Whom You Know: Reliance Foundation Provides Landmark Gift to The Met Funds Will Support Indian Art Programming

Friday, October 13, 2017

Reliance Foundation Provides Landmark Gift to The Met Funds Will Support Indian Art Programming

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that the Reliance Foundation, the Indian philanthropic organization founded by Nita and Mukesh Ambani, has promised a generous gift to support exhibitions that explore and celebrate the arts of India.

"This is an outstanding commitment that will have a direct impact on The Met and the exhibitions it presents to its millions of annual visitors," said Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO of the Museum. "As a global institution, we are devoted to studying and displaying art from every corner of the world, and this is made possible only through the generosity of our friends. Nita and Mukesh Ambani are truly visionary benefactors, and we are enormously grateful for this meaningful gift."

The gift will support a range of exhibitions examining the accomplishments and influence of the arts and artists of India across time and in all media. The first exhibition to benefit from this gift is this fall's Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs, opening at The Met Breuer on October 11, 2017. A retrospective of the pioneering artist, it will present his work from the late 1960s through his last unpublished projects of the late 1990s. Other exhibitions that will benefit from this sponsorship will cover such topics as early Buddhist art from the first century B.C. to the fourth century A.D., 17th-century Mughal art, and contemporary Indian sculpture. More details about these exhibitions will be provided as their opening dates are confirmed.

Nita and Mukesh Ambani are great champions of The Met. In 2016, Mr. and Mrs. Ambani and the Reliance Foundation supported the exhibition Nasreen Mohamedi, the first museum retrospective of the artist's work in the United States that was also one of The Met Breuer's inaugural exhibitions when it opened that spring. With this new gift, Mr. and Mrs. Ambani and the Reliance Foundation will in time have sponsored three important Indian exhibitions at The Met Breuer—along with two at The Met Fifth Avenue—allowing their Indian culture and heritage to be shared with the millions who visit The Met from all over the world. Their generosity will be recognized in The Met Breuer, among other leadership donors to The Met's important initiative to showcase a global representation of modern and contemporary artistic practice. In 2017 the Museum honored Mrs. Ambani at The Met Winter Party, an event celebrating the achievements of those who foster greater diversity and inclusion in the world of art. Generous with her time and expertise, Mrs. Ambani is also a member of The Met's new International Council.

"India has a rich heritage of art and culture that can be traced back to the fourth century B.C. At Reliance Foundation, it has been our ongoing mission to recognize and promote this valuable tradition by offering opportunities and platforms for Indian art locally in India and at various institutions around the globe. This partnership with The Met enables Indian art to be shown at an iconic institution and further encourages us to continue our work in the art world. We are truly delighted to be part of this long-term collaboration. We believe this will prove to be a wonderful partnership for learning and sharing that will go a long way for art in India," said Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation.

About Reliance Foundation

Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, aims to play a catalytic role in addressing the nation's development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. Led by Founder and Chairperson Smt. Nita Ambani, Reliance Foundation is relentlessly working toward facilitating transformative changes to ensure overall well-being and higher quality of life for all. Among India's largest social initiatives, the Foundation is focused on addressing the nation's development challenges in areas of Rural Transformation, Education, Health, Sports for Development, Disaster Response, Urban Renewal, and Arts, Culture and Heritage. The Foundation has touched the lives of more than 12 million people across India, in more than 12,500 villages and several urban locations.

About The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.

Indian Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art from the Indian sub-continent has been collected by The Met from 1891. Thanks to the generosity of numerous private donors, the Museum now boasts one of the most comprehensive collections of South Asian art in the West. The holdings include sculpture, painting, textiles, photographs, and various other media from 2500 B.C. to modern times, documenting the rich cultural heritage of the sub-continent. In addition to displays that feature the collection, the Museum also hosts an active program of special exhibitions.

Recent Testimonials by Brand Ambassadors on their Experience with Whom You Know

"I work with Peachy Deegan because she's prolific at what she does. She's a hard worker, she's thoughtful and she's tasteful at what she writes which is very important. Peachy gets the facts correct, and just that alone is worth its weight in gold."

