The Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) has received a planned $5 million gift from Cincinnati-based collector and art scholar Mary W. Baskett. This significant contribution will establish the museum’s first endowed curatorial role, specifically for the position of curator of fashion arts and textiles. Furthermore, the gift will fund the creation of CAM’s first dedicated fashion gallery, significantly expanding the museum’s capacity to steward and exhibit its renowned fashion arts and textiles collection.

In addition to the endowment, Mrs. Baskett will donate her extensive collection of Japanese fashion, featuring works by designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto, along with her compilation of art history research. This collection will form the basis of rotating exhibitions in the new fashion gallery, showcasing pieces from CAM’s broader collection of approximately 15,000 works. Mrs. Baskett, a former curator of prints at CAM and a specialist in Japanese prints, expressed her long-held dream of establishing a fashion gallery, now made possible by this transformative gift.

This landmark donation is seen as a pivotal moment for the Cincinnati Art Museum, elevating the importance of fashion within its artistic and cultural landscape. Museum officials anticipate that the endowed position and new gallery will ensure fashion is consistently on display, meeting a frequent request from visitors and fostering deeper engagement with this significant aspect of the museum’s holdings.

Source: https://cincinnatiartmuseum.org/media/1nmhpivq/gift-from-mary-w-baskett-to-transform-fashion-arts-at-cincinnati-art-museum_news-release-1.pdf