WOODSTOCK NEW YORK ARTIST MOMA SMITHSONIAN FANTASTIC JOHN FENTON DRAWING

Description: JOHN FENTON DRAWING SIGNED LOWER RIGHT IN PENCIL AND ON PAPER MEASAURING APPROXIMATELY 10 1/2 X 7 1/2 INCHES JOHN FENTON (1912 - 1977)Active inWoodstock, New YorkPainter, printmaker and teacher John Fenton was born in Mountaindale, New York. He moved with his family to Mount Vernon, New York, where he lived for some thirty years before settling permanently in Woodstock, New York. He attended The Art Student's League of New York and Atelier 17, Paris. His work was the focus of a number of one-man shows during the 1950s and 1960s, and was exhibited in numerous museums and galleries including the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. And the Pennsylvania Academy. Fenton taught at New York University and Goddard College. His distinctly surrealist work won awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Academy of Design, and numerous other institutions, and is included in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Corcoran Gallery among others. He died at Woodstock, New York. John Nathaniel Fenton is a twentieth century American painter, printmaker and painter who studied at the Art Students League, New York, and at Atelier 17, Paris. He also studied under and worked with Federico Castellon and Samuel Adler. During his career Fenton exhibited at such important institutions as the Audubon Artists, National Academy of Design, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Corcoran Gallery, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Butler Institute of American Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Fenton was a full member of the Woodstock Art Association and served as an Instructor of Art at New York University. Born in 1929 in Mountaindale, New York. He studied at the Art Student's League and later at the world famous Atelier 17 in Paris. He also has worked with both Samuel Adler and Federico Castellon. In 1958 Fenton won awards from both the National Academy of Design and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Among his other honors are a Purchase Prize from the New School Graphics Annual and an Edition Purchase from Pratt Institute. The artist has had over a half-dozen one-man shows in New York city. He has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, Chicago Art Institute Annual, Butler Art Institute Annual, National Academy of Design, Audubon Artists, American Academy of Arts and Letters Annual; Wesleyan University, and Pennsylvania State University. His work is in the permanent collections of the Pennsylvania State University Museum, Suffolk Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, and others. He has taught at New York University. Today the etchings and paintings of John Fenton are included in such collections as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Pennsylvania State University, Suffolk Museum, and The Smithsonian American Art Museum. JOHN NATHANIEL (Jack) FENTON was born in Mountaindale, NY in 1912 and died in Woodstock, NY in 1977. His life was devoted to art as a painter, printmaker, and film illustrator. He also taught art for several decades at NYU, Goodard College, and elsewhere.Fenton exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, Chicago Art Institute, Whitney, Corcoran, National Academy of Design, IBM Gallery, Jewish Museum, Pennsylvania Academy, Pratt, Silvermine, and the Vatican among others. He had eight one-man shows at the Babcock Gallery in NYC during the 1950s and 60s. His work is in the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney, the N.Y. Public Library, the Penn State University collection and other museums and private collections. In the late 1950s he went to Hollywood and designed 50 paintings for a feature film based on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat." It was exhibited across the country and at the Cannes Film festival. After spending most of his life in NYC, he moved to Woodstock where he maintained a studio and exhibited in the Woodstock Art Museum and at local galleries including the Rudolph Gallery, then the most prestigious in Woodstock. Fenton received numerous awards, among them the National Academy of Design Medal, American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Award, Pratt Print Award, and Medal of Honor from the Audubon Artists Society. It is thought that he wrote a book, "The Autobiography of my Wife," but no copies are known to exist. Fenton is a listed artist whose history is found in the 1999 edition of Who was Who in American Art. The January 31, 1978, edition of the Greenwich Village NEWS featured this front page. The major story in the paper was a critical appreciation of Fenton by Martin Ries of Long Island University. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world.[2] MoMA's collection offers an overview of modern and contemporary art, including works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated books and artist's books, film, and electronic media.[3] The MoMA Library includes approximately 300,000 books and exhibition catalogs, more than 1,000 periodical titles, and more than 40,000 files of ephemera about individual artists and groups.[4] The archives hold primary source material related to the history of modern and contemporary art.[5] Contents1History1.1Heckscher and other buildings (1929–1939)1.253rd Street (1939–present)1.2.11930s to 1950s1.2.21958 fire1.2.31960–19821.2.41980-19991.2.521st century2Exhibition houses3Artworks3.1Selected collection highlights3.2Film3.3Library3.4Architecture and design4Management4.1Attendance4.2Admission4.3Finances5Key people5.1Officers and the board of trustees5.1.1Board of trustees5.2Directors5.3Chief curators6Controversy6.1Art repatriation issues6.2Strike MoMA7See also8References8.1Citations8.2Sources9External linksHistoryHeckscher and other buildings (1929–1939)The idea for the Museum of Modern Art was developed in 1929 primarily by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) and two of her friends, Lillie P. Bliss and Mary Quinn Sullivan.[7] They became known variously as "the Ladies" or "the adamantine ladies".[8][9] They rented modest quarters for the new museum in the Heckscher Building at 730 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan,[8] and it opened to the public on November 7, 1929, nine days after the Wall Street Crash.[10] Abby Rockefeller had invited A. Conger Goodyear, the former president of the board of trustees of the Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, to become president of the new museum. Abby became treasurer. At the time, it was America's premier museum devoted exclusively to modern art, and the first of its kind in Manhattan to exhibit European modernism.[11] One of Rockefeller's early recruits for the museum staff was the noted Japanese-American photographer Soichi Sunami (at that time best known for his portraits of modern dance pioneer Martha Graham), who served the museum as its official documentary photographer from 1930 until 1968.[12][13] Goodyear enlisted Paul J. Sachs and Frank Crowninshield to join him as founding trustees. Sachs, the associate director and curator of prints and drawings at the Fogg Museum at Harvard University, was referred to in those days as a "collector of curators." Goodyear asked him to recommend a director and Sachs suggested Alfred H. Barr, Jr., a promising young protégé. Under Barr's guidance, the museum's holdings quickly expanded from an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing. Its first successful loan exhibition was in November 1929, displaying paintings by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, and Seurat.