CMA enjoys an international reputation for its distinguished collections of European and American Modernism. The museum has the largest collection of work by George Bellows anywhere. European artists include Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Emil Nolde, Chiam Sutine, Paul Klee, and many others. The American collection includes Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove, John Marin, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Elie Nadelman, and Edward Hopper among others.

The museum also has an excellent core collection of photography, having recently acquired a superb and unique collection of 170 vintage prints by members of the New York Photo League.