$10 million new gift to the museum of art from philanthropists Amy and Marc Meadows
In a landmark gesture that underscores their commitment to arts education and community access, philanthropists Amy and Marc Meadows have pledged more than $10 million to the Baltimore Museum of Art — the largest single gift in the museum’s 110-year history. The donation, made through the couple’s Stoneridge Foundation, will establish the Amy and Marc Meadows Education Endowment, a transformative fund that will be distributed progressively over time to strengthen and expand the museum’s educational outreach.
For Amy and Marc Meadows, who have long viewed art as an essential part of civic life and personal growth, this gift represents a culmination of years of involvement with Baltimore’s cultural and educational institutions. Their intention is not merely to support programming, but to ensure that the museum becomes an enduring hub for creativity, inclusion, and learning for all ages.
The endowment will sustain six key initiatives that together reimagine what a museum can mean to its community. Among the most immediate impacts will be the expansion of transportation funding for public school trips to the museum — a crucial barrier for many Baltimore students.
By removing logistical and financial obstacles, the Meadows hope to make the museum an integral extension of the classroom, where art connects directly to the city’s diverse histories and young people can experience the transformative power of creativity firsthand. The gift will also ensure the continuation and growth of the museum’s Free Family Sundays, which have become a beloved weekly tradition that invites parents, children, and caregivers to explore art together in a welcoming, interactive setting.
Equally significant is the expansion of the BMA’s Close Encounters program, which encourages families to engage deeply with art through guided visits and activities.
The new funding will introduce a two-year pass system designed to extend participation across networks of family, friends, and caregivers, reinforcing the social and communal nature of museum learning. In addition, the Meadows’ generosity will fund a new internship program for teaching apprentices in museum education — an investment in the next generation of educators who will carry forward the museum’s mission to connect art and people in meaningful ways.
The couple’s endowment will also launch a new speaker series for adults that examines the evolving role of museums in community life and the future of cultural engagement.
By bringing thought leaders, artists, and educators into conversation with the public, this series aims to transform the BMA into a civic forum for dialogue about the power and purpose of art in a changing world.
Finally, part of the gift will endow future positions for museum educators, ensuring that the institution can attract and retain exceptional talent dedicated to deepening public understanding of art.
For Amy and Marc Meadows, this gift reflects their belief that museums must be living, accessible spaces — not temples for the few but catalysts for connection and imagination. “Education through art can change the way people see themselves and their community,” Amy Meadows has said in previous statements about their philanthropic philosophy.
Their $10 million pledge stands as both an investment in Baltimore’s future and a powerful statement about the enduring role of the arts in civic renewal.
Through the Stoneridge Foundation, the Meadows have joined a growing movement of modern philanthropists who see cultural institutions not only as stewards of history but as agents of inclusion, inspiration, and hope.