[14] First housed in six rooms of galleries and offices on the twelfth floor of Manhattan's Heckscher Building,[15] on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, the museum moved into three more temporary locations within the next ten years. Abby Rockefeller's husband, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was adamantly opposed to the museum (as well as to modern art itself) and refused to release funds for the venture, which had to be obtained from other sources and resulted in the frequent shifts of location. Nevertheless, he eventually donated the land for the current site of the museum, plus other gifts over time, and thus became in effect one of its greatest benefactors.[16] During that time the museum initiated many more exhibitions of noted artists, such as the lone Vincent van Gogh exhibition on November 4, 1935. Containing an unprecedented sixty-six oils and fifty drawings from the Netherlands, as well as poignant excerpts from the artist's letters, it was a major public success due to Barr's arrangement of the exhibit, and became "a precursor to the hold van Gogh has to this day on the contemporary imagination".[17] 53rd Street (1939–present)1930s to 1950sThe museum also gained international prominence with the hugely successful and now famous Picasso retrospective of 1939–40, held in conjunction with the Art Institute of Chicago. In its range of presented works, it represented a significant reinterpretation of Picasso for future art scholars and historians. This was wholly masterminded by Barr, a Picasso enthusiast, and the exhibition lionized Picasso as the greatest artist of the time, setting the model for all the museum's retrospectives that were to follow.[18] Boy Leading a Horse was briefly contested over ownership with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.[19] In 1941, MoMA hosted the ground-breaking exhibition, "Indian Art of the United States" (curated by Frederic Huntington Douglas and Rene d'Harnoncourt), that changed the way Native American arts were viewed by the public and exhibited in art museums. The entrance to The Museum of Modern ArtWhen Abby Rockefeller's son Nelson was selected by the board of trustees to become its president, in 1939, at the age of 30; he was a flamboyant leader and became the prime instigator and funding source of MoMA's publicity, acquisitions, and subsequent expansion into new headquarters on 53rd Street. His brother, David Rockefeller, also joined the museum's board of trustees, in 1948, and took over the presidency, when Nelson was elected Governor of New York, in 1958. David subsequently employed the noted architect Philip Johnson to redesign the museum garden and name it in honor of his mother, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. He and the Rockefeller family in general have retained a close association with the museum throughout its history, with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund funding the institution since 1947. Both David Rockefeller, Jr. and Sharon Percy Rockefeller (wife of former senator Jay Rockefeller) sit on the board of trustees.[citation needed] After the Rockefeller Guest House at 242 East 52nd Street was completed in 1950, some MoMA functions were held in the house until 1964.[20][21] In 1937, MoMA had shifted to offices and basement galleries in the Time-Life Building in Rockefeller Center. Its permanent and current home, now renovated, designed in the International Style by the modernist architects Philip L. Goodwin and Edward Durell Stone, opened to the public on May 10, 1939, attended by an illustrious company of 6,000 people, and with an opening address via radio from the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[22] 1958 fireOn April 15, 1958, a fire on the second floor destroyed an 18-foot (5.5 m) long Monet Water Lilies painting (the current Monet water lilies was acquired shortly after the fire as a replacement). The fire started when workmen installing air conditioning were smoking near paint cans, sawdust, and a canvas dropcloth. One worker was killed in the fire and several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation. Most of the paintings on the floor had been moved for the construction although large paintings including the Monet were left. Art work on the 3rd and 4th floors were evacuated to the Whitney Museum of American Art, which abutted it on the 54th Street side. Among the paintings that were moved was A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, which had been on loan by the Art Institute of Chicago. Visitors and employees above the fire were evacuated to the roof and then jumped to the roof of an adjoining townhouse.[23] 1960–1982In 1969, the MoMA was at the center of a controversy over its decision to withdraw funding from the iconic anti-war poster And babies. In 1969, the Art Workers Coalition (AWC), a group of New York City artists who opposed the Vietnam War, in collaboration with Museum of Modern Art members Arthur Drexler and Elizabeth Shaw, created an iconic protest poster called And babies.[24] The poster uses an image by photojournalist Ronald L. Haeberle and references the My Lai Massacre. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) had promised to fund and circulate the poster, but after seeing the 2 by 3 foot poster MoMA pulled financing for the project at the last minute.[25][26] MoMA's Board of Trustees included Nelson Rockefeller and William S. Paley (head of CBS), who reportedly "hit the ceiling" on seeing the proofs of the poster.[25] The poster was included shortly thereafter in MoMA's Information exhibition of July 2 to September 20, 1970, curated by Kynaston McShine.[27] Another controversy involved Pablo Picasso's painting Boy Leading a Horse (1905–06), donated to MoMA by William S. Paley in 1964. The status of the work as being sold under duress by its German Jewish owners in the 1930s was in dispute. The descendants of the original owners sued MoMA and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which has another Picasso painting, Le Moulin de la Galette (1900), once owned by the same family, for return of the works.[28] Both museums reached a confidential settlement with the descendants before the case went to trial and retained their respective paintings.[19][29][30] Both museums had claimed from the outset to be the proper owners of these paintings, and that the claims were illegitimate. In a joint statement the two museums wrote: "we settled simply to avoid the costs of prolonged litigation, and to ensure the public continues to have access to these important paintings."[31] 1980-1999 Stairs in the Museum of Modern Art Cross-section of the Museum of Modern ArtIn 1983, the Museum more than doubled its gallery and increased curatorial department by 30 percent, and added an auditorium, two restaurants and a bookstore in conjunction with the construction of the 56-story Museum Tower adjoining the museum.[32] In 1997, the museum undertook a major renovation and expansion designed by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi with Kohn Pedersen Fox. The project, including an increase in MoMA's endowment to cover operating expenses, cost $858 million in total. The project nearly doubled the space for MoMA's exhibitions and programs and features 630,000 square feet (59,000 m2) of space. The Peggy and David Rockefeller Building on the western portion of the site houses the main exhibition galleries, and The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building provides space for classrooms, auditoriums, teacher training workshops, and the museum's expanded Library and Archives. These two buildings frame the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, which was enlarged from its original configuration. 21st centuryThe museum was closed for two years in connection with the renovation and moved its public-facing operations to a temporary facility called MoMA QNS in Long Island City, Queens. When MoMA reopened in 2004, the renovation was controversial. Some critics thought that Taniguchi's design was a fine example of contemporary architecture, while many others were displeased with aspects of the design, such as the flow of the space.[33][34][35] In 2005, the museum sold land that it owned west of its existing building to Hines, a Texas real estate developer, under an agreement that reserved space on the lower levels of the building Hines planned to construct there for a MoMA expansion.