Bank of America continues support for Newark Museum of Art, backing ‘At Home’ program

The Newark Museum of Art has been able to continue offering learning experiences, with a little help from Bank of America’s corporate sponsorship.

File photos
Linda C. Harrison.

The museum said this week that BofA has shifted its support from the annual Black Film Festival — which had to be canceled this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic — to its Newark Museum of Art at Home programs and activities.

Bank of America had been a leading sponsor of the film festival for 19 years, among other support for the museum, and its backing will allow the “#NMOAatHOME” program to expand, the museum said.

The program, which began in April, offers art, science and cultural experiences to people via social media and online communications platforms such as Facebook or YouTube.

“As museums and cultural institutions are adapting to the challenges brought about by the state’s shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, we are delighted and fortunate to be able to continue to bring arts and culture into the homes of families and art fans, thanks to our longstanding partnership with Bank of America,” Linda C. Harrison, the museum’s director and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Their continuing financial support is crucial to our ability to present engaging virtual programming to our audiences.”

Alberto Garofalo.

The museum was forced to temporarily close in mid-March. State guidelines have approved museums to start reopening under social distancing and capacity guidelines this week.

It said its at-home programming reaches nearly 15,000 Facebook accounts each week on topics such as “Ask an Astronomer” and “Storytime Live.”

“We believe in the healing and transformative power of art, and we continue to stand with the Newark Museum of Art to demonstrate that art truly matters,” Alberto Garofalo, Bank of America’s New Jersey market president, said in a statement. “We are unwavering in our commitment to the museum through the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken a devastating toll on arts organizations across the country.”

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