sherry Johnson, and the first Board of Directors Jane Roberts, Mary Emory, and Steve Schliesman. The official announcement of the organization's debut took place April 7, 2011 at the Residence of the United States Ambassador to France. AFMO's current Board Chair is Elizabeth Kehler.
Support[]
AFMO supports various programs within the Musée d'Orsay to promote cultural enrichment and to enhance Americans' experiences with the museum:[1]
- Exhibitions in France and the U.S.A.
- Educational programs and resources in English
- Library and the archives
- Building renovations
- Acquisitions and restoration
- The inclusion of American art in museum exhibitions
Membership[]
The organization officially opened its membership in June 2009. Memberships are yearly, and offer a range of benefits that vary with membership level.
Corporate and Foundation partners[]
Among others, corporate and foundation partners include GRoW @ Annenberg, Reed Smith LLP, American Express, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Christie's, Sotheby's.[2]
Additional information can be found on AFMO's official website.
Events[]
As a non-profit, AFMO organizes a variety of fundraising programs and activities throughout the year. Members and their friends are invited to join AFMO's numerous exclusive events in the United States and in Paris. Among these, members can enjoy domestic and international travels with exclusive, private museum and gallery tours, as well as the October Paris Weekend and much awaited Annual Gala at the Orsay, AFMO's major fundraising event.
AFMO's most recent and current events
October 17–20, 2019 | Paris, France | AFMO Annual Gala |
April 24–26, 2019 | Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas | AFMO Spring Event around the Orsay exhibition Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist |
October 18–21, 2018 | Paris, France | A Weekend in Paris |
April 26–27, 2018 | Washington, District of Columbia | AFMO Spring Event around the Orsay exhibition Cezanne Portraits |
October 19–22, 2017 | Paris, France | AFMO Autumn in Paris Weekend |
September 27, 2017 | New York, New York | Celebrating Laurence Des Cars, newly appointed President at the Orsay
and Orangerie, at the home of Mrs. Spencer Hays |
October 23–26, 2016 | Paris, France | AFMO October Celebration Event |
February 3–5, 2016 | San Francisco, California | AFMO Spring Tour around the exhibition Pierre Bonnard: Painting Arcadia |
External links[]
References[]
- ^ "Who We Are". American Friends Musée d'Orsay. Archived from the original on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- ^ "Corporate Sponsors". American Friends Musée d'Orsay. Archived from the original on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- Musée d'Orsay
- France–United States relations
- Non-profit organizations based in New York City
- 2009 establishments in the United States
- Arts organizations established in 2009