This resource list celebrates the important role that individual donors have played in supporting the nation's museums and cultural institutions. It contains citations to selected biographical works and articles from the Foundation Center's Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL) that highlight the contributions of arts philanthropists, past and present. For additional materials on the topic, search CNL with "philanthropists" in the Subject field and arts in the Keyword field (click here). Internet resources for researching other arts benefactors have also been included in this list.
Books
Gill, Anton. Art Lover: A Biography of Peggy Guggenheim. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2002. xvi, 480 p. Call Number: 456 GUG GIL
Peggy (Marguerite) Guggenheim was born in 1898 in New York City to Benjamin and Florette Guggenheim. Her father was among those who were lost on the Titanic. She was an early devotee of modern art, and during her lifetime, she dedicated herself to establishing the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. She died in 1979.
Kert, Bernice. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller: The Woman in the Family. New York, NY: Random House, 1993. xv, 537 p. Call Number: 456 ROC KER
Chronicles the life of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, whose influence changed the character of one of America's most powerful families into a progressive force in philanthropy, the arts, and politics. Details her work with the Young Women's Christian Association, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as her interest in other Rockefeller philanthropies. Draws on correspondence, interviews, and archives. Includes a family tree, a bibliography, and index.
McCarthy, Kathleen D. Women's Culture: American Philanthropy and Art, 1830-1930. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1991. xvii, 324 p. Call Number: 403 MCC
Presents the role middle- and upper-class women have played in the development of American museums in the century after 1830. Discusses how such prominent individuals as Isabella Stewart Gardner, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, through voluntary organizations and specialized nonprofit institutions, were able to launch national feminist reform movements, forge extensive nonprofit marketing systems, and "feminize" new occupations.
Mellon, Paul and John Baskett. Reflections in a Silver Spoon: A Memoir. New York, NY: William Morrow, 1992. 444 p. Call Number: 456 MEL
Autobiography of Paul Mellon, son of financier Andrew W. Mellon, who has given away more than $600 million and has helped to create such treasures as the National Gallery of Art. Mr. Mellon is perhaps best known for his philanthropic endeavors in the art world. Includes color plates of Mr. Mellon's painting acquisitions.
Meyers, Mary Ann. Art, Education & African-American Culture: Albert Barnes and the Science of Philanthropy. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2004. xiii, 452 p. Call Number: 456 BAR ART
Meyers' biography of Barnes traces his life from his training as a physician and pharmacist, wealth and a passion for new art, to his establishment of the Barnes Foundation and one of the world's most distinctive museum collections.
Strouse, Jean. Morgan: American Financier. New York, NY: Random House, 1999. xv, 796 p Call Number: 456 MOR STR
An in-depth biography of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1837-1913. Includes extensive coverage of Morgan's acquisitions of notable art works. He spent half his fortune on art, and subsequently donated much of it to the Pierpont Morgan Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York--which he served as president.
Unger, Craig. Blue Blood. New York, NY: William Morrow, 1988. 432 p. Call Number: 456 HAR UNG
Biography of Rebekah Harkness, the Standard Oil heiress whose enormous wealth and eccentricity dazzled New York in the 1960s and 1970s. She spent millions on medicine and the arts, especially through her own dance company, the Harkness Ballet. Explores the various facets of her personality: the wild debutante, the demure society matron, the world-famous arts patroness, the eccentric, capricious, decadent heiress; and traces the effect Rebekah had upon her children, to whom she left a legacy of abandonment and neglect.
Articles
Garmhausen, Steve. "Arts Contributors May Get Big Return." Crain's New York Business, vol. 22 (24 April 2006): p. 26. Subject file: 450
Briefly describes the philanthropy of three wealthy New Yorkers with an interest in arts and culture: Ronald Ulrich, chairman of Equinox Capital Management; Roger Hertog, vice chairman of Alliance Bernstein; and Agnes Gund, the Cleveland banking heiress.
Greene, Stephen G. "Entrepreneur Finds a Home for Collection of Rare Chinese Artifacts." Chronicle of Philanthropy, vol. 16 (19 February 2004): p. 21.
Presents a profile of a California entrepreneur, Roland Tseng, who recently donated his collection of antique Chinese art worth $38 million to California State University at Northridge.
Greene, Stephen G. "Software Entrepreneur Seeks to Promote Excellence Through Philanthropy." Chronicle of Philanthropy, vol. 16 (19 February 2004): p. 20.
Presents a profile of philanthropist Charles Simonyi, who recently left Microsoft to start his own firm, Intentional Software Corporation. Estimated to be worth about $1 billion, he established the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences in 2003.
Lewis, Nicole. "Spreading Wealth and Passion: An Entrepreneur Relishes Giving to Causes She Holds Dear." Chronicle of Philanthropy, vol. 18 (15 June 2006): p. 7-8.
Describes the philanthropic interests of Sheila C. Johnson, one of the co-founders of Black Entertainment Television. Established in 1989, the Sheila C. Johnson Foundation supports programs related to education, children, and the arts.
Marchetti, Domenica. "Donor Hopes to Build Legacy Through Focus on Urban Arts, Education." Chronicle of Philanthropy, vol. 13 (25 January 2001): p. 9.
Profiles SunAmerica chairman Eli Broad, who, along with his wife Edythe, donated $67 million to the Broad Foundation hoping to transform the way schools are managed and administered. They supported the arts with a $28 million gift to the Broad Art Foundation in Santa Monica, and a $21 million contribution to the University of California at Los Angeles for building the Broad Art Center.
McGlothlin, James and Frances McGlothlin. "American Legacy: A $100 Million Bequest to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Bucks Current Trends." Robb Report Worth, (January 2006): p. 52-4. Subject file: 456
In this personal account, the authors explain why they are giving their extensive collection of American art to a museum, rather than selling it at auction.
Tumgoren, Ziya Serdar. "Lilly Heiress Expects to Bestow $500 Million on Numerous Charities Through Estate Plan." Chronicle of Philanthropy, vol. 15 (12 December 2002): p. 12.
Details recent gifts made by Ruth Lilly, last surviving great-grandchild of Eli Lilly, that include donations to the Modern Poetry Association, Lilly Endowment, Americans for the Arts, and funds to create the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation.
Internet Resources
Explore these web sites to identify other donors who have supported arts organizations:
Donor Series
The database from Waltman Associates contains individual, corporate, and foundation gifts to annual funds of the top nonprofits in the United States. Subscription required.
Million Dollar List
Every quarter, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University compiles a listing of donations and grants of $1 million or more.
Philanthropy News Digest (PND)
The news service of the Foundation Center contains philanthropy-related articles and features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.
To learn more about the process of researching individual donors, review the Foundation Center's FAQ "Where can I find information on cultivating donors?"
