“The addition of John Waters’ collection brings an extraordinary new chapter to these legacies and offers a particular point of pride for the Baltimore community,” said Christopher Bedford, the BMA’s director. The BMA plans to present a comprehensive exhibition of works donated by Waters within the next five years. It also follows the museum's $5 million gift in September from longtime supporters Nancy Dorman and Stanley Mazaroff to establish a center dedicated to the presentation, study and preservation of its prints, drawings and photographs. Waters' gift reflects his creative sensibilities and personal relationships with the featured artists. It’s only fitting that the fruits of my 60-year search for new art that could startle, antagonize, and infuriate even me, ends up where it all began-in my hometown museum.” 'After taking it home and hanging it on my bedroom wall at my parents’ house, I realized from the hostile reaction of my neighborhood playmates that art could provoke, shock, and cause trouble.

“The first art I ever bought was a two-dollar Miró poster at The Baltimore Museum of Art gift shop back in the ’50s when I was a child,' he said. Waters credits the BMA with giving him an early lesson in shock value. In a more traditional move, the museum is also dedicating a rotunda to him in the European art galleries. In the spirit of his transgressive works, the museum is naming The John Waters Restrooms (at the artist's request) in the East Lobby. We look forward to collaborating with John on the presentation of his collection gift and to finding new ways of sharing the stories and experiences that it holds with our community.' 'We are deeply grateful to him for entrusting us with his collection and for giving us the opportunity to engage our many audiences with it. “John’s generosity, friendship, and commitment to his hometown are boundless,' BMA board Chair Clair Zamoiski Segal said in a statement.

It also includes nearly 90 prints, sculptures, mixed-media and video pieces by Waters, making the BMA the greatest repository of his work.Ī major retrospective of Waters' visual art opened at the BMA in 2018. The John Waters Collection includes significant works by Andy Warhol, Diane Arbus, Richard Artschwager, Thomas Demand, Catherine Opie and Christopher Wool. The Baltimore Museum of Art announced Wednesday that the artist and filmmaker plans to bequeath 375 works from his collection.

John Waters, Baltimore's 'Pope of Trash,' is giving the Baltimore Museum of Art a whole lot of treasure.

John waters bma