MetLife Foundation Directs Corporate Art Funds To Under-served Creatives

In 1940, MetLife contacted renowned painter and  illustrator N.C. Wyeth with a proposal: Create a large-scale mural series to grace the  walls of its headquarters, then located at One Madison Avenue. The ambitious collection, entitled The New England Series, was Wyeth’s last commission before his  death in 1945, when his son, Andrew, and his son-in-law, John McCoy, took on the  balance of the project.

For decades, MetLife employees enjoyed a front-row view of art history. Today, the  global insurer is sustaining its long-standing commitment to the arts and cultural  community by investing in a young generation of historically marginalized artists.

Three of the murals – The Coming of the Mayflower (N.C. Wyeth), The Return of the  Mayflower (N.C. Wyeth), and Fishermen in a Dory (Andrew Wyeth and John McCoy) – recently fetched $1.875 million in a private sale, and MetLife Foundation will direct the  funds to three New York City-based organizations focused on nurturing the creative  expression of underrepresented artists:

• $625,000 to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in support of its Alphabet City Art  School, a multi-pronged visual arts program that includes art school classes and  workshops, arts enrichment including mentoring programs, and community  engagement.
• $625,000 to the Harlem School of the Arts in support of free workshops, tuition assistance, and programs focused on painting, drawing, digital art design, and animation.
• $625,000 to the Urban Arts Partnership in support of its School of Interactive  Arts, which teaches students how to create their own video games with original  art, music, and storytelling elements.

Collectively, these organizations reach students across New York City’s five boroughs  with arts programming that otherwise may not be available to them.

“MetLife Foundation’s goal is to break down barriers and expand opportunity so that  more people can pursue their dreams – and no one dreams bigger than young artists,”  said Mike Zarcone, executive vice president and head of Corporate Affairs for MetLife and chairman of MetLife Foundation.

“These organizations do so much more than put paintbrushes in the hands of students. They give them a powerful platform to amplify  their voices and use their creative gifts to positively impact the world.”

To learn more about how MetLife Foundation supports communities around the world  through grants, impact investments, and employee volunteerism, visit  www.metlife.com/sustainability/MetLife-sustainability/MetLife-Foundation/.

Contact: 
Rachel Pokay
331-452-4122
rpokay@metlife.com

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of  the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities,  employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers  build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40  markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America,  Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

About MetLife Foundation

At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to expanding opportunities for low- and  moderate-income people around the world. We partner with nonprofit organizations and  social enterprises to create financial health solutions and build stronger communities,  while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. Our financial health  work has reached more than 17.3 million low- and moderate-income individuals in 42 countries. Learn more at MetLife Foundation.