A quarter of a century has gone by since we founded Pärnu’s Museum of New Art in the former headquarters of the Communist Party, following Estonia’s freshly regained independence.
Thanks to our own enthusiasm and the support we received from the town of Parnu and the Estonian Republic we managed to start reconstruction of the museum building.

In ten years we gained international recognition thanks to active involvement of European as well as overseas artists, architects, film makers, scientists. The huge network and the unique art collection were born with the help of Edward Lucie-Smith, the world famous art historian.

Today our collection contains thousands of art objects – paintings, sculptures, graphic art, installations – and films.
Unfortunately, the town oovernment of Parnu did not realize the value of what they had, and decided to sell the building in 2006. The town made 2.35 million euros from the deal and the museum was threatened with eviction.
Luckily for us hundreds of thousands of art fans and museum directors gave a hand. There was strong international pressure on the Minister of Culture and the town of Parnu. The sale contract had a special clause added to it: the ground floor of the building would remain with the town of Parnu and the Museum of New Art would continue to exist there.

Unfortunately the next ten years did not fulfill our hopes. Although the town helped to cover some of the management expenses, the new owner neglected the building and eventually offered to sell it back to the town. The town resisted. Today, the rights of the town over the building at Esplanaadi 10 been allowed to lapse, and the museum is an outlaw here.

The new owner of the house wishes to demolish the building completely and build an apartment house within an area that has legal heritage protection. At the same time, this new owner is very keen on culture and appreciates the values created by our small personnel and big circle of friends. So he has offered to let us buy the building back for half the price of the former selling price.

Unfortunately the present Town Government of Parnu does not see any need to buy the building back for 1.2 million euros. The sale price in 2006 was 2.35 million. This despite the fact that we have the fundamental building project, experience and a viable business plan to renovate the former office building, to create not only exhibition galleries, but also store rooms and studios for artists and architects. The Art School of Pärnu might also find a good opportunity to expand.

Only two years ago the Mayor of Pärnu, Toomas Kivimägi , who was the head of Parnu County at the beginning of this current century, laid the corner stone for the first phase of rebuilding at Esplanaadi 10. He announced that the town had available the extra 1.5 million euros needed to buy a home for the Museum of New Art, should the courts order the town to do so.

We, the staff of the Museum of New Art, and also our concerned friends and well-wishers, do not believe that, here in the European Union, culture should be forced to fight for its rights in court.
We hope that there are people in Estonia, and also in the big world outside our nation who consider culture to be as important as pure water and clean air.

That is why we ask you all to send supportive letters to the Town Government of Parnu and to the Ministry of Culture of the Estonian Republic. You helped us survive ten years back. Help us to make history again.
We have opened a bank account for this campaign on behalf of cultural survival. Even the smallest donation would help us to make a step towards the 1.2 million euros we need for the Museum of New Art to live on.

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,’ as the good Book tell us.

The bank account number for donations
Beneficiary: SA Uue Kunsti Muuseum
IBAN: EE271010220253241224

Bank details for transfer:
SWIFT code (BIC): EEUHEE2X
Bank name: AS SEB Bank
Bank address: Tornimäe St 2, 15010 Tallinn, Estonia

For more information on our collection, exhibitions and new projects, You are welcome to visit
our website www.mona.ee or
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Museum.of.New.Art


Thankfully Yours,
Mark Soosaar
together with the staff of the Museum of New Art and
the artists and
friends summoned to the XXIII International nude art exhibition MAN AND WOMAN: ALIENS
in May, 29, 2016, in Pärnu, Estonia