Smithsonian receives sizable donation to expand jazz programs

An artist’s foundation is generously donating $2.5 million as an endowment to expand jazz programs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The museum announced on Tuesday that artist LeRoy Neiman’s foundation would be donating the funds as well as Neiman’s painting “Big Band.” The colorful, large-scale painting features eighteen legendary jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. The painting has been installed near the museum’s new Jazz Cafe. The cafe will be redesigned this year to include jazz visuals from the museum’s collection. The museum will be also displaying Duke Ellington’s traveling piano and Gene Krupa’s bass drum. The donation comes just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month in April. The museum launched the month of events back in 2001 to pay special tribute to jazz as an original American art form.