[36] In 2011, MoMA acquired an adjacent building constructed and occupied by the American Folk Art Museum on West 53rd Street. The building was a well-regarded structure designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and was sold in connection with a financial restructuring of the Folk Art Museum.[37] When MoMA announced that it would demolish the building in connection with its expansion, there was outcry and considerable discussion about the issue, but the museum ultimately proceeded with its original plans.[38] The Hines building, designed by Jean Nouvel and called 53W53, received construction approval in 2014.[39] Around the time of Hines' construction approval, MoMA unveiled its expansion plans, which encompass space in 53W53, as well as construction on the former site of the American Folk Art Museum.[40] The expansion plan was developed by the architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler. The first phase of construction began in 2014. In June 2017, patrons and the public were welcomed into MoMA to see the completion of the first phase of the $450 million expansion to the museum.[41] Spread over three floors of the art mecca off Fifth Avenue are 15,000 square-feet (about 1,400 square-meters) of reconfigured galleries, a new, second gift shop, a redesigned cafe and espresso bar and, facing the sculpture garden, two lounges graced with black marble quarried in France.[41] The museum expansion project increased the publicly accessibly space by 25% compared to when the Tanaguchi building was completed in 2004.[42] The expansion allowed for even more of the museum's collection of nearly 200,000 works to be displayed.[41] The new spaces also allow visitors to enjoy a relaxing sit-down in one of the two new lounges, or even have a fully catered meal.[41] The two new lounges include "The Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin Lounge" and "The Daniel and Jane Och Lounge".[41][43] The goal of this renovation is to help expand the collection and display of work by women, Latinos, blacks, Asians, and other marginalized communities.[44] In connection with the renovation, MoMA shifted its approach to presenting its holdings, moving away from separating the collection by disciplines such as painting, design and works on paper toward an integrated chronological presentation that encompasses all areas of the collection.[42] Basement gift shopThe Museum of Modern Art closed for another round of major renovations from June to October 2019.[44][45] Upon reopening on October 21, 2019, MoMA added 47,000 square feet (4,400 m2) of gallery space,[46] and its total floor area was 708,000 square feet (65,800 m2).[47] The expansion and refurbishment was overseen by the architectural firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.[48] The institution began offering free online classes in April 2014.[49] Exhibition housesThe MoMA occasionally has sponsored and hosted temporary exhibition houses, which have reflected seminal ideas in architectural history. 1949: exhibition house by Marcel Breuer1950: exhibition house by Gregory Ain[50]1955: Japanese Exhibition House by Junzo Yoshimura, reinstalled in Philadelphia, PA in 1957–58 and known now as Shofuso Japanese House and Garden2008: Prefabricated houses planned[51][52][53] by:Kieran Timberlake ArchitectsLawrence SassJeremy Edmiston and Douglas GauthierLeo Kaufmann ArchitectsRichard HordenArtworks Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907 Claude Monet, Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond, c.1920See also: List of works in the Museum of Modern Art § Department of Painting and SculptureConsidered by many to have the best collection of modern Western masterpieces in the world, MoMA's holdings include more than 150,000 individual pieces in addition to approximately 22,000 films and 4 million film stills. (Access to the collection of film stills ended in 2002, and the collection is mothballed in a vault in Hamlin, Pennsylvania.[54]) The collection houses such important and familiar works as the following: Francis Bacon, Painting (1946)Umberto Boccioni, The City RisesPaul Cézanne, The BatherMarc Chagall, I and the VillageGiorgio de Chirico, The Song of LoveSalvador Dalí, The Persistence of MemoryMax Ernst, Two Children Are Threatened by a NightingalePaul Gauguin, Te aa no areois (The Seed of the Areoi)Albert Gleizes, Portrait of Igor Stravinsky, 1914Jasper Johns, FlagFrida Kahlo, Self-Portrait With Cropped HairRoy Lichtenstein, Drowning GirlRené Magritte, The Empire of LightsRené Magritte, False MirrorKazimir Malevich, White on White 1918Henri Matisse, The DanceJean Metzinger, Landscape, 1912–14Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie-WoogieClaude Monet, Water Lilies triptychBarnett Newman, Broken ObeliskBarnett Newman, Vir Heroicus Sublimis (Man, Heroic and Sublime)Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'AvignonJackson Pollock, One: Number 31, 1950Henri Rousseau, The Dream, 1910Henri Rousseau, The Sleeping GypsyVincent van Gogh, The Starry NightAndy Warhol, Campbell's Soup CansAndrew Wyeth, Christina's WorldSelected collection highlights Paul Cézanne, The Bather, 1885–87 Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889 Vincent van Gogh, The Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background, 1889 Paul Gauguin, Te aa no areois (The Seed of the Areoi), 1892 Henri Rousseau, La Bohémienne endormie (The Sleeping Gypsy – Zingara che dorme), 1897 Henri Matisse, The Dance I, 1909 Henri Rousseau, The Dream, 1910 Henri Matisse, L'Atelier Rouge, 1911 Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911 Umberto Boccioni, 1913, Dynamism of a Soccer Player, 1913, oil on canvas, 193.2 × 201 cm Henri Matisse, View of Notre-Dame, 1914 Giorgio de Chirico, Love Song, 1914 Kazimir Malevich, Suprematist Composition: White on White, 1918 Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-1943 It also holds works by a wide range of influential European and American artists including Auguste Rodin, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Joan Miró, Aristide Maillol, Piet Mondrian, Marcel Duchamp, Paul Klee, Fernand Léger, René Magritte, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Arshile Gorky, Hans Hofmann, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, David Smith, Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and hundreds of others. MoMA developed a world-renowned art photography collection first under Edward Steichen (1947-1961) and then under Steichen's hand-picked successor John Szarkowski (1962-1991), which included photos by Todd Webb.[55] The department was founded by Beaumont Newhall in 1940.[56] Under Szarkowski, it focused on a more traditionally modernist approach to the medium, one that emphasized documentary images and orthodox darkroom techniques. FilmIn 1932, museum founder Alfred Barr stressed the importance of introducing "the only great art form peculiar to the twentieth century" to "the American public which should appreciate good films and support them". Museum Trustee and film producer John Hay Whitney became the first chairman of the Museum's Film Library from 1935 to 1951. The collection Whitney assembled with the help of film curator Iris Barry was so successful that in 1937 the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences commended the Museum with an award "for its significant work in collecting films ... and for the first time making available to the public the means of studying the historical and aesthetic development of the motion picture as one of the major arts".[57] The first curator and founder of the Film Library was Iris Barry, a British film critic and author, whose three decades of pioneering work in collecting films and presenting them in coherent artistic and historical contexts gained recognition for the cinema as the major new art form of our century. Barry and her successors have built a collection comprising some eight thousand titles today, concentrating on assembling an outstanding collection of the important works of international film art, with emphasis being placed on obtaining the highest-quality materials.