76 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1956 



Mr. Beggs pointed out that gifts of valuable art objects will not be 

 received until exhibition space of the National Collection of Fine Arts 

 is noticeably increased. He stated that since the National Gallery 

 of Art now collects and superbly exhibits the art of the past, the 

 proper function of the National Collection of Fine Arts should be the 

 acquisition of meritorious examples of painting, sculpture, and design 

 by living artists. The Ranger Fund of the National Academy of 

 Design establishes a precedent for placing such works of art in other 

 institutions until re-called for use in the National Collection of Fine 

 Arts. Until a new Smithsonian Gallery of Art is built, therefore, 

 accessions by gift, as well as by purchase, might be lent if donations 

 were made with that understanding. The advantage of purchase 

 prize competitions was discussed, and possible circulation of selected 

 items from these by the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service 

 was mentioned. The urgent need for space in a new building to house 

 all these services was cited. 



Mr. Goodrich recalled that at the last annual meeting discussion 

 concerning the Smithsonian Gallery of Art had not been completely 

 resolved and presented a resolution which was unanimously accepted 

 as follows : 



Whereas the Congress of the United States approved a Joint Resolution on 

 May 17, 1938, titled Public Resolution No. 95, 75th Congress, providing that a 

 suitable tract of public land in the District of Columbia between Fourth and 

 Fourteenth Streets and Constitution and Independence Avenues should be as- 

 signed as a site for the Smithsonian Gallery of Art, that appropriate designs 

 for a building for the Gallery should be secured, the sum of $40,000 being appro- 

 priated for this purpose, and that the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution 

 should be authorized to solicit and receive funds from private sources to meet 

 the cost of construction of such a building, to purchase works of art, conduct 

 exhibitions, and carry on other related activities ; and whereas a competition 

 for designs for such a building was held by the Smithsonian Gallery of Art Com- 

 mission ; therefore be it 



Resolved, that the Smithsonian Art Commission strongly favors the early 

 construction of such a building ; that the Commission believes that if this is to 

 be accomplished, funds must be appropriated by the Congress in addition to 

 donations from private sources ; and that the Commission requests that the 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution transmit this resolution to the Regents 

 of the Institution and to other interested persons. 



Mr. Brown proposed the following motion which was carried 

 unanimously : 



It is moved that the executive committee be requested to take under advise- 

 ment the program for the new building and, in consultation with the Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, define the purposes and the scope of the much 

 desired new building. 



The Commission recommended acceptance of the following objects : 



Oil, Brooding Silence, by John F. Carlson, N. A. (1875-1945). Henry Ward 

 Ranger Bequest. 



