Evening star., 1941-01-26
National Art Gallery
To Be Dedicated
On March II
President Will Attend
Ceremony; Public
Invited Next Day

The National Gallery % Art will
be dedicated Monday night. March
IT, at ceremonies to be attended by
the President and Mrs. Roosevelt.
high officials and other guests.
The trustees of the gallery, gift
of the late Andrew w. Mellon, an
nounced that the building will be
open to the public on the following
day, March 18. 1t will be open
thereafter without admission charge
every day in the year with the ex-
ception of Christmas and New Year
day.
The art treasures collected by
Mr.. Mellon, former Secretary Of the
Treasury and Samuel H Kress Of
New York all will be on exhibition,
including both paintings and sculp-
ture.
The official announcement from
the gallery trustees yesterday stated
that the collections Of both Mr..
Mellon. Mr. Kress and others" Will
be on exhibition. But il was learned
that the words and others" were
intended to be inclusive of any
which might be accepted in the
future for installation. The gallery
has large unfinished spaces for
further future collections.
Widener Gifts to Be Added.
Still a third great collection al
ready has been given to the Ma
tional Gallery by Joseph E Widener
of PENNSYLVANIA and Will be in
stalled later, but these objects Of
art have not yet been transferred
10 the gallery here and Will not be
on display at the time Of opening.
No definite announcement has been
made as 70 when the Widener coll
lection will come TO Washington.
Details OF plans for the dedlca-
ton ceremonies were not disclosed
in the brief announcement OF the
gallery trustees. On the night Of
the official opening, however, it Is
known that the occasion will be by
invitation only. on account Of the
limitations of space for the dedl.
cation. The gallery is a huge build.
ing, and When opened to the gen.
eral public thereafter it is expected
TO accommodate thousands without
croWding.
The building, located on the Mall,
extends from Third TO Sixth street
and is 795 feet in length, longer
than the United States Capitol
Building. It may be entered on the
street level on the Constitution ave.
nue. side. which probably will be
the most favored by the publis. or it
may be approached on the Mall side
and up fight of steps to the por.
tico.
Cost Put at Sl5,000,000
The gallery is estimated to have
cost about s15,00o,ooo. which to.
gether with the magnificent Mellon
collection of art and sculpture con-
stitutes a gift of about s70.000oo0
to the Nation. In accepting this
gift Congress constituted the Ma
tional Gallery of Art as a bureau
Of the Smithsonian Institution.
which makes it an official part OF
the Government, but il is admins
tered separately from the Insti-
tuition by Board Of Trustees.
Mr.. Melons first gift OF art In
cluded Ill paintings of the foremost
artists from the first half Of the
18th century through the early 18th
century; also % pieces of sculpture.
Later II paintings by outstanding
American artists were given By the
/ trustees Of the A w. Mellon Edu-
cational and Charitable Trust.
Mr.. Kress gave his collection OF
375 Italian paintings and IS pieces
OF sculpture in July. 1889 The
Kress collection is said TO be
magnificent contribution which
provides an Italian section unri-
vailed in this country.