Contemporary Art

Contemporary art is a reflection of our culture and values, expressing how we think through the issues of our time. The Foundation’s arts partnerships bring that experience to our community, with particular emphasis on partnerships that make contemporary women artists more visible to the public.

Barbara Lee’s passion for art started at age 17, when her father took her to the Museum of Modern Art for the first time. Since then, Barbara has been a champion for women artists and for public access to art. Through the Foundation, Barbara endowed the Barbara Lee Family Foundation Theater at Boston’s Institute for Contemporary Art, and she donated prominent collections of art by women at the ICA and at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.