Billy Rose, New York theatrical producer, has donated his entire collection of modern sculpture to the National Museum of Israel, and will personally finance the construction and landscaping of a five-acre garden in Jerusalem, in which his collection will be displayed. The value of the gift, including the garden, was estimated at well over one million dollars by Karl Xatz, curator and director of the Museum, who said it was “one of the finest privately-owned collections of sculpture in the world.”
Mr. Role’s gift was announced tonight by Samuel Rubin, president of the America Israel Cultural Foundation, at its annual dinner-concert at the Waldorf-Astoria, in honor of Spyros P. Skouras. A presentation was made to Mr. Skouras “for his distinguished contributions over the years to the cultural exchange.”
The sculpture garden will be situated on a hilltop of Jerusalem on land immediately adjacent to the new building of the National Museum of Israel overlooking a Byzantine Monastery. The site is in close proximity to the new Hebrew University, the National Parliament Building, and the small museum which will house the Dead Sea Scrolls.
It will be designed and landscaped by Isamu Noguchi, the Japanese-American sculptor who designed the UNESCO gardens in Paris. Mr. Rose and Mr. Noguchi will leave for Jerusalem the first week in February.
The Rose collection consists of more than 50 pieces, many of them of heroic size, and includes outstanding examples of the work of Rodin, Maillol, Daumier. Jacques Lipchitz and Sir Jacob Epstein.
“I am proud, ” said Mr. Rubin, “that Billy Rose is making his monumental gift through the good offices of our foundation. His sculpture garden will give tremendous impetus to the development of the National Museum, and will do much to enhance the prestige of Jerusalem as an art center. Overnight, this cultural outpost in the Middle East will become an important repository of modern sculpture.
Avraham Harman, Israel Ambassador to the United States, and Dr, Ralph Bunche, Under Secretary of the United Nations, sent messages to Mr. Rose congratulating him on his gift.
The concert following the dinner featured Gary Bertini, who made his American debut conducting 70 members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Soloists were Isaac Stern, Pegina Resnik and George London. Robert S. Benjamin presided at the dinner, with Robert W. Dowling acting as co-chairman.
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