Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona has received a $5 million gift from philanthropist Sukumar Nagendran to expand its Asian art galleries and support acquisitions, research and public programmes focused on Sri Lankan art. The project will grow the Art of Asia galleries from around 6,000 to 10,000 square feet by renovating and repurposing existing space. A new 2,000-square-foot gallery devoted to Sri Lankan and South Asian art will bear Nagendran’s name.
A larger home for Asian art
The expansion increases the gallery footprint by about 4,000 square feet, bringing the total to 10,000. Rather than describing a new building, the plan centres on renovation and the reuse of space already at the museum, with the Nagendran Gallery forming a distinct 2,000-square-foot part of the project.
The museum’s collection contains more than 21,000 works, including over 4,000 historic and contemporary works by artists who live, work in or come from Asia. The expanded galleries will give the institution more room to present that material and to develop acquisitions, scholarly research and public programmes around Sri Lankan art.
A gift tied to Sri Lankan art
Nagendran is an Arizona-based philanthropist, physician and biotechnology executive, and president and head of research and development at Taysha Gene Therapies. He has also backed civic projects in Sri Lanka, including the construction of medical facilities and schools. The gallery named for him recognises his long-standing connection with Phoenix Art Museum.
Nagendran’s stated hopes for the gift include deepening cultural understanding, inspiring future generations and helping preserve and elevate Sri Lankan art. Those aims give the project a focus beyond additional display space: funding will also support research and public programmes that can provide context for works and connect them with audiences.
Building on earlier support
Nagendran was introduced to the museum a decade ago by Coleene and Barry Fernando, whose contributions have helped strengthen its South Asian holdings. They have donated more than 130 works and a group of related photographs, as well as providing significant loans. Their support has contributed to exhibitions including The Guardian of the Flame: Art of Sri Lanka in 2003 and Legacy of Ceylon: Art and Photography of Sri Lanka in 2021.
The Fernandos’ involvement also connects the planned gallery to a longer record of collecting and exhibition-making at the museum. Their contributions include photographs by Quintus Fernando, Barry Fernando’s father; examples of his work are slated to appear in the inaugural exhibition alongside other historical material from the museum’s collection.
Opening with a Sri Lankan artist
The museum plans to inaugurate the Nagendran Gallery in November with Pala Pothupitiye: Mapping a Sri Lankan Consciousness, curated by Tushara Bindu Gude. Pothupitiye’s work explores divisions and crossings between castes, spiritual and secular life, and ancestral craft and contemporary art. It also addresses the effects of successive Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial occupations in Sri Lanka, from the 16th century to the mid-20th century.
The exhibition will pair Pothupitiye’s sculpture, assemblage, painting, mixed media and modified colonial maps with historical Sri Lankan works. These include illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts, Buddhist sculptures and mid-20th-century photographs by Quintus Fernando documenting archaeological sites, dancers and other aspects of the island’s culture. The combination brings contemporary practice into conversation with material from the museum’s own collection.
Phoenix’s cultural context
Museum director Jeremy Mikolajczak described the gift as a milestone for Phoenix as the city’s Asian and Asian American communities grow and shape its cultural identity. He positioned the museum’s ambitions in relation to established art centres such as New York and Los Angeles, presenting Phoenix as an increasingly significant place for scholarship, exchange and cultural stewardship.
The $5 million gift therefore links a concrete expansion—from around 6,000 to 10,000 square feet—with plans for collecting, research, public programmes and a November opening exhibition. Its immediate focus is Sri Lankan and South Asian art, while the wider gallery project will add capacity to present the museum’s substantial Asian holdings.
Takeaway: Nagendran’s $5 million gift will fund expanded Asian art galleries at Phoenix Art Museum, including a 2,000-square-foot space for Sri Lankan and South Asian art.
What this piece draws on
- theartnewspaper.com — “Phoenix Art Museum receives $5m gift for new Sri Lankan and South Asian art galleries – The Art Newspaper – International art news and events”
- phxart.org — “PRESS KIT 2025-2026”
- parliament.nsw.gov.au — “ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES ANNUAL REPORT”
- tripadvisor.com — “THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Phoenix (2026) – Must-See Attractions”
- theartnewspaper.com — “The Art Newspaper – International art news and events”
