Iris Cantor has been a Trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
since 1990, but her legacy of philanthropy to the Museum, along with her late
husband Bernie, spans over forty years. The Cantors have left a lasting mark on
The Met, which can be seen in the galleries (The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof
Garden, The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall), numerous acquisitions,
and a generous endowment fund that supports everything from exhibitions to
publications.
Here Clyde Jones, The Met’s Senior Vice President for Institutional
Advancement, speaks to Iris about her deep history of philanthropy at the
Museum and the importance of supporting its mission.
Clyde Jones:
Your support of The Metropolitan Museum of Art is decades-long and
has enabled the Museum to transform in multiple directions. Why choose The Met
as the beneficiary of your philanthropic support?
Iris Cantor:
The Met holds special significance for me and for the Cantor
Foundation. It was at The Met in 1945 that a young Bernie Cantor first encountered
a work by Auguste Rodin, the sculptor’s marble rendering of The Hand of God.
This experience inspired my late husband’s “magnificent obsession” with Rodin,
a lifelong passion that encompassed collecting as well as support of
exhibitions and scholarship.
Over the years Bernie and I personally, as well as our Foundation,
took pleasure in enabling the creation or reopening of indoor and outdoor
exhibit spaces at The Met; nourishing its Rodin collections by gifting a number
of major works; and presenting exhibitions on Rodin and other artists. Today
The Met remains a treasured partner.
Jones:
We want to thank you for your generosity in supporting The Met’s
150th anniversary, which among other activities was to support a gala for the
anniversary. Unfortunately, the pandemic caused the cancellation of this event.
You kindly shifted your support to the exhibition Fictions of Emancipation:
Carpeaux Recast. What piqued your interest in this show?
Cantor:
While the art of Rodin is still a cornerstone of the Cantor
Foundation, it has long been our tradition to support exhibitions featuring the
work of other significant artists. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux is a perfect example.
Rodin admired Carpeaux and was influenced by his techniques. They emerged from
similar working-class backgrounds in France. This exhibition sheds light on
Carpeaux’s creative process as well as the broader historical and societal
context in which he worked.
Jones:
This exhibition enables a conversation about race and
representation through an iconic piece from our European Sculpture and
Decorative Arts collection. We’d love to hear your reflections on why you’ve
chosen to support this type of scholarship and presentation.
Cantor:
A museum should be more than a place to see works of art—it should
be a place to explore, through art, the universal issues we all face as human
beings. Supporting the Carpeaux exhibition is a reflection of that commitment.
Art is not created in a vacuum; it is impacted by a multitude of factors—some
unique to the artist, others informed or inspired by what is going on in the
world at the time. Similarly, one’s interpretation and enjoyment of art are
subject to any number of influences. With this exhibition, we view Carpeaux’s
1868 Why Born Enslaved! through the lens of history and that of today. This is
both fascinating and important. The exhibition can be appreciated on multiple
levels, and there is much to be learned from it.
Jones:
Your support for the Museum literally runs from the ground floor to
the Roof Garden, and reflects The Met’s efforts to continually invest in new
generations of visitors. Talk for a bit on why you think museums are critical
for our cultural landscape, notwithstanding all the virtual access provided by
digital devices.
Cantor:
One of the guiding principles I embraced alongside Bernie is that
fine art should be accessible to the public and, to the greatest extent
possible, part of our daily lives. Enabling others to marvel at great works of
art, just as we did, became a driving force. Beyond this, art should contribute
in a meaningful way to the life of a community and to our collective
understanding of who we are, where we came from, and even where we might be
headed. And there is still no better place for all of this to happen than at
museums, which preserve and showcase the results of human creativity.
Jones:
Finally, you’re a New Yorker, and I’m sure it has been challenging
to watch our city struggle through the pandemic. Yet you have the benefit of
having seen New York through the lens of many decades. What if any reflections
do you have on the future of New York, and how the Museum and our city’s leaders
can bring renewal again?
Cantor:
I am a proud New Yorker. I was born in
Brooklyn and worked on Wall Street when few women had that opportunity. Today I
enthusiastically support iconic New York institutions at the forefront of
healthcare, education, and the visual and performing arts. Like these
world-class institutions that grace our city, the people of New York are strong
and enduring. We know how to rise to a challenge, overcome adversity, and
emerge even stronger than before. And we are doing it again.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/articles/2022/4/iris-cantor-philanthropy-carpeaux
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