New York City’s Park Avenue Armory has announced that the Thompson Family Foundation has donated $65 million towards a programming endowment.

The endowment allows the Armory to increase the number and frequency of performing and visual arts presentations. More importantly, the money increases the reach of its arts education initiatives for underprivileged public school children.

The gift brings the total amount donated by the Thompson family to the Armory to $129 million.

Armory director Rebecca Robertson poses with The Thompson family next to a bust of Wade Thompson.
Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Berger via The Armory.

In recognition of Wade Thompson and his family’s involvement in transforming the Armory into a state-of-the-art cultural institution, the building’s arts program will be renamed the Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory for a 50-year period.

“From the beginning, [Wade] and his family believed in the potential of the Armory to become a major international cultural enterprise unlike any that had come before and their gifts at critical moments of the Armory’s growth reflect that shared passion,” said Park Avenue Armory President and Executive Producer Rebecca Robertson.

Installation shot of Philippe Palermo’s H {N} Y P N {Y} OSIS at the Park Avenue Armory.
Photo: Courtesy of James Ewing via The Armory.

“With this new gift, the Foundation has generously started an endowment fund which will allow the Armory to expand our work with artists in realizing their greatest visions, serve ever-broader audiences, and launch new arts and arts education initiatives.”

This year the venue has an ambitious line-up of artists including Philippe Parreno, Olafur Eliasson, Laurie Anderson and Marina Abramovic. Recently, Pierre Audi was announced as the next artistic director for the space.