Minneapolis Institute of Art Receives 2026 TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund Grant with Bank of America to Conserve Landmark Renaissance Tapestry

New York, NY, April 28, 2026 – The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) together with TEFAF New York Lead Partner Bank of America, is pleased to announce the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) as a recipient of the 2026 TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF). Joint support from the TMRF and the Bank of America Art Conservation Project™ will enable the conservation of The Meeting of Dante and Virgil, a monumental 16th-century Italian tapestry of exceptional rarity and importance, and the only early Medicean tapestry in a public collection outside Italy.

Established in 2012, the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund supports the conservation and related scholarly research of significant works held in public collections. This year marks the first time the fund has supported the treatment of a tapestry.

Home to a world-renowned collection spanning 5,000 years of history, Mia holds one of the most distinguished tapestry collections in the United States, with 41 works. The Meeting of Dante and Virgil is among the most significant Renaissance works in Mia’s collection and is considered the most important Italian Renaissance tapestry in the United States. The tapestry measures 5.3 meters, which is equivalent to 17.4 feet.

The Florentine workshop that produced the tapestry was founded in 1545 by Duke Cosimo I de’Medici, who sought to rival the celebrated weaving centers of Brussels. He recruited Jan Rost, a master weaver from Brussels, to establish and oversee production. The tapestry’s design and cartoons were created by the painter Francesco Salviati (1510–1563) between 1546 and 1548, and the work was woven between 1547 and 1549 during the formative years of Medici tapestry production.

Due to structural weaknesses, losses, and fragile silk areas, the tapestry has not been on view recently. Conservation will be undertaken by the Midwest Art Conservation Center and will include wet cleaning, stabilization, selective reweaving, and the installation of a new support system to allow safe display. Following treatment, the tapestry is expected to return to public view in summer 2026. As part of its upcoming exhibition project, the museum has designed and built a modular frame that will allow the tapestry to be safely loaned to other institutions in the future.

“The combined support of TMRF and Bank of America makes this ambitious project possible,” said Max Bryant, James Ford Bell Associate Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture at Mia. “Returning a work of this scale and significance to public view is an important moment for the museum and for all audiences interested in Renaissance art.”

The tapestry project builds on the TMRF’s partnership with the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. In 2025, the collaboration supported the restoration of the Black Book of Hours at The Hispanic Society Museum & Library in New York. Mia has also previously partnered with Bank of America on four other conservation efforts, the most recent being the Pillsbury Owl, a rare 3,000-year-old bronze ritual vessel from China’s Shang dynasty that recently returned to public view at the museum.

“For more than 15 years, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project has helped preserve culturally significant works around the world and right here in Minneapolis,” said Lucas Giambelluca, president, Bank of America Twin Cities. “We are delighted to revisit our partnerships with both TEFAF and Mia to help restore and learn from this extraordinary tapestry.”

Rachel Kaminsky, Head of TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund Committee, added: “The mission of the TMRF is to safeguard significant works of art and ensure they are preserved for future generations. We are proud to partner with Mia and Bank of America in returning The Meeting of Dante and Virgil to public view, where its historical importance and artistic brilliance can once again be appreciated by all.”

Mia’s upcoming exhibition, “Back from the Underworld: Mia’s Dante Tapestry Restored,” will be on view from July 11, 2026, through January 31, 2027. More information on the Exhibition here.

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As part of its public program, TEFAF will host a TEFAF Talk on the Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF) in partnership with ICOM-CC. Behind the Threads: Restoring a Renaissance Tapestry will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 5:00–6:00pm EDT at TEFAF New York, bringing together experts in conservation, science, and curatorial practice to discuss the restoration of The Meeting of Dante and Virgil. Moderated by Carolyn Riccardelli, the panel will explore the complexities of conserving large-scale textiles and the role of collaborative conservation in returning fragile works to public view. More information and free registration for ticket holders here.

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ABOUT THE TEFAF MUSEUM RESTORATION FUND
Since 2012, TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF) has supported the international museum community by funding more than 25 significant restoration projects. These grants play a vital role in the preservation and conservation of public artworks of outstanding cultural importance.

In 2025, TMRF expanded its support through a second collaboration with the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. Funding has been awarded to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden for the restoration of Peter Paul Rubens’s The Boar Hunt (ca. 1616–18), presented at TEFAF Maastricht, and to the Mia for the conservation of the monumental Renaissance tapestry The Meeting of Dante and Virgil (design and cartoon ca. 1546–48; woven ca. 1547–49), presented at TEFAF New York.

ABOUT THE BANK OF AMERICA
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services.

The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART
Home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) inspires wonder, spurs creativity, and nourishes the imagination. With extraordinary exhibitions and one of the finest art collections in the country—from all corners of the globe, from ancient to contemporary—Mia links the past to the present, enables global conversations, and offers an exceptional setting for inspiration. Learn more about Mia in our latest Impact Report.

General admission to Mia is always free, but some special exhibitions charge a nominal fee. For more information, call 1-612-870-3000 or visit artsmia.org. Everyone is welcome. Always.

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ABOUT AXA XL Global Lead Partner
AXA XL Insurance is the P&C (Property & Casualty) and specialty risk division of AXA, known for solving even the most complex risks. AXA XL offers traditional and innovative insurance solutions and services in over 200 countries and territories.

As part of its specialty risk offering, AXA XL protects a range of objects, including fine art, antiquities, antiques, jewelry, watches, classic cars, raw and polished gemstones, and bullion, from thousands of years to weeks old.

Over the past 50 years and well into the future, AXA XL, a leading global insurer of fine art and specie, has and will continue to redefine how it serves and services its collector, museum, corporate, gallery, conservator, and artist clients across Europe, the UK, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific region, with a sincere consideration for the way valuable objects are insured and cultural patrimony is protected.

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TEFAF New York
Opening Hours
Friday, May 15 – Monday, May 18 | 11 AM – 7 PM
Tuesday, May 19 | 11 AM – 6 PM

Ticket Info: The Ticket Shop for TEFAF New York is now open. Click here to get your tickets. Access to the May 14 Collectors Preview can be arranged through supporting our Benefit Partner here.

Online
$62.50 One day single entry
$82.50 Multiple entry
$25 Students
At the door
$65.00 One day single entry
$85.00 Multiple entry
$27.50 Students

For further information, please visit our website.

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ABOUT TEFAF
TEFAF is a not-for-profit foundation that champions expertise, excellence, and diversity in the global art community. This is evidenced by the exhibitors selected for its two fairs, which occur annually in Maastricht and New York. TEFAF is an expert guide for private and institutional collectors, inspiring art lovers and buyers everywhere.

ABOUT TEFAF NEW YORK
TEFAF New York was founded in early 2016, initially as two annual art fairs in New York at the Park Avenue Armory. Today, TEFAF New York is one singular annual fair that encapsulates modern and contemporary art, jewelry, antiquities, and design, featuring around 90 leading exhibitors from around the globe. Tom Postma Design, celebrated for its work with leading museums, galleries, and art fairs, is responsible for the fair’s innovative design, which has reimagined the spectacular spaces at the historic Park Avenue Armory, giving them a lighter, contemporary look and feel.

ABOUT TEFAF MAASTRICHT
TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world’s premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, covering 7,000 years of art history, from ancient to contemporary. Featuring over 270 prestigious dealers from some 22 countries, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase for the finest artworks currently on the market. Alongside the traditional areas of Old Master paintings, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, you can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewelry, 20th-century design, and works on paper.

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