Support

A completely red room is filled with people. There is a large metal pip suspended at an angle in the middle of the room.

The List Visual Arts Center is committed to championing groundbreaking artists and fostering experimentation to inspire people at MIT and around the world.

As part of MIT, our facilities and administrative costs are partially covered—but each year we are responsible for raising support to realize our artistic program. Annual contributions directly fund groundbreaking exhibitions, new commissions, publications, conservation, and public programs—ensuring artists have the platform and resources to take creative risks and share their work with the world.

As a Member, you'll be the first to learn about our exhibitions, collections, and behind-the-scenes experiences while connecting with artists, curators, collectors, and fellow arts enthusiasts. Your support ensures that both the List Center and the broader cultural landscape in New England continues to thrive.

All members receive:

  • Digital Membership Card
  • Invitation to exhibition opening receptions
  • 15% discount on exhibition catalogues and/or List Center merchandise
  • 30% off select exhibition-related titles, curated by the List Center, in the MIT Press Bookstore
  • Free admission at participating College and University Art Museum Reciprocal Program institutions

Join today to champion bold artistic voices and be part of a community that values creativity, rigor, and innovation.

For more information, contact: 

supportlist [at] mit.edu (supportlist[at]mit[dot]edu)

Members

Student Membership - FREE

Applies to students with valid ID:

Submit Student ID

Give What You Can - $1–249

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Contemporaries - $250

All benefits of Give What You Can level plus:

  • Starting January 1, 2026: Free admission at participating Mod/Co institutions
  • Special offerings at neighborhood businesses
  • List Center Tote Bag
  • 10% off full-priced books purchased in the MIT Press Bookstore

Join Now

Friends - $500

All benefits of Contemporaries level plus:

  • Invitation to join the List Center on an annual regional trip
  • Invitations to Behind-the-Scenes tours with the curator
  • Annual studio visits to meet artists in the Boston area
  • Opportunity to invite friends on a tour of public art on campus

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Director's Circle

Leaders - $1,500

All benefits of Friends level plus:

  • Invitation to the List Center’s annual travel opportunities within the United States
  • Public recognition on the List Center website

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Presenters - $5,000

All benefits of Leaders level plus:

  • Invitation to post-opening reception dinners for major exhibitions, with the featured artists
  • Complimentary copies of all exhibition catalogues
  • Invitation to join the List Center for international travel opportunities
  • Public recognition on the List Center Donor Wall in the gallery

Join Now

Visionaries - $10,000

All benefits of Presenters level plus:

  • Opportunity to schedule VIP Behind-the-Scenes tours of List Center exhibitions and collections for friends and family

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Exhibition Sponsor - $25,000

All benefits of Visionaries level plus:

  • Listing as an Exhibition Sponsor for exhibitions including recognition on the gallery wall and collateral materials

Join Now

Membership Highlights

Neighborhood Partners 

We are proud to partner with local Cambridge businesses and invite our visitors to discover the many exciting offerings in our neighborhood. Contemporaries-level members ($250+) enjoy special benefits at select locations—see the full listing here.

Cambridge map in black and white with colorful diamond shapes in red, blue, yellow and green highlighting neighborhood partnerships. A white box is visible on the top right corner. Text reads "KEY Food Bookstores Coworking Space List Center"

Behind the Scenes

Friend and above level members are invited to Behind-the-Scenes visits for each exhibition. Curators provide insights into the art on view, followed by a reception. Members are always able to bring guests to these events.

Group of people standing in a circle in the List Center atrium. The person on the far left is speaking and everyone else is looking at them while listening. The people are holding wine glasses.

Opening Reception: Pedro Gómez-Egaña: The Great Learning, MIT List Visual Arts Center, 2025. Photo: Meg Elkinton

Travel with the List

Traveling with the List Center is a key benefit of membership in the Director’s Circle, with annual domestic trips offered to Leader level members and above, and international trips available at the Presenter level and above. In the past, the List Center has traveled to North Adams, Marfa, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, as well as Berlin, Greece, Iceland, and Venice.

A group of people standing around a large tree root sculpture in a green forest.

Studio Visits 

The List Center organizes visits with Boston-based artists during the year as a way to introduce our members to the vibrant arts community in and around greater Boston. Typically, we host two outings each year in the spring and fall.

Woman bending over a table covered with art supplies pointing at a personal work of art. Two woman are standing to the left listening to the central figure speak.

Exhibition Openings

Openings at the List Center are free and open to all, but members are invited to arrive early for a tour led by the artists and curators. Donors at the Presenter level and above are invited for the post-opening dinners.

A group of visitors attend a gallery talk with Christine Sun Kim.

Installation view, Christine Sun Kim: Off the Charts, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA, 2020. Photo by Peter Harris Studio

Gift Membership  

Foster new connections and shared values by welcoming others into our community. Gift memberships can be offered at all levels. Please contact supportlist [at] mit.edu (supportlist[at]mit[dot]edu) to learn more.

Two young women looking at a poster board depicting research for pigeon politics in a gallery space at the MIT List Visual Arts Center.

Connect at the List, 2024. Photo: Gwyneth Koeckhoven