[58] The exiled film scholar Siegfried Kracauer worked at the MoMA film archive on a psychological history of German film between 1941 and 1943. The result of his study, From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film (1947), traces the birth of Nazism from the cinema of the Weimar Republic and helped lay the foundation of modern film criticism. Under the Museum of Modern Art Department of Film, the film collection includes more than 25,000 titles and ranks as one of the world's finest museum archives of international film art. The department owns prints of many familiar feature-length movies, including Citizen Kane and Vertigo, but its holdings also contains many less-traditional pieces, including Andy Warhol's eight-hour Empire, Fred Halsted's gay pornographic L.A. Plays Itself (screened before a capacity audience on April 23, 1974), various TV commercials, and Chris Cunningham's music video for Björk's All Is Full of Love. LibraryThe MoMA library is located in Midtown Manhattan, with offsite storage in Long Island City, Queens. The non-circulating collection documents modern and contemporary art including painting, sculpture, prints, photography, film, performance, and architecture from 1880–present. The collection includes 300,000 books, 1,000 periodicals, and 40,000 files about artists and artistic groups. There are over 11,000 artist books in the collection.[59] The libraries are open by appointment to all researchers. The library's catalog is called "Dadabase".[4] Dadabase includes records for all of the material in the library, including books, artist books, exhibition catalogs, special collections materials, and electronic resources.[4] The Museum of Modern Art's collection of artist books includes works by Ed Ruscha, Marcel Broodthaers, Susan Bee, Carl Andre, and David Horvitz.[60] Additionally, the library has subscription electronic resources along with Dadabase. These include journal databases (such as JSTOR and Art Full Text), auction results indexes (ArtFact and Artnet), the ARTstor image database, and WorldCat union catalog.[59] Architecture and designSee also: List of works in the Museum of Modern Art § Department of Architecture and DesignMoMA's Department of Architecture and Design was founded in 1932[61] as the first museum department in the world dedicated to the intersection of architecture and design.[62] The department's first director was Philip Johnson who served as curator between 1932–34 and 1946–54.[63] The next departmental head was Arthur Drexler, who was curator from 1951 to 1956 and then served as head until 1986.[64] The collection consists of 28,000 works including architectural models, drawings and photographs.[61] One of the highlights of the collection is the Mies van der Rohe Archive.[62] It also includes works from such legendary architects and designers as Frank Lloyd Wright,[65][66][67][68] Paul László, the Eameses, Betty Cooke, Isamu Noguchi, and George Nelson. The design collection contains many industrial and manufactured pieces, ranging from a self-aligning ball bearing to an entire Bell 47D1 helicopter. In 2012, the department acquired a selection of 14 video games, the basis of an intended collection of 40 that is to range from Pac-Man (1980) to Minecraft (2011).[69] ManagementAttendance MoMA has seen its average number of visitors rise from about 1.5 million a year to 2.5 million after its new granite and glass renovation. In 2009, the museum reported 119,000 members and 2.8 million visitors over the previous fiscal year. MoMA attracted its highest-ever number of visitors, 3.09 million, during its 2010 fiscal year;[70] however, attendance dropped 11 percent to 2.8 million in 2011.[71] Attendance in 2016 was 2.8 million, down from 3.1 million in 2015.[72] The museum was open every day since its founding in 1929, until 1975, when it closed one day a week (originally Wednesdays) to reduce operating expenses. In 2012, it again opened every day, including Tuesday, the one day it has traditionally been closed.[73] AdmissionThe Museum of Modern Art charges an admission fee of $25 per adult.[74] Upon MoMA's reopening, its admission cost increased from $12 to $20, making it one of the most expensive museums in the city. However, it has free entry on Fridays after 5:30pm, as part of the Uniqlo Free Friday Nights program. Many New York area college students also receive free admission to the museum.[75] FinancesA private non-profit organization, MoMA is the seventh-largest U.S. museum by budget;[76] its annual revenue is about $145 million (none of which is profit). In 2011, the museum reported net assets (basically, a total of all the resources it has on its books, except the value of the art) of just over $1 billion. Unlike most museums, the museum eschews government funding, instead subsisting on a fragmented budget with a half-dozen different sources of income, none larger than a fifth.[77] Before the economic crisis of late 2008, the MoMA's board of trustees decided to sell its equities in order to move into an all-cash position. An $858 million capital campaign funded the 2002–04 expansion, with David Rockefeller donating $77 million in cash.[76] In 2005, Rockefeller pledged an additional $100 million toward the museum's endowment.[78] In 2011, Moody's Investors Service, a bond rating agency, rated $57 million worth of new debt in 2010 with a positive outlook and echoed their Aa2 bond credit rating for the underlying institution. The agency noted that MoMA has "superior financial flexibility with over $332 million of unrestricted financial resources", and has had solid attendance and record sales at its retail outlets around the city and online. Some of the challenges that Moody's noted were the reliance that the museum has on the tourist industry in New York for its operating revenue, and a large amount of debt. The museum at the time had a 2.4 debt-to-operating revenues ratio, but it was also noted that MoMA intended to retire $370 million worth of debt in the next few years. Standard & Poor's raised its long-term rating for the museum as it benefited from the fundraising of its trustees.[79] After construction expenses for the new galleries are covered, the Modern estimates that some $65 million will go to its $650 million endowment. MoMA spent $32 million to acquire art for the fiscal year ending in June 2012.[80] MoMA employed about 815 people in 2007.[77] The museum's tax filings from the past few years suggest a shift among the highest paid employees from curatorial staff to management.[81] The museum's director Glenn D. Lowry earned $1.6 million in 2009[82] and lives in a rent-free $6 million apartment above the museum.[83] Key people This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Museum of Modern Art" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)Officers and the board of trusteesCurrently, the board of trustees includes 46 trustees and 15 life trustees. Even including the board's 14 "honorary" trustees, who do not have voting rights and do not play as direct a role in the museum, this amounts to an average individual contribution of more than $7 million.[81] The Founders Wall was created in 2004, when MoMA's expansion was completed, and features the names of actual founders in addition to those who gave significant gifts; about a half-dozen names have been added since 2004. For example, Ileana Sonnabend's name was added in 2012, even though she was only 15 when the museum was established in 1929.