| Upon his death in 1919, Henry Ward Ranger, NA endowed a portion of his estate to the National Academy. This contribution became the basis for the Ranger Fund, an endowment to increase public awareness of contemporary American paintings though gifts of works by living artists to institutions throughout the United States. According to Mr. Ranger’s will, “all pictures so purchased are to be given by the Council to Art institutions in America, or to any library or other institutions in America maintaining a gallery open to the public.” In the course of the Ranger Fund’s rich history, it has purchased and placed close to 600 paintings of various styles and artistic movements across the United States. The Ranger commitment to raising visibility of living American artists further supports the mission of the National Academy “to promote painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and architecture in the United States.” |
