PITTSBURGH, PA.-Richard Armstrong, The Henry J. Heinz II Director at Carnegie Museum of Art announced today that Dr. Ellen Lehman has made a $3 million gift to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh ’s Building the Future campaign, through the Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Foundation, to be used to create two endowments of $1.5 million each. One endowment will establish the Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts position, the first endowed curatorship at Carnegie Museum of Art, and the other will support the purchase of paintings and sculptures made prior to 1970 and decorative works of art for the Museum of Art ’s collection.

“These two funds are an elegant and appropriate memorial to the Lehmans, who shared a great love of art and of the museum,” said Armstrong. “We are honored and grateful for the foundation’s generosity.”

Jane and Alan Lehman, Dr. Lehman’s parents, were devoted patrons of Carnegie Museum of Art. For many years, Mrs. Lehman was on the Board of Carnegie Museum of Art and was a long-time trustee of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh , serving as head of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. She was a former president and member for many years of the Women’s Committee of Carnegie Museum of Art and was involved with the organization of the Three Rivers Arts Festival and the museum store. Alan Lehman was a businessman and a philanthropist who supported many Pittsburgh institutions, including Carnegie Museum of Art. His love for art was instilled at an early age by his father, Albert C. Lehman, also a benefactor of Carnegie Museum of Art, who awarded a $2,000 purchase prize for the museum’s Carnegie International exhibitions of 1929, 1930, and 1931.

“It gives me great pleasure to be able to honor Mom and Dad with a gift to their favorite museum. Dad’s foresight in setting up a Charitable Lead Unitrust made the gift possible, and I know he would be pleased to see the gift materialize,” said Dr. Lehman. “He and Mom loved the Carnegie (the ‘Mu’) and were generous with their time, energy, and funds for over 40 years, following a tradition begun by my paternal grandparents, Albert and Adele Lehman.”

“Generosity is a hallmark of the Carnegie Museums community of supporters, and we thank the Lehman Foundation for being a part of that community and for supporting our campaign in such a meaningful, thoughtful way,” said David Hillenbrand, president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.