Easley, Michael. Press Release, 2005-11-09, Gov. Easley Accepts $25 Million Gift Of Rodin Sculptures For N.C. Museum Of Art; Gift Will Form The Only Major Rodin Collection In The South

Michael F. Easley Governor State of North Carolina Office of the Governor For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Sara Parsons Date: Nov. 9, 2005 Phone: 919/733-5612 GOV. EASLEY ACCEPTS $25 MILLION GIFT OF RODIN SCULPTURES FOR N.C. MUSEUM OF ART Gift will form the only major Rodin collection in the South RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley today officially accepted a gift of 24 works from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation for the N.C. Museum of Art valued at $25 million. The gift includes 22 bronze sculptures by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, a sculpture of Rodin by Camille Claudel and an installation that demonstrates the casting process. "We are fortunate that North Carolina has now joined the prestigious group of museums to house some of Rodin’s finest work," said Easley. "Iris Cantor's generous gift will open a new world of opportunities and experiences for Museum visitors and students alike." The works will form one of the largest permanent Rodin exhibitions in the United States and will be displayed in new galleries that will be built as part of the planned $75 million Museum expansion initiative slated for completion in 2008. As part of the expansion, the Museum will also name a Rodin study center and name a Rodin gallery and adjacent garden in honor of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. In 2000, the Museum hosted the successful exhibition Rodin: Sculpture from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collection and Additional Works. This exhibit attracted a record number of visitors to the Museum and was the largest Rodin exhibit ever presented in the Southeast. The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation was established in 1978 and has donated more than 450 Rodin works and Rodin-related material to more than 70 museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University. The Foundation also has circulated traveling exhibitions on Rodin across the world. For more information about the Rodin exhibit or the N.C. Museum of Art, visit www. ncartmuseum. ors. ### Governor's Press Office State Capitol. Raleigh, NC 27603-8001 (919) 733-5612 - Toll Free 1-800-662-7005 FAX (919) 733-5166