Report on the National Collection 

 of Fine Arts 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activi- 

 ties of the National Collection of Fine Arts for the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1961 : 



SMITHSONIAN ART COMMISSION 



The 38th annual meeting of the Smithsonian Art Commission was 

 held in Washington on Tuesday, December 6, 1960. Members present 

 were Paul Manship, chairman; Leonard Carmichael, secretary; Gil- 

 more D. Clarke, David E. Finley, Walker Hancock, Bartlett H. 

 Hayes, Ogden M. Pleissner, Charles H. Sawyer, and Archibald G. 

 Wenley. James C. Bradley, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, Theodore W. Taylor, Assistant to the Secretary, and 

 Thomas M. Beggs, Director, National Collection of Fine Arts, were 

 also present. 



The Commission recommended reappointment of David E. Finley, 

 Charles H. Sawyer, Paul Mansliip, and Arcliibald G. Wenley for the 

 usual 4-year term. 



The following officers were reelected for the ensuing year: Paul 

 Manship, chairman; Robert Woods Bliss, vice chairman; and Leon- 

 ard Carmichael, secretary. 



The following were reelected members of the executive committee 

 for the ensuing year: David E. Finley, chairman; Robert Woods 

 Bliss, Gilmore D. Clarke, Archibald G. Wenley, with Paul Manship 

 and Leonard Carmichael, ex officio. 



Mr. Beggs reported on the functions of the National Collection of 

 Fine Arts and its relation to the other Government galleries in Wash- 

 ington. Mr. Beggs quoted from the publication, "Art and Govern- 

 ment, Report to the President by the Commission of Fine Arts on 

 Activities of the Federal Government in the Field of Art, Washing- 

 ton, D.C., 1953," citing especially a summary of testimony it con- 

 tained, which distinguished briefly between the main purposes of the 

 three Smithsonian bureaus of fine art. He called attention to the 

 Act of Congress of May 17, 1938, Section 4, which defines the respon- 

 sibilities of the National Collection of Fine Arts. Among these are 

 stressed authority to accept gifts of art works of both past and pres- 

 ent and to accept funds from private sources for their purchase and 



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