In the Arts: $40-Million Collection Bequeathed to San Diego Museums
March 23, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
Two leading San Diego museums will share a trove of minimalist and German Expressionist works amassed over 30 years by one of the region’s leading collectors and valued at more than $40-million, Art Daily says.
The bequest from Dr. Vance E. Kondon and his wife, Elisabeth Giesberger, benefits the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and the San Diego Museum of Art and includes paintings and drawings by Robert Ryman, Roy Lichtenstein, Gustav Klimt, Egon Shiele, and other major artists.
Dr. Kondon, a La Jolla, Calif., resident who served for a decade on the Museum of Contemporary Art’s board, died in 1997. Ms. Giesberger passed away last year.
In other arts news, a humanitarian group is attempting to organize an unprecedented U.S. tour by North Korea’s national orchestra, according to the Associated Press.
The proposed 18-day spring visit represents the greatest logistical and diplomatic challenge undertaken by Global Resource Services, which has brought more than 40 North Korean delegations to America in hopes of catalyzing reconciliation between the countries.
The organization is working to raise $3-million to pay for the trip and obtain clearance from both governments. State Department officials declined to comment on the effort.