-Edward Tricomi, Master Stylist and Owner of Warren-Tricomi
https://warrentricomi.com/

"No one has yet to express their taste for our cuisine better than Peachy Deegan on Whom You Know. Thank you for transforming our flavor into words, unlike any other before.
Sometimes WHOM YOU KNOW, really makes a difference and Ammos Estiatorio is grateful to know Peachy Deegan!"
-
Dimitris Nakos, Founder and Owner of
Ammos Estiatorio
https://ammosnewyork.com/

“Whom You Know has done an amazing job of featuring our company over many years [seven]. Peachy has worked tirelessly to create a well-curated selection of topics and brands that are clearly of relevance to her growing audience of readers. Her articles are filled with great insights based on first-hand experience. She does her research, knows her business and is a pleasure to work with!”

-David Sasuga, Owner of Fresh Origins Microgreens
www.FreshOrigins.com

"Peachy Deegan has the pulse of the nation and highlights exceptional opinion leaders in more than 23,000 inspiring and entertaining posts. Her 100,000 twitter followers are a true testimony to Peachy’s ability to inspire, motivate and entertain. She is a feminine force to be reckoned with and an exemplary example of an influential voice in today’s world."

-Mica Mosbacher, author of the new book The Hurricane Factor: Stormside Patriots and tv political commentator

"It was an honour to be chosen for Movers and Shakers by Peachy Deegan. The questions in the interview were intelligent and insightful and I thoroughly enjoyed answering them. The reaction to the interview has been overwhelmingly positive and has helped bring my art practice to a wider audience."
-Damien Flood, Internationally Acclaimed Artist
http://www.damienflood.ie/

"We were so fortunate to hit Peachy’s radar. Her review of our Warmies was spot-on and came at a great time in our company’s early history.
Peachy has such a strong relationship with her readers. She provides honest and real comments; she is truly a trusted source in a very large circle
of consumers."
-Scott Wehrs
President
Intelex U.S.A.
http://www.intelexusallc.com/

"We at Primola love working with Whom You Know and are proud to have been a highly-ranked Manhattan restaurant by Peachy Deegan since 2012, and are featured seasonally. We appreciate the fantastic work Peachy does highlighting our cuisine with her sublime writing style and the whole neighborhood of the Upper East side. Also, we are glad that she has started a Made in Italy column! If you have the opportunity to be considered for review, we'd highly recommend working with her."
-Giuliano Zuliani, Owner of Primola Restaurant
https://www.facebook.com/Primola-Canaletto-restaurants-NYC-135616799831091

"
Peachy Deegan is a gem. She is wonderful to feature our Irish brands in 'Whom You Know'! The articles are beautifully and passionately presented, bringing products and brands to life, making both relevant and fun for her many faithful followers to read. I am immensely proud for our hand-crafted products to be included in this venue!"

-
Bill Follett
President, Belleek Group North America
www.Belleek.com

"As you know from my past features, Peachy Deegan and I were in the same class at Boston College prior to either of us becoming entrepreneurs. When we played together on the BC Alumni softball team in Central Park years ago, she mentioned she could not find a great dentist in Manhattan and could often be found networking on her phone in the outfield hiding from the ball. She was my second patient ever in 2006 when I opened my dental practice; I was one of the first sponsors on Whom You Know and the first Mover and Shaker featured in 2009 and have worked with her continuously since. She's even talked her friends that are doctors into being my patients, and they subsequently send their hospital colleagues. I don't know anyone that is as great of a networker and writer as Peachy, nevermind that she is upstanding and always good for her word. Cosmopolitan Dental is so happy to be in the company of the caliber of major brands she works with today, and although she will tell you a million ways to get your teeth dirty between Peachy's Picks, Terrific Takeout and Peachy's Pantry, Peachy Deegan will tell you there is only one way to get your teeth clean!"
-Dr. Garo Nazarian, Founder and Owner of Cosmopolitan Dental
http://cosmopolitandental.com/