Andrew Mellon, a wealthy businessman and former Treasury Secretary and U. S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, established a trust in 1930. His generosity became the foundation for The Nationally Gallery of Art. The museum anchors a substantial portion of The National Mall in Washington, D. C. This West Building, designed by John Russel Pope, opened in 1941. Mellon’s children maintained the tradition by funding the East Building’s construction in 1978. In 1999, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden was added. The art museum is visited by over four million people a year. Admission is free.
