One of the essential missions of a museum is the enrichment of its collections. It is reflected in an acquisitions policy aimed at complementing and strengthening some holdings. For the MusBA, this acquisitions policy has focused for several years primarily on art from Bordeaux produced between the 18th and the 20th centuries, and on 19th-century French art, a key point of the museum's collections.
The museum's collection grows each year with works of art (paintings, sculptures, graphic arts) acquired either through purchase (at public auction, from galleries, or from private individuals) or through donations (including those from the Société des Amis du musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, founded after the war, and bequests).
Following, the regulations surrounding museums designated as "Musées de France": each acquisition proposal must be submitted to a scientific committee comprised of experts from national and regional museums.
