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research dossier

FENIMORE ART MUSEUM
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 150539110 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A540 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Large ($10M-$50M) · fenimoreartmuseum.org
revenue
$24.0M
expenses
$5.8M
net assets
$59.9M
employees
98
volunteers
5
program ratio
30%
mission · from form 990

PRESERVING, ENGAGING, AND EDUCATING.

profile · synthesized from sources

Fenimore Art Museum is an art museum located in Cooperstown, New York, dedicated to preserving and exhibiting American fine art, folk art, and American Indian art. The museum offers educational programs and rotating exhibitions that engage the public with historical and contemporary artistic expression. It operates a permanent collection and hosts traveling and temporary exhibits throughout the year.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $309K
    EDUCATION-PROMOTE HISTORICAL LEARING AND UNDERSTANDING.
  2. #2 $19K
    PUBLICATIONS-TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE HISTORICAL RESEARCH BY MEANS OF LECTURES PUBICATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Education Program
Offers educational initiatives to promote historical learning and understanding through art, including school programs, lectures, and public engagement activities
Permanent Exhibitions
Includes the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, American Folk Art, American Fine Art, and other core collections displayed year-round
Publications and Research
Supports historical research through lectures, publications, and distribution of scholarly materials related to American art and culture
Temporary and Traveling Exhibitions
Rotating exhibitions such as "Faded Elegance: Portraits of Havana," "Banksy: The Haight Street Rat," and "The Linda McCartney Retrospective" that attract diverse audiences
Young at Art
Features artwork by middle and high school students from Central New York, providing youth a platform to showcase creative expression
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Art and Antique Research, Curation, and Sales 1 activity
    • Conducting scholarly research and exhibition development
      Engages in historical and art-historical research to support exhibitions and collections, including expert consultation to attribute artworks such as The Bull’s Head Tavern Sign to Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Produces publications, lectures, and focused exhibitions based on research findings.
  • Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
    • Hosting public programs, workshops, and virtual offerings
      Provides public-facing programs including STEAM camps for children and youth, themed workshops (e.g., needle felting, plein air painting), monthly "Fenimore Deep-Dives" with staff-led artwork analysis, and virtual exhibition tours via Zoom. Also produced a full-cast audiobook of "A Christmas Carol."
  • Local History Archival Access 1 activity
    • Offering public access to museum collections and research resources
      Maintains and provides access to significant permanent collections, including over 100,000 photographs, The Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, and American folk and fine art. The Research Library is open to the public by appointment for scholarly and personal research.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Organizing and presenting art exhibitions
      Curates and hosts temporary and permanent exhibitions of American art, including landscape painting, folk art, photography, and American Indian art. Exhibitions feature works by artists such as Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Linda McCartney, Michael Eastman, and Randy Johnson, with specific programming tied to historical themes, artistic movements, and cultural heritage.
  • Museum-Based Educational Outreach 1 activity
    • Providing educational programs for students and schools
      Offers a range of educational initiatives for Pre-K–12 students, including guided tours aligned with New York State learning standards, hands-on workshops in traditional Native American crafts, Museum Quest learning stations, custom-tailored tours based on curriculum, and scholarship support for school group visits. Also includes combination tours with The Farmers’ Museum at reduced rates.
  • Event Venue Rental Services 1 activity
    • Providing event and venue rental services
      Offers museum and farm facilities for weddings, receptions, meetings, conferences, and private events. Includes a 121-seat auditorium, lakeside lawn with tent capacity for up to 1,000 guests, and catering services such as buffet lunches paired with private exhibition tours.
  • Photography and Creative Arts Competitions 1 activity
    • Supporting community and youth engagement through exhibitions and events
      Hosts an annual regional youth art contest for middle and high school students, exhibiting winning works in the Community Gallery. Operates a Community Exhibitions program featuring local artists and organizations, and presents public events such as Art by the Lake, a lakeside art show.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$24.00M
Contributions & grants$18.80M78%
Program service revenue$501K2%
Investment income$4.58M19%
Other revenue$126K
expenses
Total expenses$5.77M
Program expenses30%
Admin / overhead70%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$2.32M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$60.79M
Cash$17.07M
Investments$39.02M
Liabilities$922K
Net assets$59.87M
Liquid reserves116.7 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +8.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
PAUL D'AMBROSIO PRESIDENT 20 $471K
JOSEPH SIRACUSA VICE PRESIDENT 20 $237K
board members · 16
  • CHARLES KIELER — VICE CHAIRMAN/DIRECTOR
  • DORIS FISCHER MALESARDI — DIRECTOR
  • DOUGLAS E EVELYN — DIRECTOR
  • ERNA MCREYNOLDS — DIRECTOR
  • FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO — DIRECTOR
  • GARY CASSINELLI — DIRECTOR
  • HENRY FC WEIL — DIRECTOR
  • JANE FORBES CLARK — DIRECTOR
  • JEFFREY PRESSMAN — CHAIRMAN/ DIRECTOR
  • KATHLEEN FLANAGAN — DIRECTOR
  • LAURENE KRASNY BROWN — DIRECTOR
  • REGINALD KNIGHT — DIRECTOR
  • ROBERT S HANFT — DIRECTOR
  • SHELLEY GRAHAM — DIRECTOR
  • STEPHEN M DUFF — DIRECTOR
  • THOMAS MORGAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 21

