Veteran Hollywood executive A. Jerrold “Jerry” Perenchio made the largest donation of European art in LACMA’s history on Thursday morning.
The philanthropist/former chairman and CEO of Univision made the substantial donation to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, announcing that he’d agreed to bequeath the most significant works of his collection to the museum’s planned new building for its permanent exhibit.
The donation, which consists of at least 47 paintings, works on paper and sculptures, is primarily made up of works from the 1870s through the 1930s, and will be at LACMA in spring 2015.
“For over 35 years I’ve been making charitable donations anonymously. I decided to go public because I believe it’s important for Los Angeles County and LACMA to help make this new building possible,” Perenchio said.
“I hope my donation to LACMA will encourage others to do the same,” he added. “A big part of the heart and soul of any city is the dedication and commitment to the arts.”
In addition to his run at Univision, Perenchio’s career included a stint in Tandem Productions, which produced classic television fare including “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son” and “Maude.”
Kristin Strange contributed to this report.