A significant contribution from the Macdonald Stewart Foundation to the Major Fundraising Campaign

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Foundation (MMFA) is thrilled to announce a significant contribution from the Macdonald Stewart Foundation to its 2023-2028 major fundraising campaign, The Museum Transforms Lives. This $700,000 donation will go toward supporting the MMFA’s institutional priorities and will help ensure the sustainability of its core activities and programs, including the project to redeploy the decorative arts and design collection housed in the Liliane and David M. Stewart Pavilion.

“The MMFA is a prominent institution in our city, and we are honoured to contribute to its future as a hub of community and discovery for all Montrealers. An investment in culture is an investment in the education of future generations, as well as the preservation of our collective heritage. The Macdonald Stewart Foundation is proud of its longstanding relationship with the MMFA, and we are delighted to continue to support their programming and educational aspirations as part of the ‘Museum Transforms Lives’ major campaign,” said Foundation president, Jean Pierre Ouellet.

A valued philanthropic ally of the Museum since 1985, the Macdonald Stewart Foundation shares the MMFA’s values of social responsibility and community engagement. This major contribution marks the beginning of a new era in this partnership, and an important commitment to the MMFA’s future sustainability. Among other things, it will enable the institution to highlight the diversity of artistic expression present within its programming and to assert the MMFA’s position as a leader in the international museum community.

Part of the donation will be devoted to the redeployment of the MMFA’s decorative arts and design collection, among the largest of its kind in the world. The redesigned galleries are slated to reopen to the public in September 2025. Spanning seven centuries of history, this collection includes over 12,000 works by Quebec and international artists and designers. In addition to its financial contribution to the MMFA’s major fundraising campaign, the Macdonald Stewart Foundation is donating a group of works to the Museum, the total value of which is estimated at nearly $200,000.

“With this major donation, the Macdonald Stewart Foundation is helping to ensure the continued development of a collection that contributes to our international renown. This generous support will play a key role in the achievement of our goals, while allowing us to continue to inspire and delight art lovers for many years to come,” declared MMFA director Stéphane Aquin.

“We are thrilled to pursue our collaboration with the Macdonald Stewart Foundation, which has been a philanthropic partner of the Museum for over 38 years. Its vision aligns perfectly with our commitment to making art accessible to as many people as possible and preserving our precious cultural heritage for future generations. I would like to thank all the members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, particularly Jean Pierre Ouellet and Thomas Leslie, for their unwavering support,” added Jo-Anne Duchesne, director general of the MMFA Foundation.