The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM SERVES AS A LEADING INCUBATOR FOR ARTISTS AT CRITICAL CREATIVE JUNCTURES, PROVIDING A COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM THAT ENGAGES AND INSPIRES.
- Income
- $5.5 million
- Spending
- $3.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- Over 10 years of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 44%
- Employees
- 50
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $225,527, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover more than ten years of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 37% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $1.1 million spent. EXHIBITIONS:IN 2024, THE ALDRICH OPENED SIX NEW EXHIBITIONS, THREE ALDRICH PROJECTS, ONE MAIN STREET SCULPTURE PROJECT, AS WELL AS UNVEILED A NEWLY DESIGNED SCULPTURE GARDEN BY THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FIRM STIMSON.IN JANUARY, WE OPENED OUR FIRST ALDRICH PROJECT: AMANDA MARTINEZ | CANTA Y NO LLORES. IT FEATURED A SERIES OF WALL RELIEFS AND FREESTANDING SCULPTURES, ALL SITED IN THE MUSEUM'S LEIR ATRIUM. IT WAS ON VIEW JANUARY 10 TO MAY 5, 2024. ALSO, IN JANUARY, WE OPENED LOIE HOLLOWELL: SPACE BETWEEN, A SURVEY OF TEN YEARS, THE ARTIST'S FIRST MUSEUM SURVEY AND FIRST MUSEUM PRESENTATION ON THE EAST COAST. IT WAS ON VIEW JANUARY 21 TO AUGUST 11, 2024, AND THEN TRAVELED TO THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, WHERE IT OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2024, AND REMAINS ON VIEW THROUGH MARCH 9, 2025.IN APRIL, WE OPENED TWO FIRST SOLO MUSEUM DEBUTS: LAYO BRIGHT: DAWN AND DUSK AND ELIZABETH ENGLANDER: EMINEM BUDDHISM, VOLUME 3. BOTH SHOWS FEATURED NEW AND BORROWED WORKS AND WERE ON VIEW APRIL 7 TO OCTOBER 27, 2024.IN MAY, WE INSTALLED THE SECOND ALDRICH PROJECT: ESTHER RUIZ: UNCHARTED IN THE MUSEUM'S LEIR ATRIUM. IT DEBUTED NEW SCULPTURES AND A RECENT WORK AND WAS ON VIEW MAY 8 TO SEPTEMBER 2, 2024.IN AUGUST 2024, WE PRESENTED A SEQUENCE OF THREE SOLO PRESENTATIONS OF VIDEO ART BY ARTISTS EVA RICHARDSON MCCREA, WINNIE TRUONG, AND MAYA JEFFEREIS. THE ALDRICH VIDEO SERIES WAS ON VIEW FROM AUGUST 19 TO OCTOBER 20, 2024.IN SEPTEMBER, WE OPENED THE THIRD ALDRICH PROJECT: MILES HUSTON | OVERSHOOT. HUSTON PRESENTED WORKS FROM HIS OVERSHOOT SERIES IN THE LEIR ATRIUM. IT WAS ON VIEW SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 TO JANUARY 5, 2025. IN NOVEMBER, WE OPENED TWO MAJOR EXHIBITIONS: MARTHA DIAMOND: DEEP TIME AND A GARDEN OF PROMISE AND DISSENT AS WELL AS THE MAIN STREET SCULPTURE PROJECT, MOKO FUKUYAMA: MENAGERIE. MARTHA DIAMOND: DEEP TIME IS THE ARTIST'S FIRST MAJOR TRAVELING MUSEUM SURVEY. IT WAS CO-ORGANIZED WITH THE COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART AND IS ON VIEW NOVEMBER 17, 2024 TO MAY 18, 2025. A GARDEN OF PROMISE AND DISSENT INAUGURATES THE ALDRICH'S NEWLY RENOVATED CAMPUS AND SCULPTURE GARDEN. THIS INTERGENERATIONAL GROUP EXHIBITION OF TWENTY-ONE ARTISTS SPANS THE MUSEUM'S FIRST FLOOR GALLERIES (ON VIEW: OCTOBER 31, 2024 TO MARCH 16, 2025) AND GROUNDS (ON VIEW: NOVEMBER 17, 2024 TO NOVEMBER 2025). MOKO FUKUYAMA: MENAGERIE DEBUTS A NEW OUTDOOR SCULPTURE SPECIALLY MADE FOR THE ALDRICH. IT IS ON VIEW NOVEMBER 17, 2024 TO OCTOBER 19, 2025.FIVE EXHIBITIONS AND THREE ALDRICH PROJECTS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY MUSEUM PUBLICATIONS. FOR THE THREE ALDRICH PROJECTS, WE PUBLISHED 'ZINES. FOR LOIE HOLLOWELL: SPACE BETWEEN, A SURVEY OF TEN YEARS WE PUBLISHED THE ARTIST'S FIRST MONOGRAPH, A HARDCOVER BOOK, 96 PAGES, CO-PUBLISHED BY THE ALDRICH AND GREGORY R. MILLER & CO. FOR LAYO BRIGHT: DAWN AND DUSK AND ELIZABETH ENGLANDER: EMINEM BUDDHISM, VOLUME 3 WE PUBLISHED 34-PAGE, SOFT COVER BOOKS. FOR MARTHA DIAMOND: DEEP TIME WE PUBLISHED THE ARTIST'S FIRST HARDBOUND BOOK, 192 PAGES, AND CO-PUBLISHED WITH THE ALDRICH, COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART, AND DELMONICO BOOKS. FOR A GARDEN OF PROMISE AND DISSENT WE WILL BE PUBLISHING A 64-PAGE CATALOGUE.