[86] In Memoriam – David Rockefeller (1915–2017) Honorary chairman – Ronald S. LauderChairman emeritus – Robert B. MenschelPresident emerita – Agnes GundPresident emeritus – Donald B. Marron Sr.Chairman – Jerry I. SpeyerCo-Chairman– Leon D. BlackPresident – Marie-Josée KravisVice chairmen: Sid R. BassMimi HaasMarlene HessRichard E. SalomonDirector – Glenn D. LowryTreasurer – Richard E. SalomonAssistant treasurer – James GaraSecretary – Patty LipshutzBoard of trusteesBoard of trustees: Wallis AnnenbergSid R. BassLawrence B. BenensonLeon D. BlackClarissa Alcock BronfmanPatricia Phelps de CisnerosEdith CooperPaula CrownDavid DechmanAnne Dias-GriffinGlenn DubinJohn ElkannLaurence D. FinkKathleen FuldHoward GardnerMimi HaasAlexandra A. HerzanMarlene HessJill KrausMarie-Josée KravisRonald S. LauderThomas H. LeeMichael LynneKhalil Gibran MuhammadPhilip S. NiarchosJames G. NivenPeter NortonMaja OeriMichael S. OvitzDavid Rockefeller Jr.Sharon Percy RockefellerRichard E. SalomonMarcus SamuelssonAnna Marie ShapiroAnna Deavere SmithJerry I. SpeyerRicardo SteinbruchDaniel SundheimAlice M. TischEdgar Wachenheim IIIGary Winnick Life trustees: Eli BroadDouglas S. CramerJoel S. EhrenkranzGianluigi GabettiAgnes GundBarbara JakobsonWerner H. KramarskyJune Noble LarkinDonald B. Marron Sr.Robert B. MenschelPeter G. PetersonEmily Rauh PulitzerDavid RockefellerJeanne C. ThayerHonorary trustees: Lin ArisonJan CowlesLewis B. CullmanH.R.H. Duke Franz of BavariaMaurice R. GreenbergWynton MarsalisRichard E. OldenburgRichard RogersTed SannGilbert SilvermanYoshio TaniguchiEugene V. ThawDirectorsAlfred H. Barr, Jr. (1929–1943)No director (1943–1949; the job was handled by the chairman of the museum's coordination committee and the director of the Curatorial Department)[87][88]Rene d'Harnoncourt (1949–1968)Bates Lowry (1968–1969)John Brantley Hightower (1970–1972)Richard Oldenburg (1972–1995)Glenn D. Lowry (1995–present)Chief curatorsPhilip Johnson, chief curator of architecture and design (1932-1934 and 1946–1954)Arthur Drexler, chief curator of architecture and design (1951-1956)Peter Galassi, chief curator of photography (1991–2011)[56][89]Cornelia Butler, chief curator of drawings (2006–2013)Barry Bergdoll, chief curator of architecture and design (2007–2013)Rajendra Roy, chief curator of film (2007–present)Ann Temkin, chief curator of painting and sculpture (2008–present)[90]Klaus Biesenbach, director of MoMA PS1 and chief curator at large (2009–2018)Sabine Breitwieser, chief curator of media and performance art (2010–2013)Christophe Cherix, chief curator of prints and illustrated books (2010–2013), drawings and prints (2013–present)Paola Antonelli, director of research and development and senior curator of architecture and design (2012–present)Quentin Bajac, chief curator of photography (2012–2018)Stuart Comer, chief curator of media and performance art (2014–present)Martino Stierli, chief curator of architecture and design (2015–present)ControversyArt repatriation issuesThe MoMa has been involved in several claims initiated by families for artworks lost in the Holocaust which ended up in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.[91] In 2009, the heirs of German artist George Grosz filed a lawsuit seeking restitution of three works by Grosz, and the heirs of Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy filed a lawsuit demanding the return of the painting by Pablo Picasso, entitled Boy Leading a Horse (1905-1906).[92][93][94] In another case, after a decade long court fight, in 2015 the MoMa returned a painting entitled Sand Hills by German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner to the Fischer family because it had been stolen by Nazis.[95] Strike MoMAStrike MoMA is a 2021 movement to strike the museum targeting what its supporters have called the "toxic philanthropy" of the museum's leadership.[96][97] See alsoflagNew York City portalAlfred H. Barr Jr.Rene d'HarnoncourtList of museums and cultural institutions in New York CityDorothy Canning MillerSam HunterJohn D. Rockefeller Jr.Solomon R. Guggenheim MuseumTalk to Me (exhibition) The Smithsonian Institution (/smɪθˈsoʊniən/ smith-SOH-nee-ən), often referred to simply as the Smithsonian, is a trust instrumentality, an organization established by the U.S. government as a public trust.[2] It was founded on August 10, 1846, "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge"[3] and is composed as a group of museums and research centers. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson.[4] It was originally organized as the United States National Museum, but that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967.[5] Called "the nation's attic"[6] for its eclectic holdings of 154 million items,[4] the Institution's 19 museums, 21 libraries, nine research centers, and zoo include historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in the District of Columbia.[7] Additional facilities are located in Maryland, New York, and Virginia. More than 200 institutions and museums in 45 states,[note 1] Puerto Rico, and Panama are Smithsonian Affiliates.[8][9] Institution publications include Smithsonian and Air & Space magazines. The Institution's 30 million annual visitors[10] are admitted without charge. Its annual budget is around $1.25 billion, with two-thirds coming from annual federal appropriations.[11] Other funding comes from the Institution's endowment, private and corporate contributions, membership dues, and earned retail, concession, and licensing revenue.[4] As of 2021, the Institution's endowment had a total value of about $5.4 billion.[12] Contents1Founding2Development2.1Museums and buildings2.2Capital campaigns3Museums3.1Collections3.2Open access4Research centers and programs4.1Smithsonian Latino Center4.1.1History4.1.2Young Ambassadors Program5Publications6Awards7Administration7.1Secretaries of the Smithsonian Institution8Controversies8.1Enola Gay display8.2Censorship of "Seasons of Life and Land"8.3Copyright restrictions9See also10Notes11References12Further reading13External linksFounding "The Castle" (built, 1847) on the National Mall: the Institution's earliest building remains its headquartersIn many ways, the origin of the Smithsonian Institution can be traced to a group of Washington citizens who, being "impressed with the importance of forming an association for promoting useful knowledge," met on June 28, 1816, to establish the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences. Officers were elected in October 1816, and the organization was granted a charter by Congress on April 20, 1818 (this charter expired in 1838). Benjamin Latrobe, who was architect for the US Capitol after the War of 1812, and William Thornton, the architect who designed the Octagon House and Tudor Place, would serve as officers. Other prominent members, who numbered from 30 to 70 during the Institute's existence, included John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, Judge William Cranch, and James Hoban. Honorary members included James Madison, James Monroe, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette. Operating expenses were covered from the $5 yearly dues collected from each member. The Institute proposed a number of undertakings. These included the study of plant life and the creation of a botanical garden on the Capitol Mall, an examination of the country's mineral production, improvement in the management and care of livestock, and the writing of a topographical and statistical history of the United States. Reports were to be published periodically to share this knowledge with the greater public, but due to a lack of funds, this initially did not occur. The Institute first met in Blodget's Hotel, later in the Treasury Department and City Hall, before being assigned a permanent home in 1824 in the Capitol building. Beginning in 1825, weekly sittings were arranged during sessions of Congress for the reading of scientific and literary productions, but this was continued for only a short time, as the number attending declined rapidly. Eighty-five communications by 26 people were made to Congress during the entire life of the society, with more than a half relating to astronomy or mathematics. Among all the activities planned by the Institute, only a few were actually implemented. Two were the establishment of a botanical garden, and a museum that was designed to have a national and permanent status. The former occupied space where the present Botanic Garden sits. The museum contained specimens of zoology, botany, archeology, fossils, etc., some of which were passed on to the Smithsonian Institution after its formation. The Institute's charter expired in 1838, but its spirit lived on in the National Institution, founded in 1840. With the mission to "promote science and the useful arts, and to establish a national museum of natural history," this organization continued to press Congress to establish a museum that would be structured in terms that were very similar to those finally incorporated into the founding of the Smithsonian Institution. Its work helped to develop an underlying philosophy that pushed for the pursuit and development of scientific knowledge that would benefit the nation, and edify its citizens at the same time.