COURTESY THE MUSEUM
California’s Long Beach Museum of Art has been given a $2 million gift by longtime patrons of the museum, Ronald and Sylvia Hartman. This donation is not only the single largest in the museum’s history, but also the largest given to any cultural institution in Long Beach. The museum’s gallery pavilion will be christened the Hartman Pavilion.
Ronald Hartman served as president of the Museum Association for ten years, beginning in 1969, and remained on the museum board for another decade after that. He was instrumental in acquiring a number of works now on display in the museum’s permanent collection. Mrs. Hartman, an LBMA Foundation trustee, has been involved with the organization since 1990.
In a statement, the couple included praise for the museum’s executive director, saying, “In the eight years that Ron Nelson has guided this institution, the museum has showcased an amazing array of exhibitions and has grown its educational programming to serve everyone who is interested in learning more about contemporary art. We are pleased that our gift will ensure long term financial support for the museum in the coming years.”