The mission of the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros is to enhance appreciation of the diversity, sophistication, and range of art from Latin America.

[6] Cisneros credits her understanding of the importance of stewardship as a collector to her great-grandfather, William H Phelps, who meticulously cataloged his ornithological collection.

[8] La Invención Concreta is a micro-site, publication, and series of exhibitions that reflect the growth of geometric abstraction movements in South America from 1930 to late 1970.

This collection reflects the development of Latin American landscape art, which started with Frans Post coming to Brazil from Amsterdam in 1637.

In 2010, the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Professorship in Latin American Art at Hunter College was established with a $1 million donation.

Additional highlights are works by Willys de Castro, Hélio Oiticica, Juan Mele, Mira Schendel, and Gego.

[19][20] The Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Research Institute for the Study of Art from Latin America is projected to open as a new wing at MoMA in 2019.

The gifts include works by Amalia Pica (Argentina), Jac Leirner (Brazil), Luis Camnitzer (Uruguay), and Regina José Galindo (Guatemala).