[13] The British scientist James Smithson (1765–1829) left most of his wealth to his nephew Henry James Hungerford. When Hungerford died childless in 1835,[14] the estate passed "to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men", in accordance with Smithson's will.[15] Congress officially accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust on July 1, 1836.[16] The American diplomat Richard Rush was dispatched to England by President Andrew Jackson to collect the bequest. Rush returned in August 1838 with 105 sacks containing 104,960 gold sovereigns. This is approximately $500,000 at the time, which is equivalent to $12,152,000 in 2020 or equivalent to £9,520,034 in 2019. However, when considering the GDP at the time it may be more comparable to $220 million in the year 2007.[17][18] Once the money was in hand, eight years of Congressional haggling ensued over how to interpret Smithson's rather vague mandate "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge".[16][18] Unfortunately, the money was invested by the US Treasury in bonds issued by the state of Arkansas, which soon defaulted. After heated debate, Massachusetts representative (and former president) John Quincy Adams persuaded Congress to restore the lost funds with interest[19] and, despite designs on the money for other purposes, convinced his colleagues to preserve it for an institution of science and learning.[20] Finally, on August 10, 1846, President James K. Polk signed the legislation that established the Smithsonian Institution as a trust instrumentality of the United States, to be administered by a Board of Regents and a secretary of the Smithsonian.[16][21] DevelopmentThough the Smithsonian's first secretary, Joseph Henry, wanted the institution to be a center for scientific research,[22] it also became the depository for various Washington and U.S. government collections.[23] The United States Exploring Expedition by the U.S. Navy circumnavigated the globe between 1838 and 1842.[24] The voyage amassed thousands of animal specimens, an herbarium of 50,000 plant specimens, and diverse shells and minerals, tropical birds, jars of seawater, and ethnographic artifacts from the South Pacific Ocean.[24] These specimens and artifacts became part of the Smithsonian collections,[25] as did those collected by several military and civilian surveys of the American West, including the Mexican Boundary Survey and Pacific Railroad Surveys, which assembled many Native American artifacts and natural history specimens.[26] In 1846, the regents developed a plan for weather observation; in 1847, money was appropriated for meteorological research.[27] The Institution became a magnet for young scientists from 1857 to 1866, who formed a group called the Megatherium Club.[28] The Smithsonian played a critical role as the U.S. partner institution in early bilateral scientific exchanges with the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.[29] Museums and buildingsConstruction began on the Smithsonian Institution Building ("the Castle") in 1849. Designed by architect James Renwick Jr., its interiors were completed by general contractor Gilbert Cameron. The building opened in 1855.[30] The Smithsonian's first expansion came with the construction of the Arts and Industries Building in 1881. Congress had promised to build a new structure for the museum if the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition generated enough income. It did, and the building was designed by architects Adolf Cluss and Paul Schulze, based on original plans developed by Major General Montgomery C. Meigs of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It opened in 1881.[31] The National Zoological Park opened in 1889 to accommodate the Smithsonian's Department of Living Animals.[32] The park was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.[32] The National Museum of Natural History opened in June 1911 to similarly accommodate the Smithsonian's United States National Museum, which had previously been housed in the Castle and then the Arts and Industries Building.[33] This structure was designed by the D.C. architectural firm of Hornblower & Marshall.[34] When Detroit philanthropist Charles Lang Freer donated his private collection to the Smithsonian and funds to build the museum to hold it (which was named the Freer Gallery), it was among the Smithsonian's first major donations from a private individual.[35] The gallery opened in 1923.[36] More than 40 years would pass before the next museum, the Museum of History and Technology (renamed the National Museum of American History in 1980), opened in 1964. It was designed by the world-renowned firm of McKim, Mead & White.[37] The Anacostia Community Museum, an "experimental store-front" museum created at the initiative of Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, opened in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in 1967.[38][39][40] That same year, the Smithsonian signed an agreement to take over the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration (now the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum).[41] The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum opened in the Old Patent Office Building (built in 1867) on October 7, 1968.[42] The reuse of an older building continued with the opening of the Renwick Gallery in 1972 in the 1874 Renwick-designed art gallery originally built by local philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran to house the Corcoran Gallery of Art.[43] The first new museum building to open since the National Museum of Natural History was the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1974.[44] The National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian's largest in terms of floor space, opened in June 1976.[45] Eleven years later, the National Museum of African Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery opened in a new, joint, underground museum between the Freer Gallery and the Smithsonian Castle.[46][47][48] Reuse of another old building came in 1993 with the opening of the National Postal Museum in the 1904 former City Post Office building, a few city blocks from the Mall.[49] In 2004, the Smithsonian opened the National Museum of the American Indian in a new building near the United States Capitol.[50] Twelve years later almost to the day, in 2016, the latest museum opened: the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in a new building near the Washington Monument.[51] Two more museums have been established and are being planned for eventual construction on the mall: the National Museum of the American Latino and the National Women's History Museum. Capital campaignsIn 2011, the Smithsonian undertook its first-ever capital fundraising campaign.[52] The $1.5 billion effort raised $1 billion at the three-year mark. Smithsonian officials made the campaign public in October 2014 in an effort to raise the remaining $500 million. More than 60,000 individuals and organizations donated money to the campaign by the time it went public.[53] This included 192 gifts of at least $1 million.