National Gallery of Art Receives $116 Million Gift from Mitchell P. Rales to Launch Nationwide Loan Program

Mitchell P. Rales, a billionaire collector and trustee, has donated $116 million to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, marking the largest gift to endow programming in the institution's history. Announced on Tuesday, the funding will support the 'Across the Nation' loan program, which commemorates America's 250th anniversary by allowing small and medium-size museums across the country to borrow works from the Gallery's permanent collection for two-year periods. Rales, 69, who has served as a trustee for over two decades and was president for five years, emphasized the need to activate the Gallery's national role, noting that most of its 160,000 artworks remain in storage. The program covers all associated costs, including shipping, installation, insurance, and marketing, which often hinder regional museums facing post-pandemic financial pressures and declining attendance. It will be funded in perpetuity, with the Gallery also assisting partner institutions in developing programming around the borrowed works. Rales stated that the initiative aims to address defunding in the arts sector, asserting, 'We are the nation's museum.'