Agnes Gund
Encyclopedia
Agnes Gund is an American philanthropist, art patron and collector, and advocate for arts education. She is founding trustee of the Agnes Gund Foundation and President Emerita of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA
) and Chairman of its International Council. She is also Chairman of MoMA PS1 Contemporary Art Center. In 2011, Gund was nominated by President Barack Obama as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council on the Arts.
, Gund is a member of one of Cleveland's more prominent families. Her father, George Gund II
, was president and chairman of Cleveland Trust when it was Ohio's largest bank. Born in 1938, she is the second oldest of six children. Two of her brothers, Gordon Gund
and George Gund, partners in Gund Investment Corporation, were the former owners of the San Jose Sharks
(National Hockey League
) and Cleveland Cavaliers
(National Basketball Association
). Her brother, Graham, is a renowned architect; her brother, Geoff, is a career teacher of economics and American history; and her sister, Louise, is a psychologist, environmentalist, woman’s activist, and philanthropist. Agnes Gund resides in New York City.
Gund joined the MoMA Board in 1976 and served as its President from 1991 until 2002. She is Chairman of the Mayor’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission of New York City and serves on the boards of Chess in the Schools, the Cleveland Museum of Art
, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts
, the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies, The Frick Collection, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and Socrates Sculpture Park
, among others. She is an Honorary Trustee of the Independent Curators International and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland. She served on the board of the J. Paul Getty Trust from 1994 to 2006.
A civic leader and staunch supporter of education, women’s issues and environmental concerns, among other causes, Gund has served on the boards of such wide-ranging organizations as the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
and the Fund for Public Schools. She has received honorary doctorate degrees, including honors from CUNY Graduate Center
(2007), University of Illinois (2002), Brown University
(1996), Kenyon College
(1996), Case Western Reserve University
(1995), and Hamilton College (1994). She is a regular contributor on the arts to the Huffington Post.
In 1997, Gund received the National Medal of Arts
from President President Bill Clinton
, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the U.S. government
. In 2011, Gund was nominated by President Barack Obama
as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council on the Arts.
’s fiscal crisis that that led to budget cuts that virtually eliminated arts classes in public schools, Gund founded Studio in a School, a non-profit organization designed to bring professional artists into school and community organizations to lead classes in drawing, printmaking, painting, and sculpting, and work with teachers to link art with other academic subjects.
Now in its fourth decade, Studio in a School has introduced the visual arts to more than 600,000 students in the five boroughs, through programs in 120 schools throughout the five boroughs. Every year, more than 90 professional artists devote some 45,000 hours to more than 25,000 pre-k through high school students. About 90% of all children who participate in Studio programs come from low-income homes.
, Arshile Gorky
, Jasper Johns
, Robert Rauschenberg
, Richard Serra
, Ellsworth Kelly
, Roy Lichtenstein
, Frank Stella
, John Baldessari
, Lynda Benglis
, Eva Hesse
, Vija Celmins
, James Lee Byars, and Richard Artschwager
; through cutting-edge contemporary artists, such as Teresita Fernandez
, Kara Walker
, Lorna Simpson
, Cai Guo-Qiang
, Barry Ball, and Glenn Ligon
.
Her collection consists of paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints and furniture, with an exceptionally rich compilation of drawings. Her collection also includes West African and Chinese terra cottas and classical Chinese furniture. She has donated some 250 works to MoMA
, numerous works to the Cleveland Museum of Art
, and has given or loaned various pieces to museums around the country. Essentially all of her most valuable works that have not already been gifted are promised gifts to institutions.
Moma
Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet...
) and Chairman of its International Council. She is also Chairman of MoMA PS1 Contemporary Art Center. In 2011, Gund was nominated by President Barack Obama as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council on the Arts.
Personal life
A native of Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Gund is a member of one of Cleveland's more prominent families. Her father, George Gund II
George Gund (philanthropist)
George Gund II was an American banker, business executive, and real estate investor who lived in Cleveland, Ohio in the early and middle part of the 20th century...
