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CINCINNATI —July 8, 2025—A planned $5 million gift from Cincinnati-based collector and art scholar Mary W. Baskett will have an enduring impact on the Cincinnati Art Museum’s (CAM’s) fashion arts and textiles collection. The gift will endow the curator of fashion arts and textiles position, marking the museum’s first endowed curatorial role, and will lead to the opening of CAM’s first dedicated fashion gallery, expanding the stewardship and exhibition of the collection.

“Mary’s friendship with the Cincinnati Art Museum will benefit generations of museum visitors and researchers into the future. It is particularly notable that Mary’s generosity is joined with deep curatorial knowledge and pursuit of innovative scholarship. We are thrilled to carry this legacy forward,” said Louis and Louise Dieterle Nippert Director Cameron Kitchin.

Mrs. Baskett’s collection of fashion from Japan–which features pieces by designers Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, among others–and her compilation of art history research will accompany the gift. The fashion gallery will exhibit these pieces and other works from CAM’s fashion arts and textiles collection on rotation.

“It has long been my dream to endow a fashion gallery at the Cincinnati Art Museum,” Mrs. Baskett shares. “Showcasing and studying the extraordinary Japanese designers that I have collected since the 1960’s can now be a possibility and a priority.”

Cynthia Amnéus, CAM’s curator of fashion arts and textiles, adds: “This is a transformative gift—it means fashion will be on display all the time, which many visitors ask for. To hold the first endowed curatorial position is a great honor.”

Mrs. Baskett was the curator of prints at CAM from 1965 until 1971. She is a specialist in both Western and Japanese prints and is a published author on the graphic arts. While at the museum, she was instrumental in building one of the world’s finest collections of 20th century Japanese prints. Her commitment to Japanese fashion was recognized with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Tokyo Commendation Award in 2010 for her "contributions to cultural exchange in the field of art." Mrs. Baskett was the owner of Mary W. Baskett Gallery in Mount Adams and was previously an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati.

“Mary’s extraordinary gift is a landmark moment for the Cincinnati Art Museum—one that elevates fashion as a vital part of our artistic and cultural landscape,” shares Brad Hawse, director of philanthropy at the museum. “By making this bold investment, she not only secures a permanent home for fashion at your museum but also sets a powerful example for others who believe in the transformative impact of philanthropy.”

An announcement about the opening of the gallery will come at a later date. CAM has approximately 15,000 works in its fashion arts and textiles collection, including dress, accessories and fiber arts from around the world.

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum features a diverse, encyclopedic art collection of more than 73,000 works spanning 6,000 years. In addition to displaying its own broad collection, the museum conducts extensive research and creates and organizes several exhibitions each year. It also hosts national and international traveling exhibitions. Through these critical projects and art-related programs, activities, and special events, the museum contributes to a more vibrant Cincinnati by inspiring its people and connecting its communities.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as its members. Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Generous support for the museum’s extended Thursday hours is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program. Exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free. Accessibility accommodations are available. More information is available at cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

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