COURTESY THE NEVADA MUSEUM OF ART
The Nevada Museum of Art received a $2 million gift from retired investment banker John La Gatta, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported today. Located in Reno, the museum has received few donations larger than La Gatta’s. (Thank you to Artforum for pointing us to the news.)
Some of La Gatta’s gift will go toward the museum’s education programs. Whatever is left over will go into the museum’s $13 million endowment. Because the donation is so large, the museum’s executive director, David Walker, decided that a third-floor gallery will be named after La Gatta.
La Gatta, who is the son of the illustrator John La Gatta, Sr., said that he made the donation because the museum is the most prestigious art institution in Nevada. “This museum is the only accredited museum in the state of Nevada and it has clout and is making a reputation far across its borders,” La Gatta told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “So I thought I would add to its resources for purposes of bigger and better exhibitions and everything.”