National Gallery of Art, Art museum in National Mall, United States.
The National Gallery of Art consists of two buildings on the National Mall in Washington D.C., linked by an underground passage and displaying paintings, photographs, and sculptures from medieval times to the present. The classical West Building opened in 1941, while the modern East Building in pink marble has housed contemporary and rotating exhibitions since 1978.
Andrew Mellon donated his private art collection and funds for construction in 1937 to establish a museum for the American public. The West Building opened in 1941, followed by the East Building in 1978 to accommodate the growing collection of modern art.
The name comes from Andrew Mellon's vision of creating a national art collection accessible to all Americans without charging admission. Visitors today walk through galleries with works by Vermeer, Monet, and Rothko, while school groups sit before paintings and sketch.
The institution opens daily from 10 to 17 and admission is free, with both buildings fully accessible for wheelchair users. The underground concourse between the buildings includes a café and museum shop, allowing visitors to move easily between collections.
The East Building displays a 76-foot (23-meter) mobile by Alexander Calder suspended from the ceiling, marking his final major work. The underground concourse also houses a constantly changing waterfall fountain controlled by computers.
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