[53] Members of the boards of directors of various Smithsonian museums donated $372 million.[53] The Smithsonian said that funds raised would go toward completion of the National Museum of African American History and Culture building, and renovations of the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, and the Renwick Gallery.[53] A smaller amount of funds would go to educational initiatives and digitization of collections.[53] As of September 2017, the Smithsonian claimed to have raised $1.79 billion, with three months left in the formal campaign calendar.[54] Separately from the major capital campaign, the Smithsonian has begun fundraising through Kickstarter.[55] An example is a campaign to fund the preservation and maintenance of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland for her role as Dorothy Gale in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.[56] MuseumsMain article: List of Smithsonian museums Aircraft on display at the National Air and Space Museum, including a Ford Trimotor and Douglas DC-3 (top and second from top)Nineteen museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoological Park, comprise the Smithsonian museums.[57] Eleven are on the National Mall, the park that runs between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol. Other museums are located elsewhere in Washington, D.C., with two more in New York City and one in Chantilly, Virginia. The Smithsonian has close ties with 168 other museums in 39 states, Panama, and Puerto Rico.[57] These museums are known as Smithsonian Affiliated museums. Collections of artifacts are given to these museums in the form of long-term loans. The Smithsonian also has a large number of traveling exhibitions, operated through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).[58] In 2008, 58 of these traveling exhibitions went to 510 venues across the country.[57] The Smithsonian Institution announced in January 2015 that it is in talks to build its first permanent overseas exhibition space within London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.[59] Collections[icon]This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2012)Smithsonian collections include 156 million artworks, artifacts, and specimens. The National Museum of Natural History houses 145 million of these specimens and artifacts, which are mostly animals preserved in Formaldehyde. The Collections Search Center has 9.9 million digital records available online. The Smithsonian Institution Libraries hold 2 million library volumes. Smithsonian Archives hold 156,830 cubic feet (4,441 m3) of archival material.[60][61] The Smithsonian Institution has many categories of displays that can be visited at the museums. In 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft donated her inauguration gown to the museum to begin the First Ladies' Gown display at the National Museum of American History,[62] one of the Smithsonian's most popular exhibits.[63] The museum displays treasures such as the Star-Spangled Banner, the stove pipe hat that was worn by President Abraham Lincoln, the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard Of Oz, and the original Teddy Bear that was named after President Theodore Roosevelt.[64] In 2016, the Smithsonian's Air & Space museum curators restored the large model Enterprise from the original Star Trek TV series.[65] Open accessIn February 2020, the Smithsonian made 2.8 million digital items available to the public under a Creative Commons Zero Public Domain Dedication, with a commitment to release further items in the future.[66] Research centers and programsThe following is a list of Smithsonian research centers, with their affiliated museum in parentheses: Archives of American ArtCalifornia State Railroad Museum[67]Carrie Bow Marine Field Station (Natural History Museum)Center for Earth and Planetary Studies (Air and Space Museum)Center for Folklife and Cultural HeritageMarine Station at Fort Pierce (Natural History Museum)Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (National Zoo)Museum Conservation InstituteSmithsonian Asian Pacific American CenterSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the associated Harvard–Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (National Zoo)Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterSmithsonian Institution Archives[68]Smithsonian LibrariesSmithsonian Institution Scholarly PressSmithsonian Latino Center[69]Smithsonian Provenance Research Initiative (SPRI)[70]Smithsonian Science Education Center[71]Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panamá)Woodrow Wilson International Center for ScholarsAlso of note is the Smithsonian Museum Support Center (MSC), located in Silver Hill, Maryland (Suitland), which is the principal off-site conservation and collections facility for multiple Smithsonian museums, primarily the National Museum of Natural History. The MSC was dedicated in May 1983.[72] The MSC covers 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) of land, with over 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of space, making it one of the largest set of structures in the Smithsonian. It has over 12 miles (19 km) of cabinets, and more than 31 million objects. Smithsonian Latino CenterIn 1997, the Smithsonian Latino Center was created as a way to recognize Latinos across the Smithsonian Institution. The primary purpose of the center is to place Latino contributions to the arts, history, science, and national culture across the Smithsonian's museums and research centers.[73] The center is a division of the Smithsonian Institution.[74] As of May 2016, the center is run by an executive director, Eduardo Díaz.[75] HistoryAt the time of its creation, the Smithsonian Institution had other entities dedicated to other minority groups: National Museum of the American Indian, Freer-Sackler Gallery for Asian Arts and Culture, African Art Museum, and the National Museum of African-American Heritage and Culture.[76] The opening of the center was prompted, in part, by the publishing of a report called "Willful Neglect: The Smithsonian and U.S. Latinos".[76] According to documents obtained by The Washington Post, when former Latino Center executive director Pilar O'Leary first took the job, the center faced employees who had "serious performance issues". No performance plans existed for the staff and unfulfilled financial obligations to sponsors existed. The website's quality was poor, and the center did not have a public affairs manager, a programs director, adequate human resources support, or cohesive mission statement.[76] After difficult times in the first few years, the center improved. According to the Smithsonian, the center "support[s] scholarly research, exhibitions, public and educational programs, web-based content and virtual platforms, and collections and archives. [It] also manage[s] leadership and professional development programs for Latino youth, emerging scholars and museum professionals."[73] Today, the website features a high-tech virtual museum.[77] Young Ambassadors ProgramThe Smithsonian Latino Center's Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) is a program within the Latino Center that reaches out to Latino high school students with the goal of encouraging them to become leaders in arts, sciences, and the humanities.[78] Students selected for the program travel to Washington, D.C. for an "enrichment seminar" that lasts approximately five days. Afterwards, students return to their communities to serve in a paid, one-month internship.[74] Pilar O'Leary launched the program when she served as executive director of the Smithsonian Latino Center.[79] According to the Latino Center, O'Leary told the press in 2007: "Our goal is to help our Young Ambassadors become the next generation of leaders in the arts and culture fields. This program encourages students to be proud of their roots and learn more about their cultural heritage to inspire them to educate the public in their own communities about how Latinos are enriching America's cultural fabric."