In a significant move for the arts community, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a generous donation of $23 million from prominent collectors Jennifer Rubio and Stewart Butterfield. This contribution comes just two months after Rubio took on the role of trustee at the museum. Rubio is known for founding the travel brand Away, while Butterfield is a notable software executive and co-founder of platforms like Flickr and Slack, as well as serving on the boards of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Dia Art Foundation.
The funds will be directed towards enhancing the Met's internship program, ensuring that all undergraduate and graduate interns receive full compensation for their work. Max Hollein, the museum's director, emphasized that this pledge will foster a "continuous pipeline for new voices and innovative ideas" within the field of art.
Since 2021, the Met has successfully offered over 100 paid internships annually across 40 different departments, a program partially funded by a previous $5 million donation from philanthropist Adrienne Arsht. With the backing of the Rubio Butterfield Foundation, the museum is poised to sustain this initiative long-term.
"Internships are often the first meaningful point of entry into this field," Rubio remarked. "Yet too often that pathway depends on circumstance rather than talent. Stewart and I are proud to support The Met in making that entry point more equitable, ensuring that emerging voices, perspectives, and expertise help define the future of the Museum and the broader cultural landscape."
Rubio and Butterfield have been recognized on ARTnews's Top 200 Collectors list since 2022. After relocating from San Francisco, they now reside in New York with their children and have made contributions to various health, education, and social justice initiatives globally. As esteemed collectors, they have also supported numerous artists, including Simone Leigh, Claire Tabouret, Mickalene Thomas, and Alicja Kwade.