, was president and chairman of Cleveland Trust when it was Ohio's largest bank. Born in 1938, she is the second oldest of six children. Two of her brothers, Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund is an United States businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks and former principal owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and is currently a minority owner of the Cavaliers...
and George Gund, partners in Gund Investment Corporation, were the former owners of the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) and Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
(National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
). Her brother, Graham, is a renowned architect; her brother, Geoff, is a career teacher of economics and American history; and her sister, Louise, is a psychologist, environmentalist, woman’s activist, and philanthropist. Agnes Gund resides in New York City.
Career
Agnes Gund became passionately interested in art while a 15-year-old student at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT. “I had a magical art history teacher who didn’t just give you the artist’s name and the date of the picture, she showed you how to look at artwork,” Gund said. Later Gund attended Connecticut College for Women, where she received a bachelor’s degree in history. She received her master’s degree in art history from Harvard’s Fogg Museum.Gund joined the MoMA Board in 1976 and served as its President from 1991 until 2002. She is Chairman of the Mayor’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission of New York City and serves on the boards of Chess in the Schools, the Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is an art museum situated in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, the museum houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 43,000...
, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Foundation for Contemporary Arts , originally known as Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, is a nonprofit based foundation in New York City founded by artists Jasper Johns , John Cage, Elaine de Kooning and others in 1963. FCA offers financial support and recognition to contemporary...
, the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies, The Frick Collection, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and Socrates Sculpture Park
Socrates Sculpture Park
Socrates Sculpture Park is an outdoor exhibition space for sculpture. It is located one block from the Noguchi Museum at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard in the neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens, New York City...
, among others. She is an Honorary Trustee of the Independent Curators International and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland. She served on the board of the J. Paul Getty Trust from 1994 to 2006.
A civic leader and staunch supporter of education, women’s issues and environmental concerns, among other causes, Gund has served on the boards of such wide-ranging organizations as the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, often abbreviated as ADARC, is a medical research institution dedicated to finding a cure for HIV/AIDS. It is headed by prominent scientist Dr...
and the Fund for Public Schools. She has received honorary doctorate degrees, including honors from CUNY Graduate Center
CUNY Graduate Center
The Graduate Center of the City University of New York brings together graduate education, advanced research, and public programming to midtown Manhattan hosting 4,600 students, 33 doctoral programs, 7 master's programs, and 30 research centers and institutes...
(2007), University of Illinois (2002), Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
(1996), Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
(1996), Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
(1995), and Hamilton College (1994). She is a regular contributor on the arts to the Huffington Post.
In 1997, Gund received the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
from President President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. In 2011, Gund was nominated by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council on the Arts.
Studio in a School
In 1977, in response to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
’s fiscal crisis that that led to budget cuts that virtually eliminated arts classes in public schools, Gund founded Studio in a School, a non-profit organization designed to bring professional artists into school and community organizations to lead classes in drawing, printmaking, painting, and sculpting, and work with teachers to link art with other academic subjects.
Now in its fourth decade, Studio in a School has introduced the visual arts to more than 600,000 students in the five boroughs, through programs in 120 schools throughout the five boroughs. Every year, more than 90 professional artists devote some 45,000 hours to more than 25,000 pre-k through high school students. About 90% of all children who participate in Studio programs come from low-income homes.
Collecting
Gund has an encyclopedic collection of modern and contemporary art from the 1940s through the present, ranging from modern masters, including Lee BontecouLee Bontecou
Lee Bontecou is an American artist who was born 15 January 1931 in Providence, Rhode Island. She attended the Art Students League of New York from 1952 to 1955, where she studied with the sculptor William Zorach. She received a Fulbright scholarship to study in Rome in 1957-1958 and the Louis...
