Newark Museum Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
NMOA MISSION STATEMENT IS: WE WELCOME EVERYONE WITH INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES THAT SPARK CURIOSITY AND FOSTER COMMUNITY.
- Income
- $23.8 million
- Spending
- $20.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 21.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 44%
- Employees
- 197
- Volunteers
- 131
- Highest pay
- $594,293, ceo and board secretary
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 87% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 21.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 31% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 24 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)
- $5.6 million spent. EXHIBITIONS AND FACILITIES:THE STORY OF NEWARK FASHION: RUNWAY TO ATELIER (FEBRUARY 22 - JUNE 2, 2024)THE STORY OF NEWARK FASHION: RUNWAY TO ATELIER EXHIBITION WAS AN ORIGINAL EXHIBITION AND CATALOG ORGANIZED BY NMOA. SPANNING 75 YEARS OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION HISTORY THIS GROUP EXHIBITION FEATURED ELEVEN LEADING DESIGNERS WITH CONNECTIONS TO NEWARK, AND HIGHLIGHTED THE CITY AS A CENTER FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY FROM THE 1950S TO TODAY. BEGINNING IN THE ATELIERS AND CLASSROOMS OF WESLEY TANN AND EMILY MILES, GROUNDBREAKING BLACK DESIGNERS AND MENTORS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, THIS SURVEY FEATURED NINE CONTEMPORARY DESIGNERS INCLUDING MELODY ASHERMAN, STEPHEN BURROWS, TYRONE CHABLIS, JERRY GANT, MARCO HALL, SHAVI LEWIS, JUSTIN PITT-GOODSON, NARCISO RODRIGUES, AND DOUGLAS SAYS.WORKING WITH INDEPENDENT CURATOR KRISTEN J. OWENS ON BOTH THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMING FOR THIS EXHIBITION, THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART ENGAGED TRACEY "AFRICA" NORMAN, FASHION ICON AND NEWARK NATIVE, AS AN ADVISOR TO THE PROJECT. THE EXHIBITION WAS ENRICHED WITH LOANS FROM MANY OF THE DESIGNERS AS WELL AS TRACEY NORMAN. THIS EXHIBITION BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NEWARK TO THE GLOBAL WORLD OF FASHION.BONY RAMIREZ: CATTLEYA (APRIL 18 2024 - MARCH 9 2025)ON APRIL 18, 2024, THE MUSEUM OPENED BONY RAMIREZ: CATTLEYA, THE FIFTH ITERATION OF NMOA'S GLOBAL CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM. GLOBAL CONTEMPORARY IS AN ARTIST RESIDENCY AND EXHIBITION PROGRAM DEDICATED TO PRESENTING NEW WORK BY LIVING ARTIST IN CONVERSATION WITH THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS. ARTIST BONY RAMIREZ WAS INVITED TO EXPLORE NMOA'S COLLECTIONS AND CREATE AN ORIGINAL EXHIBITION RESPONDING TO NMOA'S COLLECTIONS. THIS OPPORTUNITY HAD SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR RAMIREZ, AS NMOA WAS THE FIRST MUSEUM HE SPENT TIME IN AFTER MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.INFLUENCED BY MEMORIES OF HIS CHILDHOOD IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND THE COMPLEX HISTORIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, BONY RAMIREZ: CATTLEYA FEATURED NEW LARGE SCALE PAINTINGS AND MIXED MEDIA ARTWORKS BY RAMIREZ RECONTEXTUALIZING WESTERN EUROPEAN PAINTING TRADITIONS WITH CARIBBEAN OBJECTS, SCENERY, AND HISTORY. RAMIREZ DREW THE TITLE OF THE EXHIBITION FROM MARTIN HEADE'S CATTLEYA ORCHID WITH TWO HUMMINGBIRDS, THE PAINTING THAT CAPTIVATED HIM - WITH ITS LANDSCAPE AND FLORAL REMINISCENT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - WHEN HE FIRST VISITED THE MUSEUM. HEADE'S RENDERING OF THE CATTLEYA ORCHID AND ITS EPIPHYTIC NATURE (THRIVING OFF OF OTHER ORGANISMS) PROMPTED RAMIREZ TO ASK THE AUDIENCE TO REFLECT ON THE COLONIALIST INFLUENCE ON THE CARIBBEAN AND ITS CONTINUED LEGACY.SHAZIA SIKANDER, NOW, 2023 (LAUNCHED APRIL 2024)A SIGNIFICANT ADDITION TO NMOA, NOW IS A MAJOR WORK OF PUBLIC SCULPTURE CREATED BY PAKISTANI AMERICAN ARTIST SHAZIA SIKANDER. THIS LONG-TERM INSTALLATION NOW STANDING ON THE MUSEUM'S WASHINGTON AVENUE CAMPUS, NEAR THE FRONT LAWN OF THE BALLANTINE HOUSE, IS A LUMINOUS FIGURAL SCULPTURE MADE OF BRONZE AND MEASURING EIGHT FEET HIGH. THE FEMALE FIGURE REPRESENTED IN NOW NODS TO THE LATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG (WITH AN INCISED LACE COLLAR AROUND THE FIGURE'S NECK). NOW STANDS JUST FEET AWAY FROM THE NEWLY NAMED RUTH BADER GINSBURG HALL AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, NEWARK, WHERE GINSBURG WAS A LAW PROFESSOR AND WHOSE COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE WAS AN INSPIRATION TO SIKANDER.NATIVE ARTISTS OF NORTH AMERICA - REIMAGINING REGALIA (SPRING 2024)AS PART OF THE LONG-TERM INSTALLATION NATIVE ARTISTS OF NORTH AMERICA, THE MUSEUM LAUNCHED A NEW POP-UP INSTALLATION HIGHLIGHTING RECENT ACQUISITIONS OF TEXTILE AND MIXED-MEDIA ARTWORKS BY CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS ARTISTS. ARTISTS ACROSS NATIVE NORTH AMERICA CREATE EXCEPTIONAL REGALIA - CLOTHING AND ORNAMENTS WORN FOR SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS - TO CELEBRATE PERSONAL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITIES. EACH OF THE THREE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FEATURED IN "REIMAGINING REGALIA" - WENDY RED STAR (CROW), ERICA LORD (ATHABASCAN/INUPIAT), AND URSALA HUDSON (TLINGIT) - CREATE CONCEPTUAL ARTWORKS INSPIRED BY REGALIA WORN IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES. PRESENTED WITH RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE MUSEUM'S INDIGENOUS COLLECTION, THESE ARTWORKS RELATE AESTHETICALLY, VISUALLY, AND CULTURALLY TO EACH ARTIST'S SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. ARTS OF GLOBAL ASIA ROTATIONS (MAY 2024) IN 2024, NMOA BEGAN A LONG-TERM PLAN TO REINSTALL AND REINTERPRET THE ARTS OF GLOBAL ASIA GALLERIES. THE NEW INSTALLATIONS ARE ORGANIZED BY UNIVERSAL STORIES FOUND THROUGHOUT ASIAN ART, FEATURE CONTEMPORARY ARTWORKS AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES FOR AUDIENCES OF DIFFERENT AGES. THE THEMES FOCUSED ON IN THIS ROTATION - HEROES, NATURE, AND TRANSCENDENCE - ARE COMMON IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT TIE PEOPLE TOGETHER REGARDLESS OF CULTURE, TIME, AND SPACE. UNLIKE PREVIOUS ROTATIONS THAT ISOLATED ARTWORKS TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, THE REINTERPRET GALLERIES ARE DEDICATED TO CREATING A MUSEUM EXPERIENCE WHERE VISITORS CAN EXPLORE ASIAN ART AND THEIR SOCIETIES BASED ON UNIVERSAL THEMES AND NOT GEOGRAPHIC ORIGIN. AS PART OF THIS COMMITMENT, NMOA COLLABORATED WITH MIXED MEDIA AND SOCIAL PRACTICE ARTIST NAOMI KUO TO CREATE THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE COMMUNITY LAB. WITH KUO'S AID, NMOA DEVELOPED THIS SPACE TO AMPLIFY THE COMMUNITY'S RELATIONSHIP TO ASIAN ART AND HELP GUIDE NMOA TO PLAN AND CREATE AN ACCESSIBLE AND INVITING REIMAGINING OF THE ARTS OF GLOBAL ASIA GALLERIES.ARTS OF GLOBAL AFRICA ROTATIONS (SUMMER 2024)IN SUMMER 2024 ALL ARTS OF GLOBAL AFRICA IN-GALLERY TEXT WAS REVISED TO FOLLOW THE MUSEUM'S ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES TO: BE OF THE COMMUNITY; BE WELCOMING TO ALL.; CONNECT PERSONALLY; ENABLE MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION; ADDRESS ISSUES THAT MATTER TO OUR AUDIENCES AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE ACTION. IN ADDITION, ALL OBJECT LABELS AND TEXT PANELS IN THE GALLERY ARE NOW BILINGUAL ACCORDING TO NMOA'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO MAKE ALL IN-GALLERY PRINTED MATERIAL AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. THIS DECISION WAS MADE BASED ON DATA SHOWING THAT THE SECOND MOST WIDELY SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN NEWARK AFTE
- $5.1 million spent. REGISTRAR AND CURATORIAL:THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART'S VAST AND DIVERSE COLLECTIONS OF MORE THAN 300,000 OBJECTS, RANKS, IN TERMS OF ITS HOLDINGS, AMONG THE TOP 12 MUSEUMS NATIONALLY. THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION COMPRISES ARTWORK IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF AMERICAN ART, ARTS OF THE AMERICAS, ARTS OF THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN, ARTS OF GLOBAL AFRICA, ARTS OF GLOBAL ASIA, DECORATIVE ARTS, NUMISMATICS, AND A NATURAL SCIENCE COLLECTION. THE MUSEUM IS ALSO THE HOME OF THE HISTORIC BALLANTINE HOUSE..
