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M AMERICAN FRIENDS FOUNDATION

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 824797315 · Form 990 · FY2019 · NTEE A11 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · mplusaff.org
revenue
$288K
expenses
$153K
net assets
$244K
employees
0
volunteers
10
program ratio
53%
mission · from form 990

SUPPORT OF A CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTS MUSEUM.

profile · synthesized from sources

M+ American Friends Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit that supports M+ Museum, Asia’s first global museum of visual culture located in Hong Kong. It advances public understanding of visual art, design and architecture, and moving image through programs, panel discussions, and curated trips. The foundation fosters transnational dialogue about contemporary visual culture with a focus on Asian perspectives.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Curated Trips
Offers immersive journeys to Hong Kong with VIP access to M+ Museum, Art Basel Hong Kong, and Frieze Seoul, along with U.S.-based cultural experiences.
Design and Architecture Programs
Organizes events and discussions focused on design and architectural scholarship and collections from M+ Museum.
Moving Image & Digital Art Programs
Features conversations and screenings on films, video art, internet-based works, and new media from M+ collections.
Visual Art Programs
Hosts panel discussions, studio visits, and exhibition tours to spotlight M+ Museum's visual art collections and exhibitions in the U.S.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 2 activities
    • Organizing U.S.-based public programs on Asian visual culture
      Hosts panel discussions, artist conversations, and cultural events in the United States—particularly in New York City—to cultivate understanding of M+'s curatorial work and Asian perspectives on global contemporary art and design.
    • Providing immersive cultural experiences for members
      Organizes studio visits, behind-the-scenes access to cultural institutions, and immersive trips to Hong Kong—including participation in Art Basel Hong Kong and Frieze Seoul—to deepen member engagement with M+ and global contemporary art discourse.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Curating and organizing exhibitions at M+ Museum
      Organizes and presents major exhibitions at M+ Museum in Hong Kong, including retrospectives of I.M. Pei and Henry Steiner, and thematic exhibitions such as “Robert Rauschenberg and Asia,” “Picasso for Asia: A Conversation,” and “Lee Mingwei: Guernica in Sand,” featuring works from the M+ Collections.
  • Art Museum Funding and Support 1 activity
    • Funding support for M+ Museum's visual arts programs
      Funds a contemporary visual arts museum (M+ Museum in Hong Kong), supporting its mission to promote visual culture from Asia globally through exhibitions, public programs, and collections.
financials · form 990 · fy2019
revenue
Total revenue$288K
Contributions & grants$288K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$4930%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$153K
Program expenses53%
Admin / overhead47%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$81K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$244K
Cash$244K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$244K
Liquid reserves19.2 mo
1 years on record · 2019–2019
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2019

Who runs it

board members · 10
  • DOMINIC NG — CHAIR
  • DUNCAN PESCOD — DIRECTOR
  • JOHN WADSWORTH JR — TREASURER
  • MASAKO SHINN — DIRECTOR
  • MAUREEN KIM — VICE CHAIR
  • MICHELLE SHAN — DIRECTOR
  • MOHIT ASSOMULL — DIRECTOR
  • PATRICIA PEI — DIRECTOR
  • SUHANYA RAFFEL — SECRETARY
  • VICTOR LO — DIRECTOR
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • Art Basel Hong Kong Partner — M+AFF couples member trips to Hong Kong with participation in Art Basel Hong Kong, indicating a programmatic partnership or coordinated access.
  • Cooper Union Partner — Hosted the M+ AFF-organized panel discussion on I.M. Pei at its Rose Auditorium in New York.
  • Dominic Leong Partner — Co-chaired the host committee for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
  • Frieze Seoul Partner — M+AFF includes Frieze Seoul in curated member trips, suggesting a collaborative relationship for cultural programming access.
  • Harvard Graduate School of Design Network — Alma mater of I.M. Pei and Sandi Pei; site of a 2017 conference that contributed to the development of the M+ retrospective.
  • Karen Wong Partner — Co-chaired the host committee for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
  • M+ Partner — Co-commissioned Sarah Morris's film _ETC_ and collaborates on programming related to Hong Kong art and culture.
  • M+ Partner — Collaborated on the “Legacy of Madame Song” panel discussion held in New York, parallel to M+’s exhibition in Hong Kong.
  • M+ Partner — Collaborates with M+ to advance shared mission in promoting visual culture from Asia.
  • M+ Partner — Collaborates with M+ to present exhibitions and programs highlighting artistic engagement with Asia.
  • M+ Partner — Collaborates with M+ to present exhibitions, including the I.M. Pei retrospective.
  • M+ Partner — Collaborates with M+ to support exhibitions and cultural programming.
  • M+ Museum Partner — Collaborated on programming related to the I.M. Pei retrospective exhibition.
  • M+ Museum Partner — Collaborates with M+ Museum to support and promote exhibitions and programs in design, architecture, and visual culture.
  • M+ Museum Partner — Primary cultural institution supported by M+AFF; M+AFF promotes and extends the reach of M+'s curatorial programs in the United States.
  • M+ Museum Partner — Supports M+ Museum, Asia’s new flagship museum of contemporary visual culture, through programming and outreach in the United States.
  • Musée national Picasso-Paris Partner — Collaborates to present Picasso's masterpieces in the exhibition "Picasso for Asia: A Conversation."
  • Patrick Li Partner — Member of the host committee for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
  • Rei Inamoto Partner — Member of the host committee for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
  • Tai Kwun Contemporary Partner — Co-commissioned Sarah Morris's film _ETC_ and hosted a solo exhibition featuring the film and a related wall painting.
  • Thames & Hudson Partner — Partnered to publish a book accompanying the I.M. Pei exhibition.
  • WSA Partner — Provided the venue and sponsored the menu for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
  • Water Street Projects Partner — Provided the venue and sponsored the menu for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
  • Wen Zhou Partner — Member of the host committee for the New York event promoting M+ Museum programs.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Cross-Cultural Artistic Exchange as Interpretive Practice
    methodology: cross_cultural_artistic_exchange
    By facilitating cross-cultural dialogues—such as reinterpreting Picasso through non-Western lenses or using sand to evoke impermanence—M+AFF enables critical re-examination of canonical art because transcultural and transient forms challenge fixed narratives and invite deeper reflection on artistic influence and meaning.
  • Cultural Diplomacy through Transnational Programming
    methodology: transnational_cultural_diplomacy
    By hosting US-based programs aligned with M+ Museum’s curatorial streams, M+AFF cultivates understanding of Asian perspectives on visual culture, thereby expanding global dialogue on contemporary art because shared cultural frameworks enhance cross-border intellectual and creative exchange.
  • Inclusive Digital and New Media Engagement
    methodology: inclusive_digital_engagement
    By incorporating AI-driven, internet-based, and new media works into its Moving Image & Digital Art programs, M+AFF brings emerging voices into the visual culture conversation because evolving technological forms expand the boundaries of artistic participation and human expression.
  • Network-Building with Emerging Cultural Leaders
    methodology: emerging_leader_networking
    By engaging next-generation leaders and innovative thinkers, M+AFF builds a professional network that strengthens the ecosystem of contemporary visual culture because early-career connections foster long-term collaboration and institutional resilience in the arts.
  • Scholarship-Rooted Interdisciplinary Dialogue
    methodology: scholarship_rooted_programming
    By grounding design and architecture programs in M+’s scholarship and collections, M+AFF fosters nuanced investigations into visual culture because anchoring public programming in research deepens public engagement and reinforces the relevance of design in everyday life.