four decades ago, has given a branch of the US Smithsonian Institution a large gift to support Persian art and celebrations of Now Ruz.
The gift was described as “major,” but no amount was announced.
The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery were the recipients of the gift.
Amuzegar established two endowments: the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Persian Cultural Celebrations Fund, which will support an annual celebration in honor of Now Ruz, and the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Fund for Contemporary Iranian Art.
The Smithsonian said, “The gift is the largest ever for Persian programs in the history of the galleries and one of the largest gifts ever received by the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian art.”
Amuzegar said, “My interest in establishing the endowments follows from the hope and trust that the Now Ruz festivals should be celebrated for years to come and that the Galleries will have the ability to host contemporary Iranian art at the museum as far in the future as I can see.”
Julian Raby, director of the Freer and Sackler Galleries, said, “We are deeply honored and grateful that Dr. Amuzegar has chosen to support Persian art at the Smithsonian. His generous gift ensures that we will always be able to offer public programs featuring Persian culture in the nation’s capital, and that we can focus on developing our contemporary Persian art collection, which complements our rich collections of the traditional arts of Iran.”
The Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Persian Cultural Celebrations Fund will be used to provide ongoing support for the Freer and Sackler’s annual Now Ruz Family Days, which the galleries began hosting in 2009, with an annual attendance averaging 7,000. The endowment will also fund a diverse range of educational and cultural programs open to the general public on Iran.
The Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Fund for Contemporary Iranian Art will allow for acquisitions as well as exhibitions, print and digital publications and a variety of public programs to engage young audiences.
Amuzegar, currently an international economics consultant, served as Iran’s minister of commerce (1962-3), minister of finance (1963) and ambassador-at-large (1963-1979). He has served on the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund and written numerous books and articles on the intersection of Iran’s economy, politics, and oil industry. Amuzegar earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles and has taught economics at several American universities.
The Freer Gallery of Art, located at 12th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., and the adjacent Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located at 1050 Independence Avenue S.W., are on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.