Detroit Museum Offers Lesson on How to Fund Art with Public Money

The Detroit Institute of Art commissioned Mexican artist Diego Rivera to paint this mural in 1932, which depicts the rise of the auto industry in Detroit. (Photo by Melani Bonilla)

Many arts organizations are struggling to survive post-pandemic, but not the Detroit Institute of Arts. Thanks to a unique tax-funding model, the museum has secured something few nonprofits can count on: revenue predictability.

The DIA’s business model is a striking contrast with other museums, which rely mostly on ticket sales and donations. “We believe it could serve as a framework for other institutions in today’s difficult economic climate,” wrote Salvador Salort-Pons, the DIA’s director, in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Located in Midtown Detroit, the DIA has one of the largest collections in the U.S. and has been ranked for two years as the best museum in the country by USA Today. The DIA boasts more than 100 galleries and one of its most famous works is a mural by Mexican artist Diego Rivera, commissioned by the museum in 1932. Composed of 27 frescos that fill an entire room, the Detroit Industry Murals tell the history of industrialization, including the city’s automotive roots. It took Rivera almost one year to paint the murals, which depict multi-racial workers at the forefront, as well as a child being vaccinated as a nativity scene, which stirred controversy at the time.