Beyoncé Gives the Studio Museum in Harlem a $2 M. Gift on Her Birthday

Beyoncé Knowles turned 45 on September 4, and to mark the occasion, the global superstar entertainer made an unusual birthday gift, of $2 million, not to herself but to the Studio Museum in Harlem. 

“Art tells all our stories; the past and the present, but is not always accessible to everyone,” said Beyoncé in a press release. “I have always been impressed with the Studio Museum in Harlem because of its intention to make the museum an integral part of the community. I have been introduced to several of my favorite young and upcoming Black artists through exhibits at the Museum. It is a place of inspiration where all audiences can discover new stories through the canvases of diverse storytellers that reflect our humanity.”

The museum did not immediately respond to an email asking how the funds will be used; this story will be updated with any new information from the institution.

Beyoncé is married to rapper, music mogul, and ARTnews Top 200 collector Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter). The couple famously shot large parts of the video for their 2018 single “Apeshit” at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

“Each time Beyoncé releases new music, it might as well be considered an art-world event too,” wrote Alex Greenberger for ARTnews in 2020. “She’s been known to include works by vaunted artists in her videos, and with her husband Jay-Z, she’s built up an important collection of Black art.” He was writing on the occasion of the release of an 85-minute visual album titled Black Is King, which is “filled with artworks of note, and includes contributions from art-world figures behind the scenes.”

One of the most-awarded performers of all time, Beyoncé has won 35 Grammy Awards, more than any other artist. As a solo musician, she has sold over 200 million records worldwide, and she is one of the highest-grossing live acts in history. Her net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $1 billion. 

Founded in 1968 in a temporary space on the second floor of a Fifth Avenue loft building, the Studio Museum opened its new $160 million David Adjaye–designed home on 125th Street in November after a seven-year closure. Writing for ARTnews, Maximilíano Durón called it “stunning.” In 2023, the financier Joseph Perella and his wife Amy gave the museum a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, making it one of the few US museums to own one. Also among the masterpieces on view at the reopening were works by Barkley K. Hendricks, Kerry James Marshall, Howardena Pindell, Faith Ringgold, and Carrie Mae Weems.

“I am deeply grateful to Beyoncé, both for the generosity of this gift, especially on her birthday, and for recognizing the vital role that the Studio Museum plays in people’s lives,” said museum director and chief curator Thelma Golden. “Our institution was founded to shift the arts landscape and reimagine who that landscape serves. This gift will allow us to continue strengthening our work for Harlemites, New Yorkers, and audiences across the globe.”