MoMA PS1 was established in 1971 as the Institute for Art and Urban Resources Inc., a non-profit exhibiting organization dedicated to developing currents in modern art. Its original goal was to transform dilapidated urban spaces of New York City into vehicles for contemporary artistic expression. In 1976, the Institute presented the first exhibition in its permanent space, a former public school building in Long Island City, Queens. For two decades the Institute acted as a studio, performance space, and exhibition space, and in the 1990’s closed for three years to enable a complete building-wide renovation.

In 2000, the Institute officially became an affiliate of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), establishing a fruitful relationship that has enabled the realization of many contemporary works. As a non-collecting institution, PS1 provides a perfect foil to MoMA’s more traditional role as one of the world’s foremost modern art museums. In addition to presenting 50 exhibitions of new work annually, MoMA PS1 engages the public with an active educational program, including gallery talks and lectures, public discussions between figures in contemporary art, and interactive tours led by curators and the artists themselves. Regular collaboration between MoMA and PS1 has allowed a much broader audience access to and appreciation of the fascinating and often esoteric world of contemporary art.