National Gallery of Art

Introduction:

The National Gallery of Art is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of five Trustees and the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, the Chief Justice of the United States, and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. It houses one of the finest collections in the World, illustrating Western man’s achievements in painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts. The collections are acquired by private donation rather than by government funds, which serve solely to operate and maintain the building and its collections.

The National Gallery was initiated with a gift of the Gallery’s West Building by Andrew W. Mellon and the bequeathed his collection to the Gallery in 1937. On March 17, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the completed building and works of art on behalf of the people of the United States of America.

The East Building provides space for temporary exhibitions, the gallery’s growing collections, the Center for the Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, including greatly expanded library and photographic archives, and administrative and curatorial offices.

A professor-in-residence position is filled annually by a distinguished scholar in the field of art history; graduate and postgraduate research is conducted under a fellowship program; programs for school children and the general public are conducted daily; and an Extension Service distributes loans of audiovisual materials, including films, slide lectures, and slide sets throughout the World. Publications, slides, and reproductions may be obtained through the Publications Service.

The following material was condensed and edited from the Gallery’s Copyrighted Web site--with some added content to further inform visitors to the Federal Gateway site.

Contact the National Gallery's Webmaster: webfeedback@nga.gov

Homepage and Introductory Information to top

Welcome   brief message from the Office of the Director.

The Collection   lists what is available at this great Gallery.

Exhibitions   preview of upcoming events at the Gallery with "Overviews" of their content---this site is loaded with beautiful presentations of the Gallery’s collections.

Resources   itemizes what is available at the Gallery.

Programs & Events   an effort to get the broadest educational spectrum with "Distance Learning" programs and "Opportunities for Participation"--these efforts address academic, extension, and volunteer programs.

Tour the Art of the States - Arts Over America  notes every state agency--has resources for artists, art organizations, etc.