[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 3, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO GARY VIKAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2004

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to Gary 
Vikan as he celebrates 10 years as Director of the Walters Art Museum 
in Baltimore. The Walters Art Museum is one of the most important 
cultural institutions in Baltimore. It is loved and cherished by the 
thousands and thousands of people who visit it every year.
  During the 19th and early 20th centuries, William Thompson Walters 
and his son, Henry, collected nearly 22,000 works of art, building the 
foundation for what would later become the Walters Art Museum. The 
museum was first opened to the public in 1934. In 1974, a new, larger 
wing opened on the corner of Centre and Cathedral streets. In 1991, the 
museum opened another building, the Hackerman House, to hold much of 
its Asian art collection.
  Since taking the helm of the Walters in 1994, Mr. Vikan has presided 
over a major renovation of the museum and expansion of its collection. 
As Director, he helped raise $3 million to renovate the Centre Street 
building, and another $8 million to reinstall the Renaissance and 
Baroque collections. During his tenure, the museum's endowment has 
grown from $38 million to $60 million, and its membership has increased 
by more than 60 percent.
  He has been responsible for securing three major collections: the 
John and Berthe Ford Collection of Arts of India, Nepal and Tibet; the 
Austen-Stokes Foundation Collection of the Arts of the Ancient 
Americans (10 year loan); and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation 
Collection of South-East Asian Art. Between 1995 and 2003, Mr. Vikan 
assembled the finest collection of Ethiopian art outside Ethiopia.
  The Walters is internationally renowned for its vast collection that 
ranges from predynastic Egypt to 20th century Europe. The many 
treasures in the collection include Greek sculptures and Roman 
sarcophagi; medieval ivories and Old Master paintings; Art Deco jewelry 
and 19th century masterpieces.
  I hope my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives will join 
me in saluting Gary Vikan, Director of the Walters Art Museum, as we 
all celebrate and applaud 10 years of outstanding leadership and 
vision.

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