The nonprofit museum and research center is dedicated to advancing scholarship and public appreciation of postwar and contemporary Italian art in the United States. Magazzino serves as an advocate for Italian artists as it celebrates the range of their creative practices from Arte Povera to the present. Through its curatorial, scholarly, and public initiatives, Magazzino Italian Art explores the impact and enduring resonances of Italian art on a global level.
Meaning “warehouse” in Italian, Magazzino was co-founded by Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu, who were inspired to share their lifelong love and passion for Italian art with their community. The institution as it stands today is the result of an evolving identity: beginning as a private initiative, Magazzino developed over the course of just a few years to eventually take on its current status as a public museum and foundation. The main building, a 20,000 square-foot structure designed by Spanish architect Miguel Quismondo, opened its doors in 2017. Magazzino increased its indoor space by 13,000 square feet in September 2023 by opening the freestanding Robert Olnick Pavilion designed by architects Alberto Campo Baeza and Miguel Quismondo and named in memory of Nancy Olnick’s father, creating a new cultural hub and community resource within the Hudson Valley. The museum is a space in which visitors can engage with, observe, and contemplate the relationship between postwar and contemporary Italian art.
In the spirit of its co-founders, the team at Magazzino Italian Art is dedicated to shaping a diverse and inclusive working environment and to upholding these same values within our scholarly, educational, and curatorial endeavors. We are committed to embracing community as a central tenet of our mission on both an international and a local level, directly reflected in the high level of importance we place on visitor engagement both on-site and online. Our institution is fueled by the following values:
Art should be shared. We promote an artistic approach that favors civic mindedness and that considers the viewer an active contributor to the liveliness of the work.
The arts and the public are mutually supportive. Our institution thrives on the strength of our local and international communities.
Relationships are what drive our institution. We rely on a robust network of artists, collaborators, staff, and supporters to put our programming into motion.
At Magazzino Italian Art, we seek to cultivate broader definitions of Italian art and a better understanding of its enduring impact from the international avant-garde to today. Fueling dialogue and collaboration across borders and cultural perspectives, we strive to renew these definitions to better align with the global contemporary Italian identity. Through our annual programming, we work to advocate for Italian artists and to serve as a cultural beacon at the crossroads of Italy and the U.S., providing a platform for the exploration of Italian art within a diverse and expansive context.