- $3.7 million spent. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAM:FROM A CHILD'S FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH A MUSEUM THROUGH TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND BEYOND, THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART CENTERS THE LEARNER IN ALL ITS SCHOOL AND FAMILY PROGRAMS. HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL NEEDS OF ITS AUDIENCE, PROVIDING INNOVATIVE AND ENGAGING SCHOOL AND FAMILY PROGRAMMING FOR VISITORS OF ALL AGES TO TAKE PART IN LIFELONG LEARNING. THESE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT DIVERSE AUDIENCES AND TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF LOCAL, STATEWIDE, AND EVEN NATIONAL COMMUNITIES. NMOA OFFERS ONSITE, IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND ADULTS WHILE CONTINUING TO OFFER VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS AND ONLINE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES THAT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO EXPERIENCE.THE MUSEUM'S LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT TEAM CONTINUES TO BE A CULTURAL ANCHOR AND ADVOCATE FOR ARTS PARTNERS OF ALL SIZES, STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ESTABLISHED PARTNERS OF OVER 80 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN 2024. NMOA WORKS WITH NEWARK-BASED VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTISTS, BOTH ESTABLISHED AND UNDER-RECOGNIZED, TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THE COLLECTION AND THE COMMUNITY TO ENLIVEN THE DIVERSE CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND HISTORIES OF THE GREATER NEWARK AREA THROUGH EVENTS SUCH AS COMMUNITY DAYS, ART AFTER DARK, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS, AND SCHOOL RESIDENCIES. THESE EFFORTS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE MUSEUM'S COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH COMPRISES LEADERS FROM CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND EDUCATIONAL SECTORS IN NEWARK AND ESSEX COUNTY, WHO BRING ADDED VALUE AND IMPORTANT VOICES TO NMOA'S EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS.CURRICULUM-ALIGNED PROGRAMMING FOR K - 12TH STUDENTS AND TEACHERSTHE MUSEUM SERVED OVER 30,000 NEW JERSEY STUDENTS IN GRADES PRE-K THROUGH 12 THROUGH ITS EXTENSIVE OFFERINGS OF IN PERSON SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS, WHICH UTILIZE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY, ARTS INTEGRATION APPROACH TO LEARNING, RANGE FROM SINGLE-VISIT PROGRAMS TO MULTI-SESSION, IN-DEPTH RESIDENCIES THAT PROVIDE SEQUENTIAL LEARNING. ALL THE MUSEUM'S SCHOOL PROGRAMS ALIGN WITH NEW JERSEY STATE CURRICULUM CONTENT STANDARDS FOR ART, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND SCIENCE, AND ENRICH STUDENT LEARNING BY DRAWING UPON THE MUSEUM'S ART AND SCIENCE COLLECTIONS. THE MUSEUM WORKS CLOSELY WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY THE NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, TO DEVELOP AND PRESENT PROGRAMS THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF NEW JERSEY'S STUDENTS. CREATIVE PLAY, AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR FAMILIESCREATIVE PLAY WEEKEND PROGRAMS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AUDIENCES AND THEIR FAMILIES CONTINUED TO SERVE THE YOUNGEST OF LEARNERS THROUGH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL FORMATS. IN THESE WEEKLY SESSIONS, 677 CHILDREN AGES 3-5, AND THEIR CAREGIVERS EXPLORED THE MUSEUM'S ART AND SCIENCE COLLECTIONS THROUGH STORYTELLING, SONG, PLAYFUL ACTIVITIES, AND AN ART-MAKING PROJECT. A SELECTION OF 2024 SESSIONS INCLUDE CREATIVE PLAY: MINI ZOO EDITION, FUN WITH BLUEY, STORYTIME IN THE GALLERIES, AND AFRICAN DRUM MAKING.FAMILY DROP-INS & SCIENCE DROP-INSFAMILY