Inquiry-Based Engagement

Administers a biannual award recognizing emerging artists in disciplines related to the American studio craft movement.

Provides free docent-led public tours at scheduled times Wednesday through Sunday, with nine offered weekly. Also offers verbal description and sensory tours for visitors who are blind or have low vision, both in-person and virtually.

Collects, displays, and interprets objects documenting innovation in craft, art, and design through rotating exhibitions and educational programs. Presents artists, designers, and artisans demonstrating high levels of ingenuity and skill, with dedicated galleries including the only U.S. museum space focused on contemporary and modern studio and art jewelry.

Provides arts education programs for thousands of K–12 students annually, with an emphasis on underserved youth, through in-person and virtual field trips and the MADLAB inquiry-driven, thematically based arts-in-education program.

Funds emerging artists from historically underrepresented communities in New York City through the MAD Artist Fellowship, a grantmaking initiative supporting individual creative development.

Offers family-focused programming such as storytelling sessions with hands-on art activities, art exploration for children aged five and up, and multilingual workshops including a Mandarin-language program with gallery tours and puppet-making.

Hosts immersive fan experiences such as a themed event around The Devil Wears Prada 2 in partnership with Disney+ and Hulu, featuring photo opportunities, original costumes, and interactive activities like styling consultations and runway lessons.

Hosts lectures, films, performances, and symposia in a 144-seat auditorium focused on making practices and the Museum's collection, as part of its public programming.

Provides educational programming through master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families, and adults in dedicated classrooms and studios.

Operates an on-site artist residency program with open studio hours five days a week, allowing the public to observe works in progress and interact with resident artists. The program has supported over 200 artists and designers since 2008.

Offers a range of accessibility services including complimentary or discounted admission for people with disabilities and their caregivers, free manual wheelchairs on a first-come, first-served basis, captioned interpretive videos, Assisted Listening Devices in the theater, ASL-English interpretation upon request, and a mobile guide with screen reader compatibility, VoiceOver support, text scaling, and closed captioning.

Funds and administers the Audrey B. Heckler Visionary Award to recognize individuals, institutions, or projects making unique contributions to the understanding and appreciation of self-taught and vernacular art.

Offers school, teen, adult, senior, and family programs aligned with academic standards, including multisession "Learning to Look" and "Folk Art: A Continuum" curricula, hands-on workshops, gallery sketching, music and movement activities, and Touch Collection engagement. Programs serve Pre-K–12 students, educators, individuals with dementia, and visitors with low vision or blindness, and are offered in-person and virtually.

Hosts lectures, panel discussions, symposia, artist talks, Q&As, and discussion programs such as the Anne Hill Blanchard Uncommon Artists Lecture Series and public conversations with artists and scholars. Events cover topics like the gaze in PHOTO | BRUT, Shaker influence on American culture, and new research on Madalena Santos Reinbolt and Francesc Tosquelles.

Provides drop-in gallery tours, guided exhibition tours for adult and university groups, and tours by appointment that include thematic discussions and historical context, enhancing visitor engagement with folk and self-taught art.

Collects, preserves, conserves, and provides access to a comprehensive collection of folk and self-taught art, including the largest repository of works by Henry Darger and The Ralph Fasanella Collection and Archive. Maintains institutional archives, special collections, and a noncirculating research library with over 10,000 volumes, primary source materials, and periodicals focused on folk art, art brut, and related fields.

Runs a retail operation offering handmade items, artistic reproductions, publications, and other products aligned with the museum's mission, both onsite and online, with increased focus on digital sales during the pandemic.

Manages the Self-Taught Genius Gallery in Long Island City, NY, presenting rotating exhibitions of self-taught art with support from foundations and public funding agencies.