(Newser)
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A surge in private arts funding boosted the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston last year with $185.8 million, making it the top US recipient of private arts donations. Runners-up were New York's MoMA, with $133.5 million; the Smithsonian, with $131.2 million; and Boston's MFA, with $130.4 million. Arts organization support from private sources spiked 17.5% overall in 2006 to hit $2.5 billion, Bloomberg reports.
Lincoln Center raked in most among performing arts organizations with $120.97 million in private pledges, a 156.8% increase. "The effort here is to find the sweet spot between the donor's interests and Lincoln Center's needs,'' said Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy. "If you can find that spot, then you've created a bond that can grow enormously.''
