Tate Modern Unveils Major Painting Donated By American Philanthropists

The UK’s four Tate galleries are among the most visited in the world with their permanent collections of over 70,000 works of modern and contemporary art free for all to view. Today, the Tate Modern unveiled Iva, a spectacular abstract painting by American artist Joan Mitchell, one of a group of works being donated by Miami’s Pérez family to the nation, alongside an endowment to fund curatorial research.

Joan Mitchell’s vast six-metre-long triptych, entitled Iva (1973), is now on display at Tate Modern where it will be enjoyed for free by millions of visitors each year. From today it can be found in the room adjoining Mark Rothko’s iconic Seagram Murals, enabling the public to see two of America’s greatest modern painters in dialogue with each other.

Joan Mitchell was one of the most celebrated artists of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Her growing renown means that her major works are now far beyond the reach of most public museums to acquire. At a recent auction in Sotheby’s New York, her Sunflowers painting sold for $27.9 million. Named after Mitchell’s beloved German Shepherd dog, Iva is a bold, gestural work that combines emotional and physical expression. The donation of Iva transforms Tate’s holdings of her work, which previously consisted of a group of prints and a smaller late painting. It also coincides with the centenary of the artist’s birth in 1925. As a major European museum, Tate Modern offers the ideal setting for a painting of this significance and scale to now be on view for the public.

Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said “This gift is one of the most important Tate has received. To place such a significant and valuable work in public hands is an act of incredible generosity. It is also an endorsement of Tate’s ability to share our collection with the broadest possible audience – particularly here at Tate Modern, the world’s most popular modern art museum – and to care for that collection for future generations.”

UK Arts Minister, Sir Chris Bryant said “This spectacular donation of Joan Mitchell’s masterpiece to Tate shows the amazing difference one person’s generosity can make. I’m very grateful for this donation and for the work that went into making it possible. We are committed to ensuring art is for everyone, everywhere and the generosity of the Pérez family ensures that great art remains accessible to all, whilst also enriching our national collection.”

Jorge M. Pérez is an American businessman of Latin descent and Founding Executive Chairman of Miami-based real estate company The Related Group. Together with his wife Darlene, his efforts as a passionate collector and philanthropist have supported cultural institutions, organisations and individuals around the world. He has given or pledged over $100 million to Miami’s public art museum, which was renamed the Pérez Art Museum in 2013. He also founded a not-for-profit contemporary art space in Miami – El Espacio 23 – dedicated to serving artists, curators and the general public with regular curated exhibitions, residencies and a variety of special projects drawn from the Pérez Collection.

Mr. Pérez says that “art is the heartbeat of every great city, with the power to inspire, unite and transcend cultural and generational boundaries. My family and I have always believed in the power of public art in enriching communities, and Tate has been instrumental in making art accessible to all. We are honored to contribute to that mission with this gift.”

The Pérez’s gift also includes a multimillion-dollar endowment to support Tate’s curatorial research, given through the family’s philanthropic fund, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation (the Family Foundation). In the first 10 years since its 2015 inception, the Family Foundation has been dedicated to promoting sustainable, inclusive and just communities through its support of non-profit organisations and programmes. This endowment will help fund curatorial posts dedicated to work on African and Latin American art, ensuring that specialist knowledge of these regions continues to be embedded in Tate’s work and integrated into future acquisitions, displays, exhibitions and commissions.

Additionally, a group of important works by artists from across Africa and the African diaspora will make their way from the Pérezes to Tate’s collection over the coming years. These include Yinka Shonibare, El Anatsui, Joy Labinjo, Buhlebezwe Siwani and a significant group of photographs by Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keïta. This selection reflects the international nature of the Pérez Collection and the family’s longstanding support of artists from the region. The gift also reinforces the growing strength of Tate’s collection in this area and its commitment to expanding the canon of art history to become truly international.

Iva by Joan Mitchell is on free display at Tate Modern from today. Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG Open daily 10.00–18.00 Admission free