[74] PublicationsThe Institution publishes Smithsonian magazine monthly and Air & Space magazine bimonthly. Smithsonian was the result of Secretary of the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley asking the retired editor of Life magazine Edward K. Thompson to produce a magazine "about things in which the Smithsonian Institution is interested, might be interested or ought to be interested".[80] Another Secretary of the Smithsonian, Walter Boyne, founded Air & Space.[81][82] The organization publishes under the imprints Smithsonian Institution Press,[83] Smithsonian Books,[84] and Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.[85] AwardsThe Smithsonian makes a number of awards to acknowledge and support meritorious work. The James Smithson Medal, the Smithsonian Institution's highest award, was established in 1965 and is given in recognition of exceptional contributions to art, science, history, education, and technology.The James Smithson Bicentennial Medal, established in 1965, is given to persons who have made distinguished contributions to the advancement of areas of interest to the Smithsonian.The Hodgkins Medal, established in 1893, is awarded for important contributions to the understanding of the physical environment.The Henry Medal, established in 1878, is presented to individuals in recognition of their distinguished service, achievements or contributions to the prestige and growth of the Smithsonian Institution.The Langley Gold Medal is awarded for meritorious investigations in connection with the science of aerodromics and its application to aviation.[86]Administration The Smithsonian Castle doorwayThe Smithsonian Institution was established as a trust instrumentality by act of Congress.[87] More than two-thirds of the Smithsonian's workforce of some 6,300 persons are employees of the federal government. The Smithsonian Office of Protection Services oversees security at the Smithsonian facilities and enforces laws and regulations for National Capital Parks together with the United States Park Police. The president's 2011 budget proposed just under $800 million in support for the Smithsonian, slightly increased from previous years. Institution exhibits are free of charge, though in 2010 the Deficit Commission recommended admission fees.[88][89] As approved by Congress on August 10, 1846, the legislation that created the Smithsonian Institution called for the creation of a Board of Regents to govern and administer the organization.[87] This 17-member board meets at least four times a year and includes as ex officio members the chief justice of the United States and the vice president of the United States. The nominal head of the Institution is the chancellor, an office which has traditionally been held by the chief justice. In September 2007, the board created the position of Chair of the Board of Regents, a position currently held by Steve Case.[90] Other members of the Board of Regents are three members of the U.S. House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House; three members of the Senate, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; and nine citizen members, nominated by the board and approved by the Congress in a joint resolution signed by the president of the United States.[91] Regents who are senators or representatives serve for the duration of their elected terms, while citizen Regents serve a maximum of two six-year terms. Regents are compensated on a part-time basis. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Smithsonian is the secretary, who is appointed by the Board of Regents. The secretary also serves as secretary to the Board of Regents but is not a voting member of that body. The secretary of the Smithsonian has the privilege of the floor at the United States Senate. On September 18, 2013, Secretary G. Wayne Clough announced he would retire in October 2014. The Smithsonian Board of Regents said it asked regent John McCarter, Jr., to lead a search committee.[92] On March 10, 2014, the Smithsonian Board selected David Skorton, a physician and president of Cornell University, as the 13th secretary of the Smithsonian. Skorton took the reins of the institution on July 1, 2015.[93] Upon Skorton's announced resignation in 2019, the Board selected Lonnie Bunch III, the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, as the 14th secretary.[94] Secretaries of the Smithsonian InstitutionJoseph Henry, 1846–1878Spencer Fullerton Baird, 1878–1887Samuel Pierpont Langley, 1887–1906Charles Doolittle Walcott, 1907–1927Charles Greeley Abbot, 1928–1944Alexander Wetmore, 1944–1952Leonard Carmichael, 1953–1964Sidney Dillon Ripley, 1964–1984Robert McCormick Adams, Jr., 1984–1994Ira Michael Heyman, 1994–1999Lawrence M. Small, 2000–2007G. Wayne Clough, 2008–2015[93]David J. Skorton, 2015–2019Lonnie Bunch, 2019–presentControversiesEnola Gay displaySee also: Enola Gay exhibition controversyIn 1995, controversy arose over the exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum with the display of the Enola Gay, the Superfortress used by the United States to drop the first atomic bomb used in World War II. The American Legion and Air Force Association believed the exhibit put forward only one side of the debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that it emphasized the effect on victims without discussing its use within the overall context of the war[95][citation needed]. The Smithsonian changed the exhibit[citation needed], displaying the aircraft only with associated technical data and without discussion of its historic role in the war. Censorship of "Seasons of Life and Land"In 2003, a National Museum of Natural History exhibit, Subhankar Banerjee's Seasons of Life and Land, featuring photographs of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, was censored and moved to the basement by Smithsonian officials because they feared that its subject matter was too politically controversial.[96] In November 2007, The Washington Post reported internal criticism has been raised regarding the institution's handling of the exhibit on the Arctic. According to documents and e-mails, the exhibit and its associated presentation were edited at high levels to add "scientific uncertainty" regarding the nature and impact of global warming on the Arctic. Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Cristián Samper was interviewed by the Post, and claimed the exhibit was edited because it contained conclusions that went beyond what could be proven by contemporary climatology.[97] The Smithsonian is now a participant in the U.S. Global Change Research Program.[98] Copyright restrictionsThe Smithsonian Institution provides access to its image collections for educational, scholarly, and nonprofit uses. Commercial uses are generally restricted unless permission is obtained. Smithsonian images fall into different copyright categories; some are protected by copyright, many are subject to license agreements or other contractual conditions, and some fall into the public domain, such as those prepared by Smithsonian employees as part of their official duties. The Smithsonian's terms of use for its digital content, including images, are set forth on the Smithsonian Web site.[99][100] In April 2006, the institution entered into an agreement of "first refusal" rights for its vast silent and public domain film archives with Showtime Networks, mainly for use on the Smithsonian Channel, a network created from this deal. Critics contend this agreement effectively gives Showtime control over the film archives, as it requires filmmakers to obtain permission from the network to use extensive amounts of film footage from the Smithsonian archives.[101] See alsoflagUnited States portalHistory portaliconScience portal3773 SmithsonianList of aircraft in the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Ocean PortalSmithsonian Theaters

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