The origin of the museum
The Modern and Contemporary Art Museum of Nice was inaugurated on the 21st of June, 1990.
Several projects for the creation of this kind of museum in Nice were initiated in the second part of the 20th century. The first one was proposing the restructuration of the Ponchettes' Gallery ; the project was sustained by Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard, developed by Doctor Thomas than by Jean Cassarini. It is the first prefiguration of the Modern Art Museum of Nice.
A second idea was the construction of a modern wing in the Massena's Museum Garden. The project was abandoned and a parking place was realized instead. The idea was renewed in the middle of the 70's when Claude Fournet had been promoted as director of the Department of the Museums of Nice.

The opening of the Contemporary Art Gallery as well as the Ponchettes' Gallery is inviting the public of Nice to see an important shopwindow of art.

In 1985 the exhibition Around Nice at Acropolis was presenting a first collection of the New Realists works, of Nice's School, of Support-Surfaces ; on this occasion was becoming obvious the necessity to create a museum of modern and contemporary art in Nice.

The same year, an agreement is signed with the state planning an exceptional five-year program of acquisitions of art works. The financial help of the state given at the beginning of these dynamical acquisitions will determine the future institution to be called "the museum controlled by the state".

In 1987 was signed an agreement between the town of Nice and the state for financing an architectural project ;
this kind of project usually takes at least ten years but in this case only five years were necessary between the decision and the inauguration of the museum.
Diaporama of construction