[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 87 (Thursday, June 11, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     RECOGNIZING MIMI GARDNER GATES

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 11, 2009

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to offer special 
recognition of Mimi Gardner Gates on the occasion of her retirement as 
the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director of the Seattle Art Museum. During 
her tenure, the Seattle Art Museum has become the premier art museum in 
the Pacific Northwest, distinguished by its splendid exhibitions and 
its commitment to the arts communities of our region. Under Mrs. Gates' 
leadership, the Seattle Art Museum has increased its endowment, its 
attendance, and its membership; it has diversified its board, staff, 
and audience; created a conservation department and studio; and added 
to its collections more than 6,500 works of art from a wide variety of 
cultures. And, thanks to Mimi Gates' vision and tireless effort, the 
Museum has created the Olympic Sculpture Park, a nationally and 
internationally acclaimed outdoor display that brings an exciting new 
dimension to Seattle's arts environment. Seattle and the entire Pacific 
Northwest region have benefited immeasurably from Mimi Gates' talent 
and dedication to public art, and I am privileged now to acknowledge 
her outstanding work and to thank her for her many years of exceptional 
service.
  Mrs. Gates also has made considerable contributions to the arts in 
the classroom, and she has held leadership positions with several arts 
organizations. She served on the staff of the Yale University Art 
Gallery, where she currently is a member of the Governing Board, and is 
a fellow of the Yale Corporation. A past president of the Association 
of Art Museum Directors, she also chaired the Federal Indemnity panel 
at The National Endowment for the Arts, and served as a member of the 
Advisory Board of the Getty Leadership Institute. Mrs. Gates is also an 
adjunct faculty member in the Department of Art at the University of 
Washington, and she serves on the boards of directors of the Northwest 
African American Museum, the Greater Seattle YWCA, the Downtown Seattle 
Association, and Copper Canyon Press.
  Madam Speaker, Mimi Gates has been an enormous asset to the Seattle 
arts and civic communities. The people of Seattle, including thousands 
of patrons, students, and professionals, are grateful for the guidance 
and leadership she has shown, and I join them in thanking Mrs. Gates 
for her service, and in wishing her the best in her future endeavors.

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