Sonny Kalsi discusses the Hirshhorn Museum and the importance of donating if you can so that the museum can stay free and open to the public.

1. S O N N Y K A L S I . O R G
C H A R I T Y S P O T L I G H T :
H I R S H H O R N M U S E U M
Sonny Kalsi

2. ABOUT
The Hirshhorn Museum, a modern
art museum in Washington D.C., is
part of the Smithsonian Institution.
As such it is free and open to the
public.
How is that possible when most art
museums in the country charge
admission fees ranging from $14 for
the Art Institute in Chicago (and
that ticket price is for Chicago
residents) to $25 for a day at
MOMA in New York City?
The answer lies in the history of the
Institution, and the current funding
formula.

3. H I S T O R Y
One hundred and seventy years ago James Smithson, a British scientist, left his estate to the United
States to found “at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for
the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”
It took nearly seventeen years for the estate to settle and the half-million dollar bequest to be
accepted by Congress. Then (after much debate), Congress enacted legislation to set up a trust to be
administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary of the Smithsonian.
This put the Smithsonian in the unique position of being owned, and in the care of, the United States.
So the Institution, which is now the largest museum, research and education complex in the world, is
there for all to enjoy.
S O N N Y K A L S I . O R G

4. S O N N Y K A L S I . O R G
Unlike most museums in the U.S., which only receive federal
funding by applying for grants, the foundation of the
Smithsonian’s operating budget is through federal appropriations.
But, that money is far from enough to keep the doors of the
museums, including the Hirshhorn, open and maintain the
excellence of the establishment.
Mounting an art exhibition costs anywhere from $75 to $200 per
square foot. That figure doesn’t include procuring the art itself
(purchasing or commissioning), or shipping and insuring art that is
loaned, plus any stipend to the artist. The museum itself,
naturally, has to have proper climate control and reasonable
building maintenance.
These practical aspects about the Hirshhorn are easily overlooked
given the excellence of the exhibitions. Modern art has the ability
to tell stories, heighten emotions, explore political and social
strife and challenge assumptions about art itself. The year-long
exhibition, Pickett’s Charge, by artist Mark Bradford certainly
highlights the multifaceted ways in which art can astonish.
F U N D I N G

5. T H E
I M P O R T A N C E
O F D O N A T I N G
But,asamemberoftheHirshhorn’sboardoftrusteesI
knowthatthepracticalsideofthingsmustbekeptatthe
forefrontifthemuseumisgoingtokeepitsdoorsopen.
So,whiletheHirshhornisfree,Iencouragepeoplewho
havethefinancialmeanstodonatetothemuseum.
ThereissomuchmoretotheHirshhornthanopendoors.
Educationalprograms,lecturesanddiscussions,special
eventsandre-sculptingthespaceofthemuseumitselfall
rely,heavily,onprivatedonationstocontinue.
I’mproudtoserveontheboardofamuseumthatoffersso
muchtovisitors.Especiallybecauseanyone,nomatter
theirmeans,canenjoytheHirshhorn–thankstoJames
Smithson,Congressandallthepeoplegenerousenoughto
donatetothisoutstandinginstitution.

6. For more information vist:
sonnykalsi.org