With a mission to promote, realize, and preserve the visions of artists, the Dia Art Foundation has been collecting and exhibiting the work of artists, especially those active in the 1960s and 1970s, in an exhaustive manner, Founded in New York in 1974 by Philippe de Menil, Heiner Friedrich, and Helen Winkler, Dia supports the realization of visionary projects by artists whose scale and scope would otherwise preclude their realization. To suggest the institution's role in realizing such ambitions, they have chosen the name "Dia," taken from the Greek word meaning "through." It currently consists of eight permanent facilities in the U.S. and Germany, and operates three spaces in New York City: Dia Chelsea, Dia Beacon in the Hudson Valley, and Dia Bridgehampton on Long Island.
Dia Beacon, located on the banks of the Hudson River, is particularly impressive, with its expansive grounds built on a building that was once a printing plant for Nabisco boxes. It showcases Dia's art collection from the 1960s to the present, including works by Andy Warhol, Walter de Maria, Dan Frevin, and Richard Serra, and also hosts special exhibitions and public programs.