- $1.1 million spent. PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS:JANUARY 2024:CHIFFON THOMAS PRESENTED HIS WORK ALONGSIDE A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION WITH DR. ALYSSA COLLINS, EXPLORING THEIR SHARED INTEREST IN OCTAVIA E. BUTLER'S LITERARY WORKS. THE DISCUSSION DELVED INTO THEMES OF EMBODIMENT, THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AND SPECULATIVE MODES WITHIN BOTH BUTLER'S WRITING AND THOMAS'S ART.FEBRUARY 2024:CHIFFON THOMAS PREMIERED POLISH, A PERFORMANCE CREATED OVER THE PAST YEAR, INSIDE HIS SCULPTURES IN THE SOUTH GALLERY. THE EVENT, WHICH FEATURED AN INTRODUCTION BY AMY SMITH-STEWART, EXPLORED HEALING AND REGENERATION THROUGH CHOREOGRAPHED MOVEMENTS, PERCUSSIVE SOUND, AND SYNCHRONIZED LIGHTING. THE MUSEUM ALSO HOSTED A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN ARTIST YVETTE MAYORGA AND DR. MEREDITH MARTIN, FOCUSING ON MAYORGA'S MAXIMALIST AESTHETIC AND ITS CONNECTION TO NEO-ROCOCO INFLUENCES.MARCH 2024:THE ALDRICH HOSTED ITS FIRST ALDRICH AFTER HOURS, WITH A CURATOR-LED HIGHLIGHTS TOUR OF LOIE HOLLOWELL'S EXHIBITION, FOLLOWED BY A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY XONDRA. WE ALSO WORKED WITH MERCY LEARNING CENTER, HOSTING 30 STUDENTS FOR GALLERY TOURS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO YVETTE MAYORGA AND LOIE HOLLOWELL'S WORK. ADDITIONALLY, WE HELD A SOLD-OUT SCREENING AND TALK-BACK WITH ARTIST HELENA HERNMARCK, DISCUSSING HER MONUMENTAL TAPESTRIES FOR 35 HUDSON YARDS.MAY 2024:LOIE HOLLOWELL RETURNED FOR A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION ON HER CURRENT EXHIBITION, JOINED BY AMY SMITH-STEWART.JUNE 2024:THE SECOND ALDRICH AFTER HOURS INCLUDED A COLLAGE WORKSHOP WITH MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM AND FLAT VERNACULAR, A CURATOR-LED EXHIBITION TOUR, AND ORIGINAL COCKTAILS INSPIRED BY LAYO BRIGHT AND ELIZABETH ENGLANDER'S WORK. ON JUNE 22ND, WE PRESENTED GOSSIP, A DANCE PERFORMANCE BY ALEXA WEST, COMMISSIONED BY THE MUSEUM AND INSPIRED BY LOIE HOLLOWELL'S EXHIBITION, WITH TWO SHOWINGS FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION FOR BOTH ALEXA WEST AND ARTIST ESTHER RUIZ. WE ALSO HOSTED A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION WITH LAYO BRIGHT AND AINDREA EMELIFE, CURATOR AT THE MUSEUM OF WEST AFRICAN ART.JULY 2024:CAMP ALDRICH 2024 RAN FOR THREE WEEKS, WITH 63 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING, INCLUDING 23 CAMPERS IN EACH OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS. TEACHING ARTIST ROBERT BERBST LED GALLERY VISITS AND ART-MAKING SESSIONS, AND CAMPERS CREATED MULTIPLE PROJECTS INSPIRED BY THE EXHIBITIONS. THE PROGRAM CULMINATED IN AN ART SHOW FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT THE END OF EACH WEEK. ADDITIONALLY, WE REVIVED OUR "GETTING" CONTEMPORARY ART SERIES, WHERE 20 ADULT PARTICIPANTS ANALYZED AND DISCUSSED CONTEMPORARY WORKS ON VIEW. WE CONCLUDED JULY WITH A HYBRID ARTIST TALK FEATURING ELIZABETH ENGLANDER AND EDUARDO ANDRES ALFONSO, STREAMED LIVE FROM THE MUSEUM.SEPTEMBER 2024:A MEDITATION SERIES INSPIRED BY ELIZABETH ENGLANDER'S SCULPTURES TOOK PLACE IN THE GALLERIES, WITH KRISTEN DAVIS, HEAD OF BROOKLYN ZEN CENTER'S BOUNDLESS MIND TEMPLE, GUIDING PARTICIPANTS THROUGH SEATED ZAZEN POSTURES.OCTOBER 2024:WE CONTINUED OUR FIVE-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RIDGEFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PRESENTING THE RSO QUARTET IN A SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCE INSPIRED BY LAYO BRIGHT'S EXHIBITION. ON OCTOBER 20TH, WE HOSTED A GLASS MOSAIC WORKSHOP WITH ARTIST