The Walton Family Foundation has awarded a $10 million grant to the National Gallery of Art, a gift that will be used to establish the John Wilmerding Fund for Education in American Art.
The National Gallery of Art recently announced the foundation's donation in honor of Wilmerding, an art historian and retired curator, deputy director and trustee at the museum.
The fund will support American art programs that celebrate Wilmerding's "immeasurable contributions to the field," according to a news release. Wilmerding began his work at the Washington, D.C., museum as its first curator of American art in 1977 and served on the board of trustees from 2005-13, including the final seven years as chairman.
"Through John's efforts at the National Gallery of Art, there has been a renewed interest in American artists and their work," said Alice Walton, who founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and is a Walton Family Foundation board member, in a news release. "The contributions he has made have reached countless visitors at the Gallery, and it is my hope that through this fund, a new generation will be inspired to appreciate -- and create -- American art."
Wilmerding, a Boston native, also has been an influential figure at Crystal Bridges, which opened in 2011 and has since hosted more than 2 million visitors. He helped Walton assemble the museum's collection and currently serves on the Crystal Bridges board of directors, where he is a member of the art committee.
Crystal Bridges Executive Director Rod Bigelow said the museum "applauds" the Walton Family Foundation's gift because it aligns with its own mission of promoting the advancement of education in American art.
"John has played an essential role in the development of the Crystal Bridges collection, helping to guide the museum before we were even open to the public," Bigelow said in a statement. "We are grateful for his broad perspective and longtime advocacy of the arts."
The Walton Family Foundation's grant establishing the Wilmerding Fund will aid the National Gallery of Art in a number of ways.
The fund will support the creation of an annual John Wilmerding Symposium, which will feature American art scholars, and two academic-year internships. It also will support a digital interpretation program and fund initiatives aimed at engaging children and adults in the arts.
The Walton Family Foundation has been a donor to the National Art Gallery since 2005. Its donations, according to the National Gallery, have helped "enhance the collection, further educational programming, and promote arts scholarship."
"The Wilmerding Fund will significantly strengthen the Gallery's efforts to engage our visitors and expand our reach to new audiences in educating them about this country's rich artistic heritage," Earl A. Powell III, director of the National Art Gallery, said in a statement. "The Gallery extends its deep gratitude to Alice Walton and the Walton Family Foundation for this remarkable tribute to John Wilmerding and his distinguished service to the nation."
Metro on 05/14/2016