 While these goals are common to all museums, the Grey distinguishes itself by emphasizing art's historical, cultural, and social contexts, with experimentation and interpretation as integral parts of programmatic planning.Thus, in addition to being a place to view the objects of material culture, the Gallery serves as a museum-laboratory in which a broader view of an object's environment enriches our understanding of its contribution to civilization.In 1974, Abby Weed Grey established the Grey Art Gallery (originally known as the Grey Art Gallery and Study Center) at New York University, both as a permanent home for her art collection and to promote international artistic exchange in an academic setting.