The National Gallery of Art (NGA) has received a historic $116 million donation from the Mitchell P. Rales Family Foundation to permanently endow its 'Across the Nation' lending program. This initiative loans artworks from the NGA's collection to smaller regional museums across the United States, covering all associated costs. In its pilot year, the program reached an estimated 900,000 visitors at ten institutions, bringing works by artists like Georgia O'Keeffe, Rembrandt, and Mark Rothko to communities from Alaska to Michigan.
The gift is the largest ever to endow a program at the NGA and ensures the lending initiative's longevity as a core part of the museum's mission. It significantly expands public access to major artworks beyond Washington, D.C., particularly for audiences who cannot travel to the national museum. The endowment comes amid federal pressures on cultural institutions, following the NGA's closure of its diversity programs in compliance with a government mandate. The donation underscores the critical role of private philanthropy in sustaining public-facing arts programs during politically volatile times.