Dana Hammond

New York philanthropist and lover of the arts Dana Hammond has long supported museums, dance companies, the American Theatre Wing, and other arts organizations. Through her generous contributions, nonprofit arts groups, hit particularly hard during economic downturns, have continued to thrive during the recent recession. Dana Hammond supports the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the Museum of Modern Art, and the American Museum of Natural History. She also aids the Dia Art Foundation, The School of American Ballet, and the New York City Ballet.

Devoted to American art, the Whitney Museum focuses on presenting works by living artists, while also exhibiting a range of contemporary and 20th Century American art. Becoming the first such institution in New York to exhibit living artists, the museum provided such talents as Cy Twombly, Cindy Sherman, and Jasper Johns with their first museum retrospectives. The internationally renowned Guggenheim, another favorite of Dana Hammond, offers contemporary and modern art, as well as lectures, performances, film screenings, classes, and tours. A vital cultural center and educational site, the institution concentrates on 20th and 21st Century art.

As a New Yorker, Dana Hammond enjoys the uniqueness of the Museum of the City of New York. Undergoing an $85 million expansion and renovation, the new, improved museum will include cutting-edge climate control for the collections of prints, photographs, costumes, and theatre memorabilia. The American Museum of Natural History, dating back to 1869, houses fascinating information, exhibitions, and scientific collections on culture, nature, and the universe. Appreciating innovative approaches, Dana Hammond also provides assistance to the Dia Art Foundation, established to stretch the boundaries of conventional museums by displaying long-term, site-specific installations and exhibitions by single artists.

As a patron of dance, Dana Hammond supports the New York City Ballet and its official training academy, The School of American Ballet. Established in 1934 by world-renowned choreographer George Balanchine with the assistance of philanthropist Lincoln Kirstein, the school has become the premier American ballet academy. The New York City Ballet, envisioned by Balanchine to reimagine classical dance principles, continues to pursue that mission. The American Theatre Wing, another recipient of Dana Hammond’s largesse, celebrates excellence and provides education in the theatre, made possible through the generosity of its patrons.