, Arshile Gorky
Arshile Gorky
Arshile Gorky was an Armenian-born American painter who had a seminal influence on Abstract Expressionism. As such, his works were often speculated to have been informed by the suffering and loss he experienced of the Armenian genocide.-Early life:...
, Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns, Jr. is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.-Life:Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jasper Johns spent his early life in Allendale, South Carolina with his paternal grandparents after his parents' marriage failed...
, Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
, Richard Serra
Richard Serra
Richard Serra is an American minimalist sculptor and video artist known for working with large-scale assemblies of sheet metal. Serra was involved in the Process Art Movement.-Early life and education:...
, Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly is an American painter and sculptor associated with Hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and the Minimalist school. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques emphasizing the simplicity of form found similar to the work of John McLaughlin. Kelly often employs bright colors to...
, Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein was a prominent American pop artist. During the 1960s his paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist and others he became a leading figure in the new art movement...
, Frank Stella
Frank Stella
Frank Stella is an American painter and printmaker, significant within the art movements of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction.-Biography:...
, John Baldessari
John Baldessari
John Anthony Baldessari is an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. He lives and works in Santa Monica and Venice, California...
, Lynda Benglis
Lynda Benglis
Lynda Benglis is an American sculptor known for her wax paintings and poured latex sculptures. After earning a BFA from Newcomb College in 1964, Benglis moved to New York, where she lives and works today...
, Eva Hesse
Eva Hesse
Eva Hesse , was a German-born American sculptor, known for her pioneering work in materials such as latex, fiberglass, and plastics. -Early life:Hesse was born into a family of observant Jews in Hamburg, Germany...
, Vija Celmins
Vija Celmins
Vija Celmins is an American artist.-Early life:Vija Celmins immigrated to the United States with her family from Latvia when she was ten years old. She and her family settled in Indiana...
, James Lee Byars, and Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager
Richard Artschwager is an American painter, illustrator and sculptor, born in 1923 in Washington, D.C.. Artschwager is best known for his stylistic independence; although he has associations with the Pop Art movement, Conceptual art and Minimalism....
; through cutting-edge contemporary artists, such as Teresita Fernandez
Teresita Fernandez
Teresita Fernández is a contemporary sculptor and artist based in New York. A recipient of the 2005 MacArthur Foundation "Genius Fellowship", Fernández's work is characterized by an interest in perception and the psychology of looking. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003 and the Louis...
, Kara Walker
Kara Walker
Kara Walker is a contemporary African American artist who explores race, gender, sexuality, violence and identity in her work. She is best known for her room-size tableaux of black cut-paper silhouettes, such as The Means to an End--A Shadow Drama in Five Acts.-Biography:Walker was born in...
, Lorna Simpson
Lorna Simpson
Lorna Simpson is an African American artist and photographer who made her name in the 1980s and 1990s with artworks such as Guarded Conditions and Square Deal. Her work often portrays black women combined with text to express contemporary society's relationship with race, ethnicity and sex...
, Cai Guo-Qiang
Cai Guo-Qiang
Cai Guo-Qiang is a Chinese contemporary artist and curator.-Biography:Cai Guo-Qiang was born in 1957 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. He was trained in stage design at the Shanghai Theater Academy from 1981 to 1985. Cai's work is scholarly and often politically charged...
, Barry Ball, and Glenn Ligon
Glenn Ligon
Glenn Ligon is an American conceptual artist whose work explores race, language, desire, sexuality, and identity. He engages in intertextuality with other works from the visual arts, literature, and history, as well as his own life.-Early life and career:...
.
Her collection consists of paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints and furniture, with an exceptionally rich compilation of drawings. Her collection also includes West African and Chinese terra cottas and classical Chinese furniture. She has donated some 250 works to MoMA
Moma
Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet...
, numerous works to the Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is an art museum situated in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, the museum houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 43,000...
, and has given or loaned various pieces to museums around the country. Essentially all of her most valuable works that have not already been gifted are promised gifts to institutions.