THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE TRETYAKOV GALLERY INAUGURAL GALA
Fine Art Magazine, Spring, 2003

The American Friends of The Tretyakov Gallery Present Gifts of An Major Contemporary Russian-American Artists to Moscow Museum

Valentin Rodionov, D,: James Billington, The Librarian of Congress, Gloria Cancro, and Prof. Robert Cancro, Chair of Psychology Department of NYU Medical Centre 		Patricia Nixon, daughter of President Richard M. Nixon, and Mrs. Donald Kendal

Valentin Rodionov, General Director of the Tretyakov Gallery, and Alexandre Gertsman, President of The American Friends of The Tretyakov Gallery, standing before the paintings by Komar & Melamid and Bruskin which Mr. Gertsman presented to the Tretyakov Gallery

Grisha Bruskin who, alone, had brought to the historic after-Perestroika 1988 Sotheby's auction in Moscow almost a half-million dollars, moved to New York after the auction.
In support of establishing a new group "The American Friends of The Tretyakov Gallery," IntArt (International Foundation of Russian and Eastern European Art, Inc.) sponsored a gala at the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in New York City on November 4,2002, preceded by an exhibition of work by major Russian artists of the twentieth century, including Rothko, Komar & Melamid, Nesterova, Bruskin, Vassiliev, Sokov, Nazarenko, Gerlovins, and Kudriashov. The renowned Russian pianist, Vladimir Feltsman, had performed. This event was supported by the "Foundation For The Development of Democracy And World Peace", chaired by President Mikhail Gorbachev. Dr. James H. Billington, The Librarian of Congress, and Valentin Rodionov, General Director of The State Tretyakov Gallery, were Guests of Honor. Mr. Donald Kendall, former CEO of PepsiCo, and his wife were Honorary Chairs. Maestro Mstislav Rostropovich chaired the Honorary Committee, Alexandre Gertsman was Benefit Benefit Chairman, and Marianne Kilday Wyman chaired Benefit Committee.As James Barron wrote in the New York Times on November 6th, "The Tretyakov Museum in Moscow has become the latest Russian cultural institution to have its own support group in this country." The American Friends of The Tretyakov Gallery (Alexandre Gertsman, President) presented a gift to the permanent collection of the Tretyakov Gallery: artworks by Komar & Melamid L enin on Red Square and Bruskin Death of a Hero. Vitaly Komar, Alexander Melamid, and Grisha Bruksin are three major Russian American New York-based artists, whose work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Jewish Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum. Komar & Melamid, who moved to the United States more than two decades ago, are now included in the "Best 100 Artists of the XX Century" (Hazan, 1998).