DROP-IN IN THE COURT AND SCIENCE DROP-INS PROGRAMS ENGAGED YOUTH AND FAMILIES DURING THE YEAR, FOR A TOTAL OF OVER 5,149 PARTICIPANTS. PROJECTS MADE USE OF HOUSEHOLD MATERIALS TO DESIGN, BUILD AND TEST AS CHILDREN EXPLORED THEIR CREATIVITY AND LEARNED NEW TECHNIQUES AND CONCEPTS IN ART, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. PROGRAMS INCLUDED SESSIONS FOR YOUTH AGES 5-10+ EXPLORING ENJOY MOVEMENT, ARTMAKING, SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS AND STORYTELLING SESSIONS. CAMP NMOAIN 2024, CAMP NMOA RAN FOR SIX WEEKS FROM JULY 8 - AUGUST 16, 2024. A TOTAL OF1,902 NEWARK-AREA CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 3 AND 13 PARTICIPATED IN A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT EXPLORED THE MUSEUM'S ART AND SCIENCE COLLECTIONS. CAMP ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: ART MAKING; HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS IN THE MAKERSPACE; SCIENCE LABS; PLANETARIUM SHOWS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES; AND A WEEKLY SHOWCASE INCLUDING DANCE, THEATER AND SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCES BY CAMPERS. EXPLORERS PROGRAMTHE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART (NMOA) EXPLORERS PROGRAM, A COLLEGE, CAREER, AND LIFE READINESS PROGRAM, ENABLES NEWARK-AREA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO BUILD ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND SELF-CONFIDENCE THROUGH A CURRICULUM THAT DRAWS UPON THE MUSEUM'S UNIQUE COLLECTIONS, RESOURCES, AND STAFF. OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE EXPLORERS PROGRAM FULFILLED ITS COMMITMENT TO ITS 50 STUDENTS THROUGH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS, VISITS, AND TRAININGS, CULMINATING WITH THE EXPLORERS GRADUATION AND NMOA ART BALL.IN JULY 2024, THE EXPLORERS KICKED OFF THE 2024-2025YEAR. THIS COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS MET WEEKLY EITHER AS A GROUP OR INDIVIDUALLY WITH MUSEUM STAFF FOR UP TO 25 HOURS A WEEK OF PAID WORK STUDY IN JULY AND AUGUST, AND UP TO 7-10 HOURS PER WEEK OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND PAID WORK STUDY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. STARTING FROM OCTOBER 2024, EXPLORERS WERE BACK IN PERSON AT THE MUSEUM AND ALSO TOOK PART AND STAFFED NEWLY RETURNED ONSITE COMMUNITY DAYS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AND FUNDRAISING EVENTS LIKE THE ANNUAL ART BALL. EACH STUDENT DEDICATED AROUND 60 HOURS OF PUBLIC PROGRAM WORK OVER THE YEAR.BEGINNING IN THE FALL, EACH EXPLORER SPENT APPROXIMATELY 40 HOURS PARTICIPATING IN WORKSHOP SESSIONS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS. THESE CLASSES RANGED IN FOCUS FROM MUSEUM-SPECIFIC TRAINING ON HOW TO LOOK AT AND INTERPRET ART TO REAL-WORLD INSTRUCTION ON EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND CAREER BUILDING SKILLS. MUSEUM STAFF AND NMOA PARTNERS WORKED WITH THE EXPLORERS ON:- ART AND MUSEUM WORKSHOPS: FRESHMAN THOUGH SENIOR EXPLORERS TOOK PART IN ART-INTERPRETATION AND PRESENTATION WORKSHOPS WITH MUSEUM STAFF WHICH COVERED TOPICS ON VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES (VTS) TO ENGAGE ART-VIEWERS OF ALL AGES, TOUR WRITING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS WHICH WERE USED TO INSPIRE EXPLORER-LED TOURS AND EXPLORER-DESIGNED PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AND ARTIST PERSPECTIVE AND IDENTITY COURSES TO DISCUSS AND UNDERSTAND MULTIVALENT PERSPECTIVES. IN ADDITION, THE EXPLORERS PARTICIPATED IN 6 VISITS TO SCIENCE & ART INSTITUTIONS TO BROADEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF ART AND SCIENCE EDUCATION. THESE INSTITUTIONS INCLUDED, THE
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1927.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.