The Met's Friends Groups
Friends Groups provide a unique opportunity to become closely involved with The Met's libraries, conservation, and curatorial departments. Through special programming and events, Friends build relationships with Museum curators and like-minded patrons in intimate, behind-the-scenes settings.
The Met's Friends Groups dues provide an important source of support for the Museum and departments. Annual dues range from $2,500 to $15,000, and benefits include those of a Patron Circles' Membership and recognition in the Museum's Annual Report, among other privileges; a portion of the dues is tax-deductible. The Met's Friends Groups run on a seasonal schedule, with the majority of programming occurring from September through June.
The Met's Friends Group are by invitation. Contact information for each group is listed on the following pages. Please note that group sizes are limited and there are certain restrictions regarding art professionals.
For general questions, please contact Friends Groups at 212-650-2075 or email Friends.Groups@metmuseum.org.
Friends of the American Wing
Founded in 1960, this historic group engages devotees of a broadly defined American art with its curator-led program of talks, tours, and opening receptions, complemented by visits to nearby private collections.
Friends of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing: Art of Five Continents
Friends of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas: Art of Five Continents provides an opportunity for special access and ongoing engagement with the leading institutional collection of African, ancient American, and Oceanic art in North America, and the unparalleled expertise of its curatorial specialists.
Friends of Ancient Near Eastern Art and The Ishtar Society
The Friends of Ancient Near Eastern Art is a group composed of individuals who are passionate about the art and culture of the ancient Near East.
Friends of Arms and Armor and the Negroli Society
This international group brings together individuals with a serious interest in, or simply curiosity about, the armorer's art and its manifestations across all places and times, to foster a wider appreciation and deeper understanding of this extraordinarily rich, diverse, and pervasive art form.
Friends of Asian Art
The Friends of Asian Art brings together individuals from around the world who have a serious interest in the arts of China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas to support the department and to foster a wider appreciation and understanding of Asian cultures.
Friends of The Costume Institute
Friends of The Costume Institute is an invited group of supporters who provide the critical support necessary to acquire objects for the department's world-renowned collection.
Friends of Drawings and Prints
This group is designed to bring those passionate about works on paper into closer contact with the department's extraordinary holdings and its superb curatorial staff.
Friends of Egyptian Art and the Dendur Society
This group's annual dues support the Museum and the activities of the Department of Egyptian Art.
Friends of European Paintings
The Friends Group of the Department of European Paintings offers people who are passionate about art a unique opportunity to engage closely with the department's outstanding collection and its curators.
Friends of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
The Friends of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts is a special group designed to bring collectors and devotees of the decorative arts into closer contact with the collection and curators of the department.
Friends of Greek and Roman Art: Philodoroi
The Philodoroi is designed to bring collectors, devotees, and others who are passionate about classical and ancient art into closer contact with the Museum's collection and curators of the Department of Greek and Roman Art.
Friends of Islamic Art
The Friends of Islamic Art brings together an international group of people who share a keen interest in the art and culture of the Islamic world, giving members opportunities to participate in a variety of exciting and exclusive programs.
Friends of MetLiveArts: Firebirds
The Firebirds is a group of visionary patrons who are the core advocates for MetLiveArts, the Museum's performance series.
The Modern Circle
The Modern Circle brings together patrons and collectors in support of the department.
Friends of Musical Instruments: The Amati
The Amati is a group of music lovers that meets four to five times a year for intimate recitals, talks, and private viewings of exhibitions related to historic instruments from the collection of the Department of Musical Instruments.
Friends of Objects Conservation
Friends of Objects Conservation brings together individuals who share an interest in the conservation of three-dimensional art in The Met collection.
Friends of Photographs: The Alfred Stieglitz Society
The Alfred Stieglitz Society brings photography collectors and devotees into closer contact with The Met's curators and renowned collection of nineteenth-century, modern, and contemporary photography.
Friends of Thomas J. Watson Library
The Friends of Thomas J. Watson Library brings together enthusiasts of books and learning, and supporters of research and scholarship.
William Cullen Bryant Fellows
The William Cullen Bryant Fellows brings together collectors, scholars, and aficionados of historical American and Latin American painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts.
Wrightsman Fellows
Named in honor of Jayne Wrightsman, the Wrightsman Fellows are a group of collectors and connoisseurs who participate in two exclusive events each season.
Friends of The Met
Friends of The Met brings together a diverse group of individuals looking for a closer connection to The Met, share a keen intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn more about the collection, the curators, and the conservators.