8 ANNUAL, REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 3 8 



that had arisen, including a pending joint resolution of Congress 

 (which was afterward approved on May 17, 1938) setting apart public 

 ground for the Smithsonian Gallery of Art, and establishing the 

 Smithsonian Gallery of Art Commission, to make preliminary in- 

 vestigations and to secure appropriate designs, by competition or 

 otherwise, for a Smithsonian Gallery of Art. The joint resolution 

 also authorized an appropriation of $40,000 for expenses of the Com- 

 mission, which amount was included in the deficiency appropriation 

 bill approved June 25, 1938. 



FINANCES 



A statement will be found in the report of the executive committee, 

 page 121. 



MATTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST 



THE SMITHSONIAN GALLERY OF ART 



In my last report I spoke of a resolution introduced at the first 

 session of the Seventy-fifth Congress to establish a Smithsonian Gal- 

 lery of Art to house the national art collections. The resolution did 

 not pass that session of Congress, but it was introduced again at the 

 third session, passed both houses of Congress, and was approved by 

 the President on May 17, 1938. The resolution authorized the Presi- 

 dent to set apart ground for such a gallery on the Mall between 

 Fourth and Fourteenth Streets and Constitution and Independence 

 Avenues. A commission was set up, to be called the Smithsonian 

 Gallery of Art Commission, who were authorized to secure appropri- 

 ate designs for a gallery building, and $40,000 was authorized to be 

 appropriated for this purpose. The Eegents of the Institution were 

 authorized to solicit and receive subscriptions of funds for the con- 

 struction of a building. In addition to providing space for the 

 present National Collection of Fine Arts, administered by the Insti- 

 tution, and other art works belonging to the Government, the Smith- 

 sonian Gallery of Art is authorized by the resolution to hold public 

 exhibitions, to acquire and sell contemporary works of art, to employ 

 artists and other personnel, and to award scholarships. 



The $40,000 authorized to be appropriated was actually provided 

 in the Second Deficiency Act approved June 25, 1938. 



The Smithsonian Gallery of Art Commission as designated in the 

 resolution held its first meeting on May 25, 1938, at the Smithsonian 

 Institution. Five of the eight members constituting the Commis- 

 sion were present, namely, Edward Bruce, Frederic A. Delano, Hon. 

 Kent E. Keller, Charles L. Borie, Jr., and Dr. Charles G. Abbot. 

 Two of the remaining members, Senators Alben W. Barkley and 

 Gilmore D. Clarke, were unable to be present, and the eighth mem- 



