ABOVE: John Waters (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) announced Nov. 11 that iconic gay director John Waters has donated 375 works from his personal art collection to the museum. In exchange, the BMA will rename its restrooms and the rotunda in the European art galleries after him.
Waters’ personal art collection contains works by 125 artists, including Diane Arbus, Richard Artschwager, Thomas Demand, Roy Lichtenstein, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol and Christopher Wool, among others, the museum announced. The donation also includes original works by Waters, such as sculptures, prints, videos and more. The BMA staged a retrospective of Waters’ art, titled “John Waters: Indecent Exposure,” in 2018.
“John’s generosity, friendship, and commitment to his hometown are boundless. We are deeply grateful to him for entrusting us with his collection and for giving us the opportunity to engage our many audiences with it. We look forward to collaborating with John on the presentation of his collection gift and to finding new ways of sharing the stories and experiences that it holds with our community,” said Clair Zamoiski Segal, the BMA’s Board Chair.