Who they work with

  • Brimstone Bakery Partner — Provides catering for the Food for Thought event series.
  • Cooper-Hewitt Partner — Consulted with experts from Cooper-Hewitt to help attribute The Bull’s Head Tavern Sign to Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.
  • Dr. Jeffrey Pressman Funder — Sponsor of the 'Boundless Spirit' exhibition
  • Dr. Nancy Kollisch Funder — Sponsor of the 'Boundless Spirit' exhibition
  • Fenimore Art Museum Partner — Main organization offering tours and exhibitions.
  • Fenimore Farm & Country Village Partner — Sister museum located across the street, with shared event and rental offerings.
  • Fenimore Farm & Country Village Partner — Sister museum located directly across the street, offering additional event and wedding options.
  • Glimmer Globe Theatre Partner — Collaborates to present outdoor theatrical performances on museum grounds.
  • Grey Fox Felting Partner — Leads a needle felting workshop at the museum.
  • Handhouse Studio Partner — Collaborated on the creation and display of a full-scale replica of a Notre-Dame Cathedral truss using historical methods.
  • Holden Luntz Gallery Partner — Courtesy partner providing access to Michael Eastman's photographic collection for exhibition.
  • MPL Archive LLP Partner — Provides licensed photographic content for exhibition
  • Mary Nolan Partner — Leads a plein air painting workshop at the museum.
  • National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Partner — Offers 20% off admission to Fenimore Art Museum members.
  • North American Reciprocal Museum Association Network — Provides reciprocal admission and discounts at over 900 museums to Fenimore Art Museum members.
  • Olana Partner — Consulted with experts from Olana to help attribute The Bull’s Head Tavern Sign to Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.
  • Otesaga Resort Hotel Partner — Provides 10% off spa products and golf apparel to Fenimore Art Museum members.
  • Randy Johnson Partner — Hosted Randy Johnson's first-ever solo photography exhibition
  • Reading Public Museum Partner — Collaborates with the Reading Public Museum to display artworks on loan, including pieces by Frederic Edwin Church, Edmund Darch Lewis, and Jasper Francis Cropsey.
  • The Farmers’ Museum Partner — Collaborates on combination tours, shared school programming, and joint field trip logistics including lunch facilities and admissions.
  • The Farmers’ Museum Partner — Collaborates on research and collections with The Farmers’ Museum.
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.

  • Art as Cultural Narrative and Advocacy
    methodology: art_as_cultural_narrative
    By curating exhibitions that link artistic expression to broader cultural themes—such as identity, memory, animal rights, or Indigenous heritage—the museum uses art to explore social values and advocate for ethical and historical awareness.
  • Cultural Documentation Through Folk Art
    methodology: cultural_documentation_through_folk_art
    By collecting and exhibiting folk art, the museum preserves cultural ideals, community heritage, and lived experiences as authentic documents of American culture, fostering public connection through shared history and emotional resonance.
  • Free Access to Promote Community Engagement
    methodology: free_access_model
    By offering free admission, the museum increases community access to art and cultural resources, lowering socioeconomic barriers to participation in the humanities.
  • Inquiry-Based Learning in Art Education
    methodology: inquiry_based_learning
    By using student inquiry as the foundation of gallery tours, the museum teaches students to interpret artwork as primary source documents, cultivating critical thinking and independent historical analysis.
  • Scholarly Research Integrated with Exhibitions
    methodology: scholarly_research_exhibition
    By combining focused exhibitions with scholarly research and expert consultation, the museum authenticates and interprets historic artworks, advancing public understanding and contributing to historical knowledge.