COURTNEY MCCLOSKEY AND LAYO BRIGHT, WHERE 30 PARTICIPANTS LEARNED THE BASICS OF MOSAIC TECHNIQUES INSPIRED BY BRIGHT'S WORK.NOVEMBER 2024:FRITZ HORSTMAN, EDUCATION DIRECTOR AT THE ALBERS FOUNDATION, LED A SOLD-OUT HANDS-ON WORKSHOP EXPLORING COLOR RELATIVITY AND TRANSPARENCY, CONNECTED TO JOSEF ALBERS'S INTERACTION OF COLOR. THE OPENING OF THE SCULPTURE GARDEN AND CURRENT EXHIBITIONS WAS CELEBRATED WITH A FREE COMMUNITY DAY, ATTRACTING ABOUT 500 VISITORS FOR TOURS, FAMILY WORKSHOPS, AND A SPECIAL LOOK AT THE CAMPUS RENOVATION.DECEMBER 2024:THE ALDRICH CO-HOSTED A BOOK LAUNCH FOR MARTHA DIAMOND'S CATALOGUE AT SKOWHEGAN'S NYC OFFICE, FEATURING A CONVERSATION WITH ARTISTS NICOLE WITTENBERG AND ANN CRAVEN MODERATED BY ART CRITIC AND CURATOR ROB STORR. WE ALSO OFFERED A CURATOR TOUR OF MARTHA DIAMOND: DEEP TIME WITH AMY SMITH-STEWART.ONGOING PROGRAMS:OVER 1,200 STUDENTS VISITED THE MUSEUM FOR SCHOOL TOURS, INCLUDING LOCAL PRESCHOOLS, SCOUTS, AND HOMESCHOOL GROUPS. THE COMMON GROUND RESIDENCY CONTINUED WITH ARTIST AMANDA MARTINEZ WORKING WITH 7TH-GRADE STUDENTS AT SIDE-BY-SIDE CHARTER SCHOOL FOR A WEEK-LONG ENGAGEMENT BEGINNING WITH A MUSEUM TOUR AND THEN IN CLASSROOM SESSIONS GUIDING STUDENTS THROUGH AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF HER WORK AND PROCESS, WHICH LED TO PERSONALIZED ART PROJECTS. ON AVERAGE 115 FAMILIES JOIN US ON THIRD SATURDAYS EACH MONTH FOR PROGRAMMING IN THE STUDIO FOR STORYTIME AND ART-MAKING AND IN THE GALLERIES FOR AN ALL-AGES TOUR. IN MARCH, WE HOSTED OUR FIRST BILINGUAL SPANISH/ENGLISH STORYTIME, FEATURING THIS HOUSE IS MADE OF MUD - ESTA CASA EST HECHA DE LODO BY KEN BUCHANAN.THE ALDRICH TEEN FELLOWS PROGRAM MET FOR TWO SESSIONS, FOCUSING ON LOIE HOLLOWELL'S EXHIBITION AND CULMINATING IN A FIELD TRIP TO NYC AND A FINAL PROJECT INSPIRED BY HOLLOWELL'S WORK. IN THE FALL, TEEN FELLOWS VISITED DIA BEACON AND MET WITH THEIR TEEN PROGRAM AND CREATED A FINAL PROJECT INSPIRED BY MARTHA DIAMOND: DEEP TIME AND THE A GARDEN OF PROMISE AND DISSENT EXHIBITIONS, WHICH INCLUDED A VIDEO PIECE AND WALL ART EXPLORING PERSONAL, INNER LANDSCAPES.ACCESS PROGRAMS:THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE MUSEUM RAN MONTHLY ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, ADULTS, AND CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, INCLUDING COLLABORATION WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, RIDGEFIELD STATION, RIDGEFIELD HOUSING AUTHORITY, RIDGEFIELD TRANSITION PROGRAM, AND WATERSTONE WESTCHESTER. NEW PROGRAMS WERE DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUILDING ONE COMMUNITY AND RVNAHEALTH, SUPPORTING IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION AND INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE.
- $716,573 spent. MUSEUM OPERATIONS: EXHIBITION AND PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS REQUIRE A WELL-MAINTAINED, HIGH-FUNCTIONING FACILITY TO HOUSE THE EXHIBITIONS AND PROVIDE A PLACE FOR PROGRAMS. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, FUNDS ARE USED FOR MAINTENANCE, SECURITY, CAPITAL PROJECTS, UTILITIES, DEPRECIATION, AND OPERATIONS STAFFING. THE ALDRICH COMPLETED A MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT IN 2024 - THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CAMPUS AND SCULPTURE GARDEN. THE GREATLY IMPROVED OUTDOOR AREA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUTDOOR EXHIBITIONS AND A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY SPACE THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1964.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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