[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 72 (Wednesday, June 5, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E946-E947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      IN RECOGNITION OF AGNES GUND

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2002

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Agnes 
Gund on the occasion of the 34th Annual Museum of Modern Art Party in 
the Garden. Ms. Gund's extraordinary contributions to The Museum of 
Modern Art and the art community have made contemporary art accessible 
to countless people. It is a pleasure to pay tribute to this great 
educator, activist and philanthropist.
  Ms. Gund has been a trustee of The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) since 
1976, and has served as President since 1991. Throughout that time, she 
has worked to expand the museum's services to a larger, more diverse 
public and has led MOMA to prominence both as a major tourist 
attraction and a standard-bearer for cultural institutions everywhere.
  An advocate for arts education, she founded the Studio in a School 
Association in 1971, a program that places artists as teachers in New 
York City public schools. For her pioneering work in this innovative 
program, she received the Doris C. Freeman Award from the City of New 
York and the New York State Governor's Arts Award in 1988. With the 
Studio in a School program, Ms. Gund forged a new partnership between 
professional artists and public schools and introduced children to the 
joys of creative expression.
  For her outstanding commitment to the `excellence, growth, support 
and availability of the arts in the United States', Ms. Gund was 
awarded the prestigious 1997 National Medal of Arts by President 
Clinton. One of 11 recipients of the nation's highest award for 
achievement in the arts in 1997, she was the only patron of the arts to 
receive such recognition. Ms. Gund also received the College Art 
Association Women in the Arts award in 1996 and was elected as a fellow 
to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1995.
  As an eminent leader of the arts community, Ms. Gund was recognized 
as one of Crain's 75 Most Influential Women in Business in 1996, and 
has received four honorary doctorates throughout her career. She has 
also devoted time to public service, particularly in issues surrounding 
AIDS research, arts programs and education, and has served as a 
benefactor to museums, art organizations, social and environmental 
groups and women's issues.
  Ms. Gund is bringing MOMA into the 21st century with a $1 billion 
expansion. The museum has taken the bold step of moving to Queens while 
the massive building project is underway. Prior to the move, she 
initiated a

[[Page E947]]

series of revolutionary exhibits, MOMA 2000, mixing genres and blending 
mediums of expression to encourage visitors to take a new look at 
MOMA's collection.
  A prominent collector of postwar art, Ms. Gund grew up surrounded by 
art and as a young women became one of the foremost collectors of 
modern painters, eventually amassing 400 works of art. Generous with 
her collection, she has given some of her most important pieces to 
museums. After the birth of her 4 children, she returned to school and 
received a master's degree in art history. Ms. Gund has been a lifelong 
champion of the arts, and has succeeded in sharing her passion with the 
American people.
  In recognition of these outstanding achievements, I ask my colleagues 
to join me in honoring Agnes Gund. Ms. Gund's generous spirit, devotion 
to arts education and love of creative genius will continue to benefit 
our nation for generations.

                          ____________________