NEW YORK — The art world is mourning the loss of Agnes Gund, one of the most influential and generous patrons in American cultural history, who has died at the age of 87. The New York Times reported her death on Friday, though no cause was given.

Widely regarded as a transformative force in modern and contemporary art, Gund’s vision and philanthropy reshaped institutions and inspired generations of collectors. Her legacy is most profoundly tied to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where she first became involved in 1967 as a member of the international council.

Over the decades, Gund’s steadfast support helped propel MoMA to international prominence. She played a key role in financing the museum’s ambitious 2004 expansion, a $858 million project designed by Yoshio Taniguchi that added a new building and elevated MoMA into one of the world’s premier cultural institutions.

Her influence extended beyond Midtown Manhattan. Gund was also instrumental in bringing the experimental Queens institution now known as MoMA PS1 under MoMA’s umbrella in 1999, helping it grow into a cornerstone of contemporary art in New York City.

A passionate advocate for artists, Gund’s collecting habits were guided not by trends but by a profound belief in supporting living creators. Her philanthropy went far beyond MoMA, with gifts and initiatives that rippled across the national arts landscape, fueling education, access, and equity within the cultural sector.

Colleagues, artists, and fellow patrons have described Gund as a tireless champion of creativity, whose generosity and dedication reshaped the very ecosystem of American art.

Her passing marks the end of an era, but her impact endures in the walls of MoMA, in the artists she uplifted, and in the countless lives touched by her belief in the transformative power of art.