Washington, DC, 5/15/2002 - New Mexican philanthropist Eugene V. Thaw has been selected to receive the 2002 AAM Medal for Distinguished Philanthropy by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Awarded annually, the Medal was created to honor persons or organizations who have made outstanding contributions to museums through exceptional financial generosity; support for collections, exhibitions, and programs; and by assuming volunteer leadership and stewardship. Mr. Thaw was nominated by The Pierpont Morgan Library and the Fenimore Art Museum.

The award will be announced May 15 at the 2002 AAM Annual Meeting in Dallas, Tex. The medal will be presented at a formal ceremony in October as part of AAM's celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month.

As an art collector, educator, volunteer, and steward, Eugene Thaw has made significant contributions to the cultural community. With a character that combines generosity with a passion for arts and culture, Mr. Thaw has become one of the most important philanthropists within the world of the arts in the last 25 years. Mr. Thaw is widely known for the great art collections he and his wife, Clare Eddy Thaw, have amassed and donated to public institutions. In 1993 they donated 300 European master drawings of the 15th to 20th centuries to The Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City. The collection is rich in works by Delacroix, Redon, Picasso, and Matisse. Mr. Thaw has continued to acquire works specifically to strengthen areas of the Library's drawings collection.

After assembling one of the most important collections of Native American art in the world, Mr. Thaw donated those 800 works to the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Today, this acclaimed collection continues to grow as Thaw adds pieces that enrich the understanding of Native American cultures. Not only has Thaw donated his entire collections to these institutions, but he has also donated individual works of art to a wide variety of America's institutions including The Frick Collection, the National Gallery of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust makes grants totaling $5 million dollars a year in the arts, education, and cultural preservation. Although, the Trust's grants focus on local organizations in New Mexico, they have made major donations to museums across the country and around the world, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Shanghai Museum.

Thaw's unique contribution to museum philanthropy is a result of his background in art history scholarship. After graduate studies in art history at Columbia University, he established his own art gallery and began his career as a dealer of old master paintings and drawings. Over the next fifty years, he became an art dealer, collector, and respected scholar. He is the author of a large number of journal articles, essays, and reviews as well as catalogues.

Furthering his gifts of artworks, grants, and funds, Mr. Thaw has also devoted his time to serve on the boards of many cultural institutions, among them The Pierpont Morgan Library, the Fenimore Art Museum, the Frick Art Reference Library, and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. He advocates on behalf of the cultural community through his association with such organizations as the President's Committee for Cultural Properties, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the World Monuments Fund.

Eugene Thaw has received numerous awards recognizing his leadership and philanthropy to the cultural community. In 1996, he received the Mayor's Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts from Santa Fe, N.M. In 2001, he received the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Award for Outstanding Patronage of the Arts from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Culture. Mr. Thaw also has an honorary doctorate degree from Hartwick College.

Past recipients of the Medal for Distinguished Philanthropy, initiated by AAM in 1993, include MetLife Foundation; Elmer E. and Mary Louise Rasmuson of Anchorage, Alaska; Target Corporation (formerly Dayton Hudson Corporation); Mary and Dallas Clark of San Diego, Calif.; Chase Manhattan Bank; James and Mari Michener; John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick of Oklahoma City, Okla.; Henry Luce of New York; and Paul Mellon.

As the national service organization representing the American museum community, the American Association of Museums addresses the needs of museums to enhance their ability to serve the public interest. AAM disseminates information on current standards and best practices and provides professional development for staff to ensure that museums contribute to public education in its broadest sense and protect and preserve our cultural heritage. Since its founding in 1906, AAM has grown to more than 15,900 members, including over 11,000 museum professionals and trustees, 1,900 corporate members, and 3,000 museums.

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