Dianne Feinstein and Richard C. Blum Pledge $5 Million to the New Asian Art Museum

Business Wire, August 4, 1999

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 1999--

Gift Will Fund the Construction of a Theater in the

Performance Wing of the New Asian Art Museum

As a symbol of their continued support for the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Senator Dianne Feinstein and her husband Richard C. Blum have pledged $5 million to the New Asian Art Museum Project.

This commitment is an addition to their previous agreement to fund the Asian Art Museum's Himalayan Gallery. The gift will establish the Dianne Feinstein & Richard C. Blum Theater, a state-of-the-art performing arts hall that will serve as the centerpiece of the performance wing of the museum's future facility at Civic Center.

"This gift comes from close friends of both the Asian Art Museum and the City of San Francisco," said Johnson S. Bogart, chairman of the Asian Art Museum Foundation. "As Mayor of San Francisco, Dianne Feinstein spearheaded the campaign to move the museum to Civic Center. By naming this theater in her honor, we pay respect to this great civic leader and her commitment to showcasing -- in all its forms -- the arts and culture of Asia. We are profoundly grateful for her continued leadership."

Senator Feinstein and Blum have long connections with both Asia and the Asian Art Museum. Dianne Feinstein, serving as Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 through 1988, was the author of the proposal for the museum's move from Golden Gate Park to the old Main Library at Civic Center. As mayor, Feinstein also provided the support for the beginning of the highly regarded cultural programs department of the museum, which has presented live musical concerts, dance, readings, films, artist demonstrations, and family festivals.

"It was my belief that the museum needed to reach out to the communities represented within its collections and bring an additional cultural dimension to their experience," commented Senator Feinstein. "In addition, it is extremely important as we move into the 21st Century for Americans to better understand Asian cultures, as there will be continued rapid growth in trade, commerce, and the movement of people between America and Asia."

As mayor, Dianne Feinstein together with her husband Richard C. Blum were active in expanding San Francisco's sister city ties in Asia. New or expanded sister city relationships in Asia include Shanghai, Osaka, Manila, and Seoul. The City also has similar ties with Taipei and Sidney.

The museum's cultural programs complement the beauty and stimulation provided by its exhibitions, and drawing on both contemporary trends and ancient traditions to present a rich and relevant view of the diverse cultures of Asia. In the 395-seat Dianne Feinstein & Richard C. Blum Theater at the New Asian -- with its enlarged, modern facilities -- the museum will be able to offer an expanded program of live performances, films, and lectures, all of which are designed to bring people into the museum and encourage them to take advantage of its resources.

Blum is a San Francisco investment banker and an honorary consul general to Nepal. He is the founder and chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation, and he holds close ties to the Dalai Lama. He led the first American climbing team ever in an attempt in 1981 to scale the previously unclimbed East Face of Mt. Everest from Tibet.

The American Himalayan Foundation, since its inception 20 years ago, has sponsored over 170 different projects in Nepal, India, Tibet, Bhutan, and Pakistan. Most of the projects funded are projects that involved education, health care, cultural preservation, and the environment.

Richard Blum added that his many years of personal and business involvement in Asia have created a deep respect for the people of the region and their art and culture. "We felt it is important to continue to give back to Asia something that would reflect our gratitude for what it has meant in our lives, that would enrich our entire community and visitors, and that would create further understanding with a first rate art and cultural institution. This donation gives us that opportunity and we are pleased to participate."

This gift of $5 million brings the campaign pledge total to $125 million toward the overall project goal of $160 million. The gift also reinforces the intent of the lead donor to the campaign, whose wish it was to create a center of art and culture. Chong-Moon Lee gave a lead gift of $15 million to the New Asian project in 1995 to launch the campaign. Recognizing that gift and agreeing with the intent, the Asian Art Museum has named the complex in which it and this new theater will reside the Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Arts and Culture.

Lee commented that he was particularly pleased to see that he has been joined in the campaign by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Richard C. Blum. "They have long been known in Asia as interested and involved in our arts and culture. This is a fine expression of that appreciation," he added.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted to Asian art, opened in 1966 as a result of a gift to the City of San Francisco by industrialist Avery Brundage. The museum's holdings include more than 12,000 art objects representing the countries and cultures throughout Asia. Its collection is world-renowned, and as a city-owned asset in the multi-billion dollar category, its value is exceeded only by the city's own land and buildings.