Raymond Nasher Bust
"The arts are a major force in the growth and development of our global business world. Through the arts, people learn creativity and innovation. The partnership between the arts and business improves not only economic development but also the social fabric and enlightenment of society"
-Raymond Nasher
On December 3, 2007 the Raymond Nasher portrait sculpture in bronze by Edward Jonas, was acquired by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, into their permanent collection. Edward was commissioned by the Portrait Society of America to sculpt the portrait bust as part of their annual Leadership in the Fine Arts award. Presented at The Art of the Portrait national conference Mr. Nasher graciously accepted the award and a copy of the bust is also part of the collection of the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas.
Raymond Nasher Biography
Each year, The Portrait Society of America presents the Leadership in the Fine Arts award to recognize outstanding individuals who have made historically significant contributions to the fine arts.
As recipient of the award Mr. Nasher, a civic leader, business magnate
and champion of the Arts, was by far one of the most influential figures
in the incorporation and sustaining of visual arts in modern American culture.
Mr. Nasher and his wife, Patsy, collected artworks spanning a broad range
of cultures, eras and styles, and shared their collection with the world
through in public displays ranging from massive exhibitions at the Guggenheim
in New York to installations at the NorthPark Shopping Center. Mr. Nasher
held seats on numerous governmental, corporate, and civic initiatives,
and enjoyed several governmental appointments.
October 20, 2003, the Nasher Sculpture Center opened in Dallas, housing
the majority of the Nashers’ collected works. Raymond Nasher had spent
years considering permanent, public locations for the collection and eventually
chose to create a space which would dynamically display the works of art.
The building and grounds, designed by Renzo Piano, are tailored to house
and show the collection in the most favorable and accessible fashion possible.
An alumnus of Duke University, Raymond Nasher funded the creation of the
Nasher Museum of Art on Duke’s main campus in Durham, North Carolina, September
8, 2005. Highlights from the Nasher Collection made up a portion of the
opening exhibits.
Raymond Nasher was widely recognized as outstanding among American advocates
for the Arts. Even in his earliest business endeavors, Nasher strove to
integrate artistic experience into the daily lives of Americans. President
George H. W. Bush and, subsequently, President Clinton appointed Nasher
to the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. He served
on the Texas Commission on Arts, received the American Institute of Architects
Award for "Design of the Decade-1960's" and the Award for Distinguished
Service to the Visual Arts from the University of North Texas. Nasher
served as director of the Dallas Museum of Art, was a member of the Board
of the National Council of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and served
on the International Council of the Tate Gallery in London.
Mr. Nasher, arts patron, real estate developer and founder of the Nasher
Sculpture Center died March 16, 2007 at the age of 85 in Dallas, Texas.
His contributions to the arts in America will have a